ShaynaB

I love the little buggers, they're totally my favorite fish after bettas. The problem is (along with several other people in the forum, it seems) that they don't want to stay alive.

So I've decided that I'm going to try to find another small type cory to put in my aquarium instead...

Does anyone have suggestions as to which smaller cory they like more or have found success with? I really hate to lose anymore of these little cuties.

Barbrella

I agree with you. Last year I put 3 Pandas in my established, healthy tank and within a month they all died. They showed no outwards signs of disease, but they had very shortened barbels which I think indicated some sort of bacterial infection problem.

I think you might have better luck with regular Bronze Corys (Corydoras aeneus) and I think the albinos are pretty hardy as well.

MrsM3197

I hate to hear that, I was just up at the LFS to study what I might like to have next. Saw those fell in love with them, almost bought 1. Prudent judgement (and fear of my husband) made me wait just a little longer 'til I know my water is gonna be ok.

Barbrella

You might get some Pandas who will be just fine! I believe if they're still okay at the petstore after around 2 weeks, they should do well for you too.

welshalien

I take a lot more time with acclimatization for my cory cats than with some of the hardier fish and since I started doing that, the mortality rate has gone down. I have also made it a point NOT to buy the last lonely little catfish in the tank at the LFS -- those solo cory seem to be much more stressed and likely to die quickly no matter what I do.

ShaynaB

The problem is that my cories die after around a month or two in the tank, not right after I put them in. I'm a bit anal about acclimating any of my fish...

I think I'm going to try Dainty Cories instead...

Thanks for the advice, though!

miraloma

I have the best luck with Julii. I bought 2 from the store a few months back and they not only thrived in my tanks, they even spawned and made me some fry! I had trouble with albino, spotted and emerald. I think sometimes it depends on the store you buy them from. Incidentally, the julii I have came from a different store than all the other ones that didn't make it.

Zer0sk8er

ive always had sucsess with albinop ones there not as apealing to the eye to some people but i like them and ive managed to keep them alive. it may just be that you dont have enough other fish to produce waist for them to eat. they also like to have a small school ive notice i had 4 and they would always play together.

ShaynaB

I may try Juliis if I can't find the smaller variety. Thanks!

Oh, and Zer0, I drop in algae wafers for food and I started with 4 of them... Thanks for the advice, though!

Thanks everyone!!

Fishies-for-me

I have found out that albino corys are not really algae eaters...also they do not eat fish waste. I feed mine sinking shrimp pellets....algae wafers....and I have some left over goldfish pellets that I give them once in a while to...also they eat left over flake food that they manage to find on the bottom...( if there is any that makes it to the bottom..hence feeding them their own food...lol) I have 6 that I bought 3 months ago and have had no problem with. I got them as babies barely and inch long and now they are about 1 1/2 inches and really a lot bigger...I hear they can get up to 3 inches depending on the breed.

zambize

I got 6 Pandas rather unexpectedly. Typical story...saw them at the lfs in the worst tank possible for them. Clean and well-kept, just not best for them. The biggest is about 1/2 inch long. Very small. I put them in a 20 gallon with 5 False Julii, the biggest of which is about 1 inch long. I took about 6 hours to acclimate them.

I know Pandas are tough so I'm hoping to pick up any tips for how best to keep them. I was glad to get 6 because that will reduce stress, that should help. Although they are so young...yikes! Since it is a Cory tank it's easy to cater to them and focus on their behavior.

I feed them shrimp pellets. The bottom is smooth black gravel but I placed a flat Pyrex dish in the tank filled with Black Tahitian Moon Sand. The love this patch of sand! I put their pellets on the sand so that none of it gets between rocks. They can scarf it up right off the sand and root in the gravel only if they want to. I'm thinking that I'll change out the substrate completely to the BTMS if this works out for a while.

Anything else I can do to increase their chances?

Thanks...and 6 Pandas thank you too...

Zambize

Barbrella

Oh,they're very small.

I would give them a more varied diet with frozen bloodworms, brineshrimp, algae pellets and veggie pellets.

Keep the water super clean and nitrates as low as possible.

Good luck with them!!

zambize

Barbrella -

I gave them bloodworms today and it was a feast! They got shrimp pellets tonight and were happy, but it wasn't the same. Do you feed live, freeze-dried, or frozen brine shrimp?

My parameters are pH 7.4, ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5-10ppm, temperature 75F. I use extra charcoal in my HOB filter and I change water at least once a week...about 15%. I'd like to do a larger % but that makes my pH shoot up. How's this?

Zambize

platy ben

Putting the Pandas aside, my favourite cory has gotta be the peppered variety , i bought three of these, 2 months after i got them i got a very deadly disease in my tank and they were the onli fish that survived