20g and 20g just corys tank: advice on stocking density

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YFS
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20g and 20g just corys tank: advice on stocking density

Post by YFS »

Hi folks,
I'm wondering how many corys I can comfortably keep in my 20g and 29gal tanks as I try to balance larger numbers as they seem really happy together with what's too many for a novice fishkeeper like myself to manage. Both tanks have multiple sponge filters as well as aquatic plants and pothos growing out of the water (I wanted to go overboard on filtration and probably did). One of my 20gals also has an aquaponics set up on top where I'm attempting to grow lettuce & basil. I'd love to hear what others are doing in tanks this size. I have C. paleatus, C. sterbai, and C. aeneus (who keep having more babies, which prompted this how many is too many question) and a lone C. Sodalis for who I'm trying to find 5+ friends. I know 6 is the minimum size school I've seen recommended for each and I've noted many veteran fish keepers recommend 10-12, but given multiple filtration options on my tanks and me being consistent on small weekly water changes/tank readings, is there a safe-ish upper limit of corys per tank you could recommend? Thanks much, would be great to know if I can keep some of the babies and/or add a few corys of the same type to the other existing schools.
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Shane
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Re: 20g and 20g just corys tank: advice on stocking density

Post by Shane »

What is your water change regime? This is really the single biggest factor. If you are doing 50-60% weekly I would go with the old rule of 1" of fish per gallon.
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YFS
Posts: 11
Joined: 22 May 2022, 14:42
My cats species list: 5 (i:0, k:5)
Spotted: 5
Location 1: New York
Location 2: USA
Interests: Novice aquarist, science fiction enthusiast, and cat rescue volunteer (the four-legged kind)

Re: 20g and 20g just corys tank: advice on stocking density

Post by YFS »

Thanks for the question. Usually I do 25-30% water change weekly unless I notice any concerns when I check the water chemistry.
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