Dwarf, pygmy and panda cories

[guppygal]

Hello All

I have a 10g with 3 male guppies and now a dwarf blue gourami for the last 10 days. I have intentions of adding some small cories once I know the gourami is well.

I see the pygmy is 3 cm, dwarf is 4 cm and the panda 5cm. I want to get 5. Does it matter what size I get for the 10 g? Does one group have a better personality? Easier care?

Do I need to feed these guys special food or just let them eat off the bottom?

I do currently have a little bit of salt in the tank ... do I need to start getting that out through water changes over the next week?

Thanks!!!

guppy gal
10 g
temp 76
ammonia/nitrite 0
ph 7

 

[tuvok]

In my experience the smaller corydoras are a bit less hardy than the more common bronze corydora or peppered corydora. A 10g tank is not a lot of room for some of the larger corydoras (my opinion) but the smaller varieties would probably do alright as a group of 5 in a 10g tank. By smaller corydoras I mean the following:

Corydoras pygmaeus -- pygmy corydora
Corydoras habrosus -- Dainty Corydoras
Corydoras hastatus -- Dwarf Corydoras

Note: Common names may vary

Salt is generally not recommended for catfish (including corydoras) but regardless you will not want to ignore water changes if you follow through with your stocking plan. I would also consider your tank fully stocked if you get the corydoras.

 

[hughitt1]

I would say pandas would be an alright bet. A group of 4 should be good. You will have to be careful with the gourami though because they can sometimes be aggressive. If you feed them some pieces or algae or other (Hikari, etc) catfish tablets every day or so they should be happy. If you do weekly partial water changes, you the tank has been cycled, the cories should be alright.

 

[boofish2]

From my experience, pandas can be quite sensitive to the water perameters of your tank and may suddenly die w/o warning. They are much more active when there are at least 4 and although in the beginning, my serpaes nipped at them a bit, they have proved themselves to be non-threatening and so now everyone gets along just fine! HTH! Good Luck.

 

[corykid]

I have 3 bronze corys in my 10g and they are great!!!

If u get them get a sinkin wafer!!! and give them one! everyother day this makes sure that they are getting all the food they need and all the vitamins!

 

[Hurley]

If I remember correctly, pygmy cories do not have the same behavior patterns as other cories. They tend to be more of a mid level swimmer rather then a bottom dweller, still really cute though!

 

[guppygal]

Man, the panda's are expensive! They are $10 per fish. I may have to go with the Dainty or the pygmy. Shoot the pandas look so cute.

Maybe I can get 2 panda and breed them!LOL

 

[H3D]

A 10 gallon aquarium is not really big enough to keep cory cats in.

 

[guppygal]

A 10 gallon aquarium is not really big enough to keep cory cats in.

Fish that are 1"-1-1/2" are too big for the 10g? Pls explain your thoughts. Thanks.

guppy gal
10 g
3 male gupps
1 dwarf gourami

 

[H3D]

Most cory cats do best when kept in large groups, which a 10 gallon is not ideal for. They also do best when they have a plenty of space to swim in an aquarium, which a 10 gallon does not have.