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I apologiz for the long reply but i just love to talk about corys and never pass up the oppertunity.As for size goes with cory's in general i would try 5 or 6. Its a great group number that corys feel comfortable and happy in. If you really like the whole cory thing in your tank you could make it a strictly cory tank. I have found that they are quite easy to keep ( with the exception of the whole Ph thing, as they are very sensitive to that. ) Any ways i would try to get more live plants, generealy amazons, i have found that my emerald cory's like the broad leafy colors in them, and they also are very easy to keep. Basicly the other things that you might want to look into would be some sinking pellets because not only do cory's like the bottom feces and what not but it's really nice to give them a treat at least twice a day, your fish miht enjoy these pellets also. And again more amazon plants are a deffinate +. I hope you can keep your cory's healthy and well and remember the PH is a major factor.

Good luck!

20 GALLON LONG CURRENTLY EMPTY ~~~~ 10 GALLON W/ STRIPPED CONVICT

Gender separation in Pandas is difficult to put it mildly ... the only reasoi I can point to Mata Hari and say she's female is [1] she's twice a sd big as the males, and [2] I've seen her with eggs in her pelvic fins


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I just finished reading the link, Calilasseia. I noticed that my pleco would do that to my pandas when they were first put in the tank. i only noticed it every once in a while but i did lose a few to undiagnosed deaths. I just thought it was stress. I have noticed that my now lone panda goes in the cave now that the pleco is gone a lot more than he used to.
Is there any way to tell male pandas from female? I know how on guppies and bettas, but not on any other fish. Are there any good sites where i can get live foods? I am not sure if my LFS sells the cultures or even if they sell the frozen food. Which would be easiest to grow and care for?
My grandmother and 17 year old sister will take care of them when I am not there during the week.

I know a breeder who recommends using a thin layer of pool filter sand in cory growout tanks. The movement of the fish and sand polishes the bacterial film off the tank bottom and keeps it clean. As the sand is not deep, it does not trap layers of uneaten food and build up harmfull pockets of anaerobic bacteria. Regular WCs remove solid and dissolved fish waste.

While rough substrate may be a factor in cory barbel erosion, water quality is every bit as important as fish may lose barbels even in BB tanks if water quality and/or diet are deficient.

My personal preference with a planted tank is to use a fairly fine grade, rounded, natural non-carbonate gravel, about 3-5 mm diameter. Ammending with a handful of laterite under the heaviest plant feeders is helpful but not strictly required.

Fine sand laid deeply enough to grow plants may suffer from compaction and develop anaerobic pockets (bad).

I have found that large gravel leads to debris/food getting trapped underneath.

Wouldn't get sand for your Pandas ... not if Cory_Di's bad experience with sand and her habrosus is indicative of what to expect.

Meanwhile, this article of mine should help ...

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Bottom%20Feeder%20Frenzy/53920.html

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002