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& what cories are best 4 bigginers & what cories are worst 4 biggeners?
would Adolfo's Cory be good 4 a bigginer?

Last edited by dude_dude at 05-Mar-2005 19:44

I don't know about Adolfo cories, but albino/bronze cories are great for beginners. They are hardy, active, and long lived.

thanx ill do some reaserch on them
if I got 3 bronzes & 3 albino would they shoal or should I get 6 of each?
(any other suggestions)

Last edited by dude_dude at 05-Mar-2005 22:19

Hardiest are Peppered and Bronze, for the simple reason that they've been domesticated in the aquarium for the longest. Singapore produces them in industrial quantities every year.

Corydoras adolfoi is reputed to be relatively hardy, and a nice species for those who want a 'different' Corydoras that isn't run-of-the-mill, but one big proviso with this species is that it is shy, and spooks easily. Provide plenty of cover for this species.

As for the ones that are best left alone by beginners, I'm sad to say it, but I wouldn't recommend Pandas to a newcomer because they require scrupulous attention to cleanilness. Any lapses are likely to result in losses fairly quickly. Pandas do not forgive mistakes, certainly not the kind that beginners are apt to make.

Worst of all, and best left to the advanced aquarist, are the long-faced hillstream Corydoras. Most specimens encountered are wild caught, and even experts come to grief with some of these. Species such as C. stenocephalus and C. semiaquilus need very soft water, certainly for breeding, and some wild caught specimens need RO water simply for maintenance. C. pastazensis is another species that is native to cooler, fast-flowing hillstreams and which will need far more specialist care and attention than a newcomer could ever hope to provide.

Any aquarium bred specimens of these long-snouted hillstream species may be more hardy than the wild caught parents, but not by much. Even these (if you can find them) will need a colossal amount of care and attention. Cory_Addict may be able to handle these, but then Cory_Addict has a pedigree covering something like 40 Corydoras species, which gives you an idea of the skill required.


Last edited by Calilasseia at 05-Mar-2005 22:48

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

what about skunk or bandit or gomezi?

Skunk Corys, Corydoras arcuatus are relatively hardy. Your main problem with these fishes will be finding them, as they tend to be available only sporadically. They are a bit like Neons, in that they are relatively easy to keep, but difficult to breed.

Bandit Corys, Corydoras metae, are relatively hardy, and fairly perky in disposition. However, even though they may not be as fussy in this regard as Pandas, I'd still recommend that you maintain decent cleanliness standards for them. They probably won't appreciate a gunk filled gravel bed.

I'd leave Corydoras gomezi alone for the moment, for the simple reason that it's a somewhat specialist species from the standpoint of aquarium domestication. I've never seen it alive, and even the Lambourne book only gives it a brief mention. Therefore any you do encounter will almost certainly be wild caught, and therefore will be challenging to maintain if you're not already well versed in Corydoras idiosyncrasies.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Out of the latter three cories that you mentioned, the bandit cories would be the hardiest. I've read that C. arcuatus can be sensitive to nitrates, and C. gomezi aren't the most forgiving of Corydoras. Bandits are fairly tough and active, though you still need to keep up on your tank maintenance with them.

As for your questions about the bronze and albino cories shoaling, I feel that each color variation would be best kept in its own shoal. Though they are the same species of fish, their colors vary greatly from each other, enough so that they would likely shoal seperately.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

thanx

Ah ... arcuatus is nitrate sensitive is it? Hmm, probably explains the breeding difficulty then.

Another update to the database ...

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002