Pygmy Cories in a 10 gallon tank?

Hello! I have recently been really interested in the pygmy cory. I have a 20 gallon community tank right now, all live bearers. I was thinking of getting a school of pygmy cories but wasn't sure if I should put them in my 20 gallon. There is room I am fairly under stocked, but I don't know if I want to fill the rest of my 20 gallon with bottom dwellers so then I was thinking maybe I would just get them their own tank, a 10 gallon is what is "recommended" for them. I also have gravel in my 20 gallon and not sand so I would have to switch to that also. Thank you!
*Also I could only fit a school of 6 pygmys into my 20 gallon but in their own ten gallon could I get 10 pygmys or would that be too crowded? *

 

I think a ten gal is a bit questionable... Coradee can help



This is Cacret, ending whatever is my comment with a lol xD

 

*Also I could only fit a school of 6 pygmys into my 20 gallon but in their own ten gallon could I get 10 pygmys or would that be too crowded? *

I'd be interested to hear the logic behind that. If you can fit 6 Pygmy Cory's into a 20 gallon, how could you get 10 in a 10 gallon?

Cory's can't go in 10 gallon tanks, Pygmy or not. They are far too active. Anders247 will testify that.

 

I think he means that since he has livebearers in the 20 gal

I personally wouldnt place 10 in a 10 gal. Its like on fish per gal
This is Cacret, ending whatever is my comment with a lol xD

 

I meant my 20 gallon already has fish and with aqua advisor if I added a school of 6 pygmies into my tank it would be at full capacity. If I got them their OWN 10 gallon with no other fish could I fit more was my question. I am now seeing that a 10 gallon is to small for them, but every website that had a guide for a pygmy cory said 10 gallon tank, so I thought I would ask around about that. And the fact that they do better in groups of 10 then 6 is why I was wondering if I should just get their own tank so they can have a bigger school.

 

Pygmy corys although small are quite active fish & need space, I wouldn't put them in a 10 gallon

 

I thoughisnt accurate, and I only use it for warnings or if I am overstocked



This is Cacret, ending whatever is my comment with a lol xD

 

Thank you for the Advice! So maybe I should just get the 6 for my 20g. And switch to sand?

 

I'd be interested to hear the logic behind that. If you can fit 6 Pygmy Cory's into a 20 gallon, how could you get 10 in a 10 gallon?

Cory's can't go in 10 gallon tanks, Pygmy or not. They are far too active. Anders247 will testify that.

Anders247 hasn't been around in days. But I too have read in many places the pygmies can be kept in 10 gallon tanks.

 

Reading something somewhere certainly doesn't make it true.

If you have a 20 gallon available, and you can switch it out to sand - by all means do that. Your Cory's will be content, and you won't run the risk of looking at it and feeling "man, they need more space". That's what happened to Anders anyway.

 

I think I'll do some research on how to switch my gravel to sand safely. And then see if my fish store can order some pygmy cories for me! Thank you

 

Update- I am currently trying to look at how to switch gravel to sand and some people do it with fish in their tanks and some without. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to do that? I think it would be hard to move my fish out personally.

 

If you have a divider or something fish safe you can use as a divider you can corral your fish on one side while you do the change over & then when it's settled repeat the process doing the other side.

 

Hello! I have recently been really interested in the pygmy cory. I have a 20 gallon community tank right now, all live bearers. I was thinking of getting a school of pygmy cories but wasn't sure if I should put them in my 20 gallon. There is room I am fairly under stocked, but I don't know if I want to fill the rest of my 20 gallon with bottom dwellers so then I was thinking maybe I would just get them their own tank, a 10 gallon is what is "recommended" for them. I also have gravel in my 20 gallon and not sand so I would have to switch to that also. Thank you!
*Also I could only fit a school of 6 pygmys into my 20 gallon but in their own ten gallon could I get 10 pygmys or would that be too crowded? *

In reguards to a Livebearer community tank you are never lightly stocked

 

I think I'll do some research on how to switch my gravel to sand safely. And then see if my fish store can order some pygmy cories for me! Thank you

I just switched to sand and all my fish are doing great

 

Also my 20 gallon is kinda new. Cycled for a few weeks now. Would it effect the bacteria if I took the gravel out? Don't want another cycle ! Haha

 

Also my 20 gallon is kinda new. Cycled for a few weeks now. Would it effect the bacteria if I took the gravel out? Don't want another cycle ! Haha

Mine didn't affect my cycled tank its been up for 4 months now but the majority of the Beneficial bacteria is in the filter and not the substrate, very little is in the substrate

 

Oh good, I am always worried about my beneficial bacteria. Did you change to sand with fish in the tank?

 

No my fish were out of the tank, but I used a 30 gallon bucket to syphon out the tank water (no gravel syphon), then scooped fish into 2 different 2 gallon jugs, then used my gravel syphon to clean the gravel before removal, removed decorations, scooped out gravel, replaced with sand, added decorations back in, replaced the 30 gallons of water that was in the bucket, re added the fish, and topped up with newly treated water to replace the water that wasn't replaced because of the gravel vac, and treated it like a water change, it clearered up by the next day, though it definitely didn't look that cloudy after 3 hours since the change, it took me less than an hour to do because I had everything I needed at my fingertips before even starting.

Right after the change

Three Hours later

Next day

My fish are still doing good, it was easier for me to remove them from the tank as I didn't have a divider and I also had to hunt down baby fry

 

Okay I think I can do that! Do you have to really take all the water out?

 

The less water in the tank and the closer you get to the gravel the less that floats around in the water when you remove the gravel, I still had a bit of that the gravel syphon missed but it was also easier to catch fish when they had less depth to swim in and run away, you could do less if you wish, it was just easier for me to do it this way, and it makes it easier for me to reach in and smooth the sand around without having to reach through 46 gallons of water

 

Okay I think I can do that! Do you have to really take all the water out?

and no I didn't take all water out I removed the first 30 gallons, had 4 gallons with fish in, and gravel syphoned about 5 gallons of water the rest was left in the tank

 

Okay got it! Thank you for your help and sharing your personal experience it is the only way I can learn it!

 

I'd be interested to hear the logic behind that. If you can fit 6 Pygmy Cory's into a 20 gallon, how could you get 10 in a 10 gallon?

Cory's can't go in 10 gallon tanks, Pygmy or not. They are far too active. Anders247 will testify that.

Anders247 hasn't been around in days. But I too have read in many places the pygmies can be kept in 10 gallon tanks.

I have, just invisible......lol