# natural enviroment



## LincolnS (Dec 24, 2007)

I was curious as to how to get a natural enviroment for my tank.
I have 2 angelfish, 3 otos a pleco, an add corydora, and a mystery snail. Any ideas for the most natural set up including lighting plants n rocks to hide in and substrates? Also would a natural enviroment even make the fish less stressful or no?

Thanks in advance


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## LincolnS (Dec 24, 2007)

Also i can trade in the otos, corydora and or snail to make a better compatibility if need be.


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## Falina (Feb 25, 2007)

The msytery snail needs a ph of 7.5 or above and very hard water whereas the rest prefer softer softer waters and may or may not handle the hard water the msytery snail needs.

Otherwise the fish are compatable, but cories prefer to be in groups of 6 or more or they tend to become quite unhappy, especially kept as only a single fish.

What size of tank is this? We'll need to know before we can offer different suggestins if you want to trade some of your fish.


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## LincolnS (Dec 24, 2007)

its a 29 gallon. I've gotten the cory at least 4 other corys and all die within a few days


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## Falina (Feb 25, 2007)

2 angels could work in a 29g as long as the tank is MINIMUM 18" high so i wouldn't recommend it. I just feel they ned more space.

Cories do prefer larger groups so it may be worth your while getting more once you figure out the paoblem. Was the tank fully cycled? What were you water parameters at the time? What species of cory were they as some are more sensitive than others?


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Hi,
I would do a sand substrate (cories love sand), lots of live plants and driftwood. I've not kept them before but I've heard that ottos need live plants and lots of algae.


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## LincolnS (Dec 24, 2007)

thanks everyone for the help so far 

I used julii(sp?) corydoras.
It was after the tank was fully cycled and no other fish were affected by this including neon tetras, a snail, fancy gups, and a plec. I'd put one in and a few days later itd turn up dead. I even tried an older one, as i figured it had a better chance of living.

Parameters were 7.6,0,0,0 as well.

Cant get my tap water to 7 before i put any fish in so i kinda gave up on that  I dont adjust it if there in there.


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## Falina (Feb 25, 2007)

The water is a little hard for cories, but most tank-bred species should do fine is acclimated properly.

What tst kit are you using? you reading look a bit suspect. I assue the three 0s are for amonia, nitrite and nitrate? If so then you tank either hasn't started cycling, but you say it has, or there is a problem with the test kit. Were you using strips? If so then they are very inaccurate and I'd recommend a liquid master kit which tests for all 4 of the parameters. In a cycled tank there will be a reading for nitrate above 5, and should be less than 40 if you keep up the water changes.


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

I suspect there are acclimation issues with the cories.

I once was in a supreme rush to acclimate group of 4 cories - only 2 survived the transition. The problem is, most lfs's have hard water in their tanks, and the shock from moving them from potentially a 8 - 8.5 ph environment to my 7 ph really shocked them, I think. 

Proper acclimation will almost guarantee their survival, imo. Although there are some issues I've found with cory cats that I can't figure out. They're very skittish when not in a larger group, and become far more prone to maladies. What I've noticed is one or two will become quite reclusive, staying away from the main group. Within a week or so, you will find that cory dead. In my experience, anyway.

Good luck.


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## LincolnS (Dec 24, 2007)

i am using a master test kit for freshwater..im not sure of the brand but some increments (such as nitrates) go in higher intervals..i know nitrates are in increments of 40. Not sure of the others off the top of my head. How else can you acclimate a fish besides floating the bag? haha i may be forgetting something crucial 

thanks again


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
when you say you float the bag,do you mean that you just wait
for the temperature to become the same,
if so then you may fair better by gradually adding small amounts
of your tank water to the bag over the course of about an hour,
then i would say to fish the fish out with a net,and place it into
your tank,do not add the bag water to your tank.


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## LincolnS (Dec 24, 2007)

hmm i will try that with the next fish i get, maybe ill have better luck. Thanks for the advice...pet stores in my area no nothing at all. haha


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