What is the smallest type of corydora?

DeathEmbraceHer · Post by **DeathEmbraceHer** » 04 Sep 2003, 08:59

Hello! I'm new here and had a question.

I've never owned a corydora before, and was considering purchasing a pair for a 10 gallon tropical tank I have. I was wondering what the smallest species of corydora is? I would like to get two at least (so they won't be lonely) and they'll be living with three harlequin rasboras and a betta.

Any advice on which species of corydora would be best suited to the tank size and community is greatly appreciated. ^_^

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 04 Sep 2003, 09:58

Hi!

I keep 10 Corydoras hastatus which stays really small but is a midlevel fish...i wouldnt go under 8 with these.
Another small one but a bit bigger would be habrosus who stay on the bottom and are very nice and hardy ones...wouldnt go under 5 with these.
Or some Aspidoras but they are a little more difficult than the first two...
I think similar to habrosus is pygmaeus...i think theres a lot of information about these on the elog and in articles.

DeathEmbraceHer · Post by **DeathEmbraceHer** » 04 Sep 2003, 10:34

I think I found one on the website that I like. Corydoras robinae (Mrs Schwartz's Cory). They seem to stay pretty small, it said they do okay in groups of 3 and they like sand. So I think they'll love my tank (black sand base with sunken flower pots for bottom dwellers to hang out in, keeping false plants because I have horrible luck with live ones and snails).

Does anyone have any information to add about that species that isn't posted on the site??

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 04 Sep 2003, 16:34

I have those at this very moment.

C robinae likes to be kept in a big group, not just three. It's definitely a shoaler, and I have strong reasons to think, much more than the other Corydoras species. I have 7, and despite them being in a small tank (128 liter, 80 cm), they stay together ALL DAY.
If the tank was bigger, I would have ot 10-12. In the LFS they got 50 or so, and they ALL stayed together!

It isn't the others that threaten them (small loaches, small catfishes -Amphilius, Mochokiella-, Betta's, Rasbora's, baby Bristlenoses...). The movement of the group, if they swim is unique, like seeing a shoal of Characins.

They grow to 5-6 cm, mine are 5 and pushing. Not a small species. They are very peaceful, and quite frantic. Anything might set them off.

DeathEmbraceHer · Post by **DeathEmbraceHer** » 05 Sep 2003, 05:21

Aw. Maybe cories aren't so good then. =\ It's only a 10g tank and I'm worried about over-crowding. I was hoping I could find some smaller ones that liked groups of 3 and would be comfortable with a betta and 3 - 5 harlequin rasboras (currently 3 since that's all the shop had left when I'd purchased them). I was trying to find some small, bottom-feeding community fish that would be happy in the tank's environment (black sand with a tiny bit of gravel for the base, some fake plants that look real, and a few 'sunken' clay flower pots for hiding places).

Taratron · Post by **Taratron** » 05 Sep 2003, 08:10

Why not kuhli loaches?

DeathEmbraceHer · Post by **DeathEmbraceHer** » 05 Sep 2003, 08:58

Hehe, I have 5 black khulie loaches in a guppy tank and one dojo in my goldfish tank. I absolutely -adore- them but everyone tells me I should try something "new." I picked up a few ghost shrimp. If they don't do a very good job I may just add 2 - 3 loaches. The little guys are so cute! The 5 in my guppy tank are very active and love to "loach pile" by the air stone. ...They also run over my poor little otos all the time. O.o But the otos don't really seem to care, oddly.