A few questions before I start a tank.

[Splishy Splashy]

I am interested in starting a fish tank. I have done my research, but I still have several questions. I hope it won't be too much of a drag to help me answer them! This would pretty much be my first tank. I have had two fish tanks before, but that was when I was 4-5, so I wasn't very keen on taking care of them, and my parents set the tanks up. There was a bowl of five goldfish (One ate all the others, then died), and a tank with a single male betta who starved because I, a five-year-old, was the sole feeder. I don't think either tank really counts.

I am interested in corydoras mostly. They look quite interesting and are a "beginner's fish". However, I have a few questions which article-reading doesn't really help me with. Are corys usually sold in pet stores? Until I started reading up on fish, I had only heard of bettas, guppies, goldfish, koi, and eels. Also, I have read that it is best to keep them in groups of around 6, as they are group fish. What tank size is best for that?

I have a few more questions. There are multiple species of corys. What kind would be best for the beginner? Can I use a garden electronic ph tester to test water? Are there any health problems cories are prone to that I should be aware of? Last of all, do they eat each other?

Thank you very much in advance. I know I have a lot of questions, but please bear with me. I am a noob to fish.

[steeler1]

Well they are nor realy a "beginners fish" as they are more sensative to water conditions than other fish, being bottom dwellers. Read this sticky, it will answer alot of qustions about Corys: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=25707

[Splishy Splashy]

I have read the sticky, and it seems that from what's in it, peppered corys are the most adaptable. I am still interested in keeping Corys. They do not grow huge, and they don't seem to be ridiculously hard to care for.

[talldutchie]

C. Aeneus or the bronze cory is also easy. That's even bred accidentaly by beginners.

With cories you need floor space. A 20 gallon long at 30 inch would be a nice tank. Use pool filter sand, a few big pebbles. Some wood. Plant some echinodorus or amazon sword in the corners.

[Splishy Splashy]

C. Aeneus or the bronze cory is also easy. That's even bred accidentaly by beginners.

With cories you need floor space. A 20 gallon long at 30 inch would be a nice tank. Use pool filter sand, a few big pebbles. Some wood. Plant some echinodorus or amazon sword in the corners.

This seems like a good idea. I think I might do this. However, I would prefer not to use plants in a first tank. Are plants a necessity, or could I replace those with fake ones?

Also, inch-per-gallon says I could fit four corys in that tank. Is that correct, or should I put more in? Or less?

Thanks!

[talldutchie]

Inch per gallon is a guideline at best. With this fish it's all about floor space. I'd start with 7, especially if this is the only fish it will be fine. I'd steer clear of the long fins though, albinos are fine if you happen to like that.

Why not use plants? They look good, help with your water quality and provide some cover. All you need is light and a few clay root tabs. But, if you must, a few shards of plastic will also work. Some shelter like wood is also appreciated. And (pool filter) sand on the bottom is a must for these guys.

Oh, and to state the obvious. Even though this is pretty much the easiest cory around it still needs a fully cycled tank and a good cory wafer to eat.

[Delphe]

+1 to talldutchie.
Even know cories are easy they still do better in an established tank for water condition stability. They were my first fishes too, and this is only now 6 month later that I can claim a "trouble free tank". Since they are always grazing in the sand, they also require the substrate to be kept clean, I vacuum and clean the sponge every week because the filter is always loaded from the "dirt" stirred up.
Great fishes though, good choice .
That's all I can think of for now

[Cermet]

Plants are not needed and can create problems unless you can meet their needs. As for stocking, use the calculator in my signature; it gives water changes for the level of stocking which can be useful. A twenty gal is a big tank and will hold a number of fish. Considering a mid water schooling fish in the tetra family (avoid neons, they tend to need very clean water.)

[Splishy Splashy]

Plants are not needed and can create problems unless you can meet their needs. As for stocking, use the calculator in my signature; it gives water changes for the level of stocking which can be useful. A twenty gal is a big tank and will hold a number of fish. Considering a mid water schooling fish in the tetra family (avoid neons, they tend to need very clean water.)

So, are you suggesting that I add tetras as well as corys? What would be a good number of those? I never researched tetra/cory tanks, so I'm clueless as to that. Thank you for the calculator link- It would be useful, but I don't know what filter I will be using yet.

[talldutchie]

Plants are not needed and can create problems unless you can meet their needs.

Same goes for lots of other things really. Anything will create problems if you don't meet it's needs.

As for stocking, use the calculator in my signature; it gives water changes for the level of stocking which can be useful.

It also gives a score to the stocking level which isn't the gospel people take it to be.

A twenty gal is a big tank and will hold a number of fish. Considering a mid water schooling fish in the tetra family (avoid neons, they tend to need very clean water.)

Once again we seem to differ here. Neon's water needs are not that different from most other tetra species (or cories for example, bottom dwellers always get heavy hit by dirty water) And like you say yourself, they can create problems unless you meet their needs.

But yes, a school of small tetras would complement this nicely. What exactly depends on what the tank will be like. I'd look into embers. A 20 gallon long will house 8-10 of these without problems. They'd complement the cories in colour, add some movement and won't steal too much attention from the main attraction