Good mid to top fish to add with cory's? Stocking my tank :)

I'm new to the hobby so i'd like to ask what you would recommend for me to stock my tank. I'm picky and after looking at lots of pictures and doing lots of research I don't like to many of the fish available at my LFS or anything with huge fins. I'll take a small trip, call around, and spend some money on a few more good fish and that's not an issue.

The tank is a 26 gallon bowfront with 4 cory cat fish. One blackfin, one bandit, 2 baby albinos. Dual airstones, two brazil swords (one very large) and filter, and a heater.

My tank has been fully cycled and I was housing a couple tiger barbs in there, but I gave them away tonight. So now its a little empty with the just the 4 corys. All current corys play and shoal together, sometimes all 4 at the same time. I really like them but i'd like to add something else to the tank so please help me.

I have two questions.

The first, what would be a good looking single OR pair of fish to add to the tank. Perhaps something to stay at the top to mid level. I want to add some color but I do not want anything that will outgrow the tank or bullying my cory cats.

Theres a lot of choices out there but most of the common choices I don't really like. Hatchets, Guppys or other large finned fish I don't care for much. Endlers look nice, I like fish that look like sharks, loaches, cichlids, some colorful gourmais, but it seems most of these may eventually bully the cory and/or need to be in groups.

Secondly, If I have to add another group of fish would you recommend danios (maybe glofish) , celestial pearl danios or tetras (maybe carindals) to school with the corys. I would and may do a larger school 8 -10 corys and one or two other nice looking fish also. I plan on getting at least another matching cory, maybe two.

I like how playful the corys are and fish that play in plants but I'd like to keep a peaceful community. Maybe 3, maybe 4 types of fish one school of cory, one school of something else, and one or two other types fish that like to be loners.



So I can either up the school of corys a little OR get another small group of school fishing AND a pair or one or two separate loner fish.

Thanks for any help. I've enclosed some pictures...the two larger catfish really like laying ont he leaves. P.S The blue crayfish is in his own tank.

 

what about harlequin rasboras. maybe 8, and 3 honey gouramis?so
8-harlequins rasboras
6-corys
3-honey gouramis(1 male 2 female)

 

That's a fish I meant to mention but left out, I DO like the rasboars, ill look into them more.

Are all the gouramis behavior the same or are honey different? I looked at some pics, they are ok, but would like something a little more colorful if possible. Its kind of drab in there now. I could just do two schools adding some more corys, maybe some greens but I really would like one or two "feature" fish

The entire reason I bought the cory's were because they help clean the bottom, but I fell in love with them. They are adorable.

 

the male honey is beautiful and they are really peaceful. you might try a betta but this is always a hit and miss so you'll need a back up plan. id suggest a dwarf gourami but most are so weak, but you could try one but no more than one. maybe 2 rams, but that's a hit or miss with the corys. I had apistos that went after my corys. maybe some northern mountain swordtails?

 

What is the reference to the dwarf gourmaI being weak? Longevity of the fish, standing up for himself, or keeping them alone?

I love the blue ram, but Id be upset if he bullied my cory catfish. I've heard its hit or miss with him.

I don't care for the betta to much or the sword tails.

Thanks for the help.

I've considered doing 3 small schools of 5-6 each. Or even 10+ corys and one nice fish.

 

dwarf gouramis have gotten weak from being over breed and a lot die. they also hate all other gouramis.

 

Understood and that's a shame. The dwarf gourami is a pretty fish. So you would only keep ONE of those in the tank?

 

yep. you can try them though. just be aware they might die.

 

I'll go check out some of the local stores and see what they have.

 

ok awesome, but please don't impulse buy. even if you have to get on your phone and ask really quick if itd be ok to add it, do it.

 

Most definitely. I want to get all of the information I can before I go...I have 3 places somewhat near me and they all seem to just want to "push" whatever fish possible on all the customers.

Tsk, Tsk.

I want my corys to have a peaceful and happy life.

I was looking at the male honey gourami, very attractive. Much more then the female. Can I keep him by himself or is it a schooling fish unlike the dwarf

 

they aren't schooling fish, but I don't know how well it will color up without a female.

 

The more I learn about fish, the more amazing they are. That makes sense, now I guess if I stick a male with 2 females...it won't be long before babies, huh? lol

 

well I doubt they would survive with other fish but yea they will breed, atleast I think they will

 

not necessarily true like with the live bearers.

What about some praecox rainbows or thread fin rainbows? both can be very pretty fish (Haruppa actually has both for sale in the B/S/F/T section thou you need 30 more posts to get into that)

You could also look into doing say one school of a larger tetra species.

 

I have 2 bolivan rams in my 30 gal and they get along great with my corys or think about 2 german rams they won't bully the corys

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What if I were to do all cory catfish and an upside down catfish? Hmm.. I may have to check into that..or a small group of 5-6 fish, 10 corys and an upside down catfish.

 

The upside down catfish do better in groups.



At moment I don't have other suggestions for species.

 

I could get 2-3 with the rest corys but I think my LFS only has one at a time :-/

Went to 3 places today. The first had only ONE lone cory black striped, so I had to get him.

Second place is a disgusting. Didnt even want to get a snail from it.

Then petsmart, which I need to shop more often has a very nice selection, tanks, and fish.

I picked up two small emerald cory's and one single JulI Cory as that's all they had of the juli.

Also got two small upside down catfish that will get 4" and a large fake rock driftwood for them to hide under.

Everything went great after acclimation, except the julI cory. It was swimming sideways and having trouble staying upright. Found itself stuck to the filter within 20 seconds.

I scooped him out and put him in a jar for a little while, he looked dead after 15 minutes. Poor thing. I tried seeing if hed move as I put a spoon in the jar move him. Nothing. I picked him up with the spoon to take a look and he was completely lifeless. I plopped him back in the jar figuring i'd have to take him back to petsmart tomorrow.

30 minutes later I'm walking by the jar and what do you know, hes on the bottom, upright... put the spoon back in the water and he moved quickly from it.

I stuck him in the main tank with the other fish who are all doing fine and getting to know eachother, the julI breathed very rapidly for a while but is seeming to calm down.

All other fish are fine, ill keep an eye on him. I did a partial water change before adding the fish and checked all my parameters just a little while ago and everything is good. He was in the same bag as all other fish from petsmart and didnt take well at first, but fingers crossed.

I may pick up a dwarf or a honey gourami, in a week or two, but still undecided. I'm pretty close to the limit so far with 8 corys and 2 upside down cats.

 

Glad the cory seems to have made it thru ok. Yes you are getting a bit closer to that stocking limit. The real thing to consider is swim space as well, you have a bottom full of fish so I would really look for some more upper level fish in this tank next batch around.

 

Little guy seems as he's still doing ok. I had considered the swim space prior to this, the two upside down's stay hidden a lot so they aren't a problem. I also have some slate rocks underneath the large piece of fake wood in there, where the corys enjoy to lay.

Most of the time the corys lay in a shoal or swim the entire height of the tank and play in the bubbles. The floor isn't crowded as they are always going around hanging out with their buds in a shoal.

I think ill switch to a sand substrate, add some taller plants, grab a dwarf gourami and call it a day.

thanks for the help

 

I just picked up a Flame Dwarf Gourami the other day. Excellent color and tons of personality! He's adjusting well and shows no signs of illness. He's also very good with the 6 Cories he lives with. Barely gives them a second look.