# cory cat qustion



## luckysarah (Nov 3, 2010)

I am thinking of getting a school of cory cats for my 55 gallon, I am thinking 6 or 8.

I have some questions about them since I have kept them before.

My ph is 7.6, everything I have been reading says they need a ph of 7 so wondering if this could still work?
What should I look for at the lfs as far as picking a healthy school of them? Is there anything in particular I should be looking out for disease wise with this fish?
Temp is 76, water is hard, lots of live plants/driftwood and sand substrate. They will be housed with 2 guppies, 5 ghost shrimp and 7 monty swords (who I am hoping to get fry from eventually)

Will they eat fry?
Will they eat ghost shrimp?

Will they disturb and dig in the sand substrate?

Are all the varieties wild or are there certain colors that would be considered the "wild" version, since I have mostly wild fish in this tank I would like to try and get the natural colored cory cats and I am not sure what that is.

TIA


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## Chicklet (Feb 9, 2009)

I wouldn't worry about the Ph.
My Ph is the same as yours, 7.6 - 7.8,

Some of my tanks have lower ph due to different elements being added,
I toss my cories between tanks all the time, I find they are so easy and versatile, 

I swear they are one of the easiest fish to spawn, I have several tanks now holding hundreds of babies,


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

luckysarah said:


> I am thinking of getting a school of cory cats for my 55 gallon, I am thinking 6 or 8.
> 
> I have some questions about them since I have kept them before.
> 
> ...


I also have a Ph of about 7.6 and my cories have done very well (although I do have moderately soft water). 

As far as picking out healthy cories at the store...just observe them for a while and look for active cories with their fins up. If their fins are clamped there is likely something wrong. Also, make sure their barbels (whiskers) are nice and long and aren't worn down or show any signs of infection.

Don't know if they'll eat fry. Mine never bothered the ghost shrimp. Sand is the preferred substrate for them. They will snuff around in it but not enough to really move the sand around.

There are many many different types of cories. Many LFS will order them for you also. Planetcatfish.com is a good reference for the different types of cories. Here's a link. Look under the Corydoras name.
Callichthyidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish


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## luckysarah (Nov 3, 2010)

great thanks!

omg there are so many but I think I am going to get some common ones the pet store will have.

The tank just needs something more to make it complete and I think these guys will be the perfect addition.... still deciding on 6 or 8, it would be great if I could find a dwarf species but I don't know how common they are. I know I have seen peppered and panda cories in the local store but beyond that I haven't really looked that closely at them.

I am excited to add something new and have heard these guys are quite fun to watch.

I tried some cherry shrimp (figuring that they were about the size of ghost shrimp which my fish are fine with) but it was a total blood bath....... I felt so bad but my fish are tiny (about an inch) but they were ganging up on the poor shrimp. But they don't bother the ghost shrimp and I am sure a cory would be totally fine.

My tank seems kind of empty now with only 9 small fish so this will be exciting.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Many of the Corydoras species you are more likely to encounter are included in our fish profiles; the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top takes you to the profiles, and they are obviously under the Catfish section.

Many are tank raised and will do fine in your water. In the profile of each species it mentioned ideal water parameters. Those that are wild caught can be more sensitive.

Corys will very readily eat eggs or very small fry if they find them. Livebearer fry tend to remain near the surface among floating plants, so this is less likely. But my corys regularly eat the eggs of my Bolivian Rams, or if they should hatch, they will gobble up the fry if they stumble across the shoal. Most all fish will eat eggs or fry if they can fit them in their mouths; it is natural fish food. As are shrimp or any freshwater crustacean--again if they are small enough.

One other thing to watch for in the store tank, are corys that are lethargic. Not a good sign, as lethargy and rapid breathing indicates high stress. Depending what is causing it, they may or may not recover.

Byron.


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## luckysarah (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks byron

the ghost shrimp seem to handle themselves, even with the amecas who slaughtered 10 cherry shrimp I bought the other day (was testing with the ghost shrimp to see if I could do cherry shrimp and obviously I cant lol)

So I think they will be a good fit, I just don't have experience with them but I guess there is only one way to gain that .


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## amberjade (May 28, 2010)

Corys rock! I have peppered corys and albino corys. They are so much fun to watch. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## luckysarah (Nov 3, 2010)

I picked up 5 peppered cories today.

I noticed when they got one that one doesn't have barbs... is that normal or something I should be worried about.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

Originally thought to be caused by an inappropriate substrate, it's now known that barb damage is caused by stress or malnutrition. Keep an eye on the cory. Take him back and exchange him if you can.

There's a pretty good chance he'll recover as long as you don't see any other symptoms... One of the problems with cories is that they're sensitive and hard to medicate if you must.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I agree with redchigh on the cause. I wouldn't myself return him, that is stressing the poor fish unmercifully. Loss of barbels in no way affects the fish as far as I have read; and I have had some without barbels and they live for years and eat fine. Corydoras sterbai seem particularly prone to barbel degeneration, not sure why.


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## luckysarah (Nov 3, 2010)

I am not going to bring him/her back, he seems fine... just funny without the barbs lol.
Will the barbs grow back?

They are doing fine so far swimming like crazy, I plopped in a sinking tablet that fell on one of my plants, 2 of the ghost shrimp man handled the tabled off the plant and all the fish had a nice meal.

I will wait a few weeks and probably pick up a few more.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

luckysarah said:


> I am not going to bring him/her back, he seems fine... just funny without the barbs lol.
> Will the barbs grow back?
> 
> They are doing fine so far swimming like crazy, I plopped in a sinking tablet that fell on one of my plants, 2 of the ghost shrimp man handled the tabled off the plant and all the fish had a nice meal.
> ...


On any corys I've had with no barbels, no, they did not grow back. I'm going from memory, but I think I read somewhere that they sometimes might, but I can't remember clearly.

They look funny "whiskerless", true. But he will be OK.


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## bouvie2 (Jan 20, 2011)

*Please help: Pepper Cory is sick or......*

My Pepper Cory has developed a large white patch on the side of his face and it partially covers one eye. It started out looking like a dull pale spot but now has turned white. It is not a fuzzy white like a fungus but I don't know what it could be. The other fish all look fine.

He is still acting normal and eating but he looks miserable. Can anyone tell me what I should be doing or looking for to make him well?


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## Chicklet (Feb 9, 2009)

I've run into that so many times, Took me awhile to finally figure it out,
The root cause in all my cases were a parasite.

Not saying thats what your's is tho.

I've got two cases of them going on now, ones my son purchased. both with white patches,
It'll continue if left go to any numeral of things, (which each you have to in turn treat for)

I Totally stopped buying any new fish because of this worm., 
My sons new in it and still gets excited, & guess who's left fixing things.

Everything seems to come with a problem these days, especially a parasite, Namely the "camallanus worm"
It can cause any numeral of ailments and problems, Beat down to the root cause and you get this worm.
It weakens their immune system and there you have the open door to whatever else wants to walk in,
Then one day down the road if the fish lives long enough you may get to actually see the little buggers protruding.
and then a light clicks on, Ahh the root of the problem finally shows itself.


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## bouvie2 (Jan 20, 2011)

I've not added anything new, plants or fish, to the aquarium for almost 10 months. Does it take that long for the parasite to reach this stage? What do you treat them with? I have neons, otos, platys and mollys in the tank too.


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## Chicklet (Feb 9, 2009)

Most fish if kept in ideal environments are usually able to keep parasites in check,
The parasite doesn't want to kill it's host. It would prefer to live in "harmony with it's host"

But if something goes wrong however slightly in the tank and causes undue stress on the fish,
That tips the scale in the parasites favor, or whatever other little nasty may be laying in wait.

If it is parasitic there is any number of things you can buy to treat for parasites, However if it is in fact "the Camallanus worm" then Levamisole Hydrochloride is the treatment of choice among many hobbists. 
This medicine has several names: Levasole (soluble pig wormer, mix with water), Prohibit (powdered drench, mix with water), Tramisol (sheep bolus - US), Ripercole (soluble powder for sheep - Australia, 'Ripercol Vet" or "Levaject Vet" in Denmark), Levam-30 (oral powder - India), Levacide (UK injectable), Avitrol Plus (liquid bird worming syrup, add to food, or directly to tank) and there are many others,


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