# Corydora tank upgrade..tankmates?



## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

I have my 1 and only "nice fish" tank the cory tank with of course the famous Bettadora. it's 20 gallons and 12 corys, 1 "bettadora", and now 4 very tiny what I feel are yoyo loaches( but I could be wrong, they were labeled Angelicus Botia but from every google search the look doesn't match..they look more like the yoyo loaches my bichir ate). Anyway I put them in the 20g for them to grow out in but I have decided I really like them and how they interact with the cory's and after long thought I really think at full grown they will still be easy food for the bichir so I now plan to move them all to my unused 55g. I will transfer over soon but feel that with that tank it'll look bare and wondering does anyone have ideas for middle or top swimming fish I could add to the tank? Or should I just add a few other groups of different loaches? What would you guys do?


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Bare 55g!? Wants stocking ideas!? What fun! I personally have a thing for tetras. So many species, all are beautiful. Even the plainer looking ones color up SO nicely once you get them safely into a well kept aquarium. I bought some flame tetras for my 15g the other day and they were almost a completely different creature in the morning. Strong red, and a really flashy orange glimmer on the fins, beautiful. I always get excited when I get a new tank because it means I get to try a new tetra species :-D

Don't know if tetras are your thing, but thats my .02


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## pennyls9332 (Aug 24, 2013)

i like barbs and dwarf gouramis. maybe add some angelfish if you like something bigger. i would stay away from most cichlids besides the few calmer south american types


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

I'm not usually a tetra person but this is my "nice fish" tank and will not rule them out. I want an interesting mix, as of now I have 4 albino cory's 3 greens, 5 Juliis 1 PK "bettadora" and 4 baby yoyo loaches. Fairly lowstocked once in the 55g...I'm kinda tempted to set it up tonight. We will see how tired I am after cleaning up after the kids. I guess if I did tetras I would do a really nice sized school of them of some pretty variety that isn't in every tank around. Honestly for the first time I feel wide open with what I want to stock with this tank...aside from current residents and also need to be OK to stock with current stock. I'm used to stocking aggressive tanks so to some degree I feel this is new ground for me.

Yes, a few angels have crossed my mind... already love the 5 I have in my 75(soon to be much larger!) community. And good point penny. I really have been into the idea of rams.. a pair or whatever is suggested. This is yet another fish I'm not 100% familiar with the needs of.


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## pennyls9332 (Aug 24, 2013)

the fish i suggested are all semi aggresive. nice fish would be considered tropical fish. there is a large range of fish in this group but most of them are smaller. you could how ever get a nice school of neon tetras. theyre pretty small (about 1 inch) but are brightly colored. mollies or platys come in a lot of colors but are still about 2 inches in size.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

pennyls9332 said:


> the fish i suggested are all semi aggresive. nice fish would be considered tropical fish. there is a large range of fish in this group but most of them are smaller. you could how ever get a nice school of neon tetras. theyre pretty small (about 1 inch) but are brightly colored. mollies or platys come in a lot of colors but are still about 2 inches in size.


Funny though..I actually have all you mentioned in your first response throughout my tanks. I however do not like neon tetras. 
For a good idea..it's a calm yet actively feeding tank. and the corydoras will the the smallest when all full grown. The yoyo's or Angelicus botia both grow to about 5 inches I believe and are sweet non aggressive fish. I guess my main concern is something that will not harm them or stress them. as far as the betta goes..well I have plenty hospital tanks and othher tanks it can go nto if the best stocking idea rules him out. he isn't a must in this stock.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Rams would love this tank. I love rams lol. Have you considered hatchets? Thy are a really unique option imo. Tough to find anything else that will cling to the surface that well, not anything I can think of shares that behavior. And you can find them small enough that they don't take too large a portion of your bioload.
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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

yay..Rams!!.. I'll google the crizznappy out of them soon but you sure they are good tank mates? No haven't though of hatchets. I'll work on rams first then go from there. Not worried about bioload. Have supreme filtration

Anyone else have advice on rams and how to keep them and if thats a good choice. My "top shelf" LFS keeps many types so I'd lonve to try if this will work in that tank.


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Probably want to avoid blue rams for this tank, they have some special needs that might not jive well with all the other tank mates you've already selected. As for Bolivians, off the top of my head I think they'd be fine, just keep in mind that they are bottom dwelling as well and will be sharing space with the cories. (I personally haven't kept Bolivians before, only blues)
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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

ughhh. grrrrr. I kinda wanted blue rams. Knowing me I'll settle for no less the my heart is set on. Curious though(don't get all worried.I have plenty other tanks and spare ones as well). Why not blue rams? Yes..Agent is having a moment of being humble..explain why they don't mix...
55 is up ad running. I swear I am not patient. lol


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## Jeffrey (Feb 21, 2013)

Blue rams need warm water water than most other tropicals. I think some of the cories might not like it much (not sure what species they are, possible they would be ok, Byron would probably know). With most fish you can get away with having a couple of the parameters stray from what is ideal for that species, in my experience this just isnt the case with rams. They either get sick or just waste away if you try to keep them in water that is too cool/hard/basic.

Damn you set that up fast!


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

by many accounts yoyo loaches can be fairly aggressive. And angelicus loaches are just....gregarious. 

I think you've got plenty of bottom dwellers as it stands, and would look for fish to occupy the rest of the tank like I think you said. In a 55 I would look to do dwarf neon rainbows, some cherry or gold barbs and.... a group of festivums.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Yea, I don't joke around or waste time when it comes to my tanks. Everyone is in and settled. the juliis however seem really shy at the moment in the new tank .Only upgrade taking a moment is the 75 to a 240( because that involves finding a group of men to move it and take it up stairs for me) oh well maybe ill eventually get a ram tank when one of the kids bettas die. I can play it off like its for them hahaha
Hmm dwarf neon rainbows?? I'll check that out. You think the will not bother my tiny loaches ? Those little ones are EVERYWHERE in this bigger tank. I guess they like it. I had no idea yoyos were aggressive ... But I didn't own my previous ones long enough to know them ... And compared to that tank they were sweet puppy dogs even if there was some level of aggression lol


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Threadfin rainbow? You think a handful of those would work?


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## BWG (Oct 11, 2011)

Threadfin rainbows are really easily out competed for food. The suggested tankmates are almost always nano sized because of that.


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## rexpepper651 (Dec 25, 2012)

id go for a school of hatchets for some top water guys. im really diggin on my sarpae tetras beautiful red color. maybe some painted sword tails? apisto grammas? rainbows are always a wonderful choice!


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

blackwaterguy said:


> Threadfin rainbows are really easily out competed for food. The suggested tankmates are almost always nano sized because of that.


Man!! I really like those fish. I've never really looked into rainbows before and that one really is awesome looking. They did have tiny mouths but my kids have NLS small fish food..those little micro pellets that float. Everyone in the tank pretty much eat off the sand. Yes even the "bettadora" sinks his pellets to eat at the bottom with his fellow corydoras. The yoyo's( or angelicus..I really should post a pic to get an ID on them) really either eat the crumbs from the corydoras mess they make of their food or climb the plants. I haven't seen them surface eating. Do you think knowing that...this makes Threadfins possible? Are they surface feeding fish?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Id be happy to ID your loaches ;-)


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

They look so much like my yoyo's did. Sorry it's a little cloudy. I was a little hasty last night pouring the water into the tank lol. They are very active and social.

you can see they really are teeny tiny lil ones.


So whats the verdict Angelicus or Yoyo?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Many loaches look very different when young versus old. There are several species of loach that have similar markings, and there are even variations within a species. I think they'll have to get a little bigger to know for sure.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Well dern....was hoping to know. Either one though is fine with me. I love them both. They certainly are worth saving from being bichir food. Normally I wouldn't care too much what my bichir eats but I really love these curious little guys...and that says alot because I'm rarely fond of non aggressive fish..or anything, pet or human in general lol.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Up here they are pretty expensive. Mine were $18 each.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Dang dude. I should ship fish from here to you( Xbf is airplane mechanic for UPS so I get good deals shipping* free*.) I'll have to sift through receipts but I think they were a leeetle expensive ...maybe $10 each. But that because they weren't in my fav LFS this time. That store has amazing fish and what they don't have they can get their hands on for me. Most expensive fish if I can recall were 2 out of my 70 or more fish I own. Ornate bichir of whom they contacted the breeder and asked them many questions was maybe mid to uppers $20's and my black calvus cichlid which was $32 which was shocking because I can get most anything even F1 malawi cichlids for 5 or 6 bucks. I love my store! They at one point jokingly offered for me to buy the store and I swear the thought has crossed my mind!


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

*got fish*

hunted down some threadfins today and got six. From what I can tell looks like 1 male and 5 females(one pregnant female). They seem a bit confused by all the swimming space but all looks good. Just want more male threadfins. The tank is super active today and I've added some bright pink plants. Juliis aren't hiding in their cave anymore but have confined themselves to one small section of the tank to swim around in...are they normally more shy then other corydoras?


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## BWG (Oct 11, 2011)

How soon can pictures be demanded? Is there some sort of social etiquette? Like the fish have to be owned more than five minutes?


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Depends how exciting the purchase is. If it's really exciting it's totally socially acceptable to demand pics with fish still in the store bag.. then pics of acclimating it then videos.lol (like I did with my bichir) 

OK you wants pics do ya? Here ya go! (couldn't get really good pics of the threadfins because they swim around investigating the tank so much)





this is the male.. he looks amazing in person..especially when he shows off his odd shaped top fin


Bright pink plants!



the green cory thinks I can't see him lol



I love loaches..they're so weird


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

**OMG Agent is back and updating**

Hey all!
So yea I've been missing in action a bit. So I've sadly forgotten to update anything that is going on and can't even recall what I've posted. so here is the final stock additions and updates to at least this tank (well Maybe another few electric blue rams ..we shall see as I am waiting for more quality ones like the one I have). So here we GO!
I have added four Zebra loaches, Still not sure if my 3 angelicas botia are in fact that or yoyos..(chime in please if you think they are one or the other0) Threadfin rainbow addition is doing great.. have 10... 3 of which are male. Beta still thinks he is a cory, Upped my Julii corys and they are a lot leas shy now. and last but not least I finally added an electric blue ram. A very tiny just short of an inch one. Not sure..think it's a boy.. but don't care either way. Want more but I haven't seen a lot of good ones lately. 

Despite what was said.. the theadfins are the most bold in the tank.. seriously wasn't expeting that. The males keep flashing fins at my bettadora and luckily he just looks like" what are you doing?!?!" then swim back to his cory buddies. 
Pic fest!
plants exploded in there and I don't even understand why..but hey..they like it


Loach tree!. they love this area

I swear this zebra loach has always freaked me out.. I promise he is alive on the rock..just sleeping. Weird loachy behavior



enough for the moment. Ill get better ones later. maybe one day I snap a male rainbow while his is showing his fins!


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Doing a water change last night and got "attacked " by one of my little ekectric blue rams haha
He wasn't pleased that I was taking his water away. They always attack my hands and the python during water changes 
http://youtu.be/ffCuR-PEQjU

Tank is doing beautifully 


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

uhhhhhhhh, did you upload those pics with the app???


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

jaysee said:


> uhhhhhhhh, did you upload those pics with the app???



Actually yes.. I was thinking about your issue with pics when I did it.. Wasn't sure if it would work . I copied the video from YouTube and got the link for the pic off photobucket after loading it from my phone .. Try it.. Should work for you too 


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Awesome!!!!


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Haha! Aww.. Your bichir! Yes.. No clue when pics started working here.. But they do now!!!


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## rsskylight04 (Nov 9, 2013)

Love the sleeping loach. Great pic!:checkedout:


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Agent, in your pics some of the loaches look like yoyos and some look like botia striata. That close up pic definitely looks like botia striata. Maybe you have a mix of both in your group.

A 240 sounds like fun!
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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Jaysee, nice bichir. How big is it and what tankmates do you keep with it?
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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

jeaninel said:


> Agent, in your pics some of the loaches look like yoyos and some look like botia striata. That close up pic definitely looks like botia striata. Maybe you have a mix of both in your group.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yea.. I was on the fence about the angelicus loaches when they were smaller. Thought they were yoyos too. As they got bigger the pattern developed into definite angelicus patterns .. Which is what they were sold as but I didn't believe it at first lol. Yes.. I have four angelicus and four botia striata . The two groups have meshed well and are crazy fools 


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I've been telling her the "Angelicus" looks like a yoyo with no Os.

I can't wait for our 240 😍

My bichir is 8-9 inches and lives with pictus cats, silver dollars, cichlids and a BGK at the moment. Got some other fish in mind though some I may wait till I move.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Jaysee, American cichlids? Just curious because I've considered getting a bichir for my 135 gallon which has CA cichlids. But i hesitate because I have a 10" black shark in there who's pretty territorial.

sorry to hijack your thread, Agent. Like you, I also like the aggressive fish. Lol
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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

jeaninel said:


> Jaysee, American cichlids? Just curious because I've considered getting a bichir for my 135 gallon which has CA cichlids. But i hesitate because I have a 10" black shark in there who's pretty territorial.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Haha.. Hijack away. I don't mind at all. I'm just on here showing pics and talking about fish. 
I'm fairly certain Jaysees bichir would handle your tank no problem. As would my ornate bichir. However with the ornate it depends on which CA cichlids you have. I don't think the shark would be an issue. I adore my ornate... He's mean but generally ignores the cichlids in with him and vice versa. Here is a pic from today of my rather young ornate.




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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Yeah American. I have a chanchito in there now, who needs someone to keep him in check. I'm not entirely sure where he will end up but I am getting an oscar and perhaps some fire mouths. Because of the growth rate of the oscar I'm probably going to wait till I'm down in NC to get it.

The bichir bites at the tails of the pictus and silver dollars but they grow back fine.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Great looking ornate. 
Besides the black shark, I've got Firemouths, Convict, a lone Pictus who was a rescue and a very large Synspillum who is tank boss.I've got plenty of room to add more fish but the tank has a pretty good harmony right now and seems every time i try to add something the shark and syn gang up.
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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

I'm seeing why these rams are called electric blues . Their color is getting do bright it seems like they are lit up like a light ! And they still love watching me cook . 















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