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ok.. i was looking to add a school of panda cories to my 55 gallon http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?username=chelaine I wanted to know if it is okay to add them, even thought i have a pleco i am going to trade in soon. the only issue that i can really see is food.. opinions?

oh.. one more question.. if i wanted to add cories could i add like 3 and 3 of different kinds, or in order for them to school, should i add all of one kind?

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

Stick to one species, especially with smaller Corys such as Pandas, because the smaller species are the most avowedly social, and in the case of Pandas, need the psychological security of numbers to feel happiest. Ideally I'd get at least 8, and if you have space for them and the funds to do so, more than 8. In a 55, depending upon how many other fishes you have in there, you should easily have space for 12, especially once the Pleco is rehoused.

As for your Pleco, what species is it?

The reason I ask is that RasboraMary had a BIG problem with a Rhino Plec that killed off her Pandas by smacking them hard with its tail, for all the world like the Cretaceous-era dinosaur Ankylosaurus (which used to have a club on the end of its tail as a defensive weapon). A large Plec using its tail in this manner could pose a serious threat to other bottom feeders, not just Panda Corys, so the size and the temperament of your Plec (which will depend heavily upon species) is a matter of importance here. It might be a good idea to arrange a partial trade-in directly when you get the Pandas - particularly if your Plec happens to be one of the species noted for being bad tempered and intolerant of other bottom feeders.

Oh, and if you DO get a good sized group of Pandas, then be prepared for non stop comedy slapstick in your aquarium! Believe me, once you've had Pandas, you'll be sold on them for life - they truly exude a mammalian level of cuteness, for all the world like hamsters with fins, and their playfulness and comic timing is wonderful to behold, as is their stupefying stamina and acrobatic prowess when spawning!


Last edited by Calilasseia at 07-Dec-2005 04:52

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

It's better to get 1 school of Corydoras, so they will school together & will be more active & Panda's are very active little Corydoras.


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My pleco is a Common Pleco, still pretty small, i'd say less than 5 inches. I plan on giving him to a friend with a larger aquarium, and trading in for some smaller cuter buddies... as for my stocking, its mainly just mollies and some tetras. the complete list is on my profile.

thanks for the reply!

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

I've kept scores of corydoras with loricariids above 5", without incident. It's not at all common for them to display any particularly aggressive behavior towards exceptionally smaller fish.

Unfortunately, RasboraMary's Rhino Plec was one of the exceptions ...

Here's the thread ...

RasboraMary's Rhino Plec


Last edited by Calilasseia at 08-Dec-2005 17:03

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I've through the thread before, thanks. However, again, do not by any means assume this is normal for loricariids, because, well, it isn't. She just got unlucky. Strange, though--when my L330 at 8" was chasing smaller unidentified peckoltia and/or feeding alongside my equally "thrashy" p. punctatus, I never had any corydoras deaths. In fact, the aeneus spawned quite regularly (the pales never did, however, which I find odd). If the pandas didn't get out of the way of the scrophus in question, I'd assume that there'd be something wrong with the corydoras, not the pleco. In fact, I still have my doubts. Fish, though not great at analytical trends, are capable of being impressed into avoiding death (give them some credit). If the scrophus was obviously injuring them, I highly doubt that they would persist in swimming around it continuously. I believe the deaths to be resultant of something else. Do recall that several of her dying pandas (note, not dead) had chunks of their finnage missing; this certainly is not indicative of a pleco attack, especially from a limnivorous species such as the scrophus, that eats little protein, and what material it does ingest is most definitely not from live fish.



Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 08-Dec-2005 22:48

I have heard of 1 other case of cory deaths where the pleco was thought to be the cause but even if both of these are true it seems quite rare. Something worth considering and watching out for but I wouldn't say these plecos cannot be kept with panda cory.