How many cory frys can I keep safely in what size of tank?

[NEONCORY]

How many cory frys can I keep safely in what size of tanks?

Hi, I need some advice from the experienced cory breeder who had raised big spawn.
This week I got pretty big spawn from my group of Melanotanias. 117 eggs on Monday, 147 eggs on Wednesday and 104 more today(Friday). And 100+ already hatched from the Monday batch and I expect 130+ and 90+ from followed spawns. Since they are hatching 95%+ lately.
I have 3 small fry tank which have frys from Pandas,Sterbais and Melanotanias. And this morning I set the 4th tank for the frys and put 200+ Melanotanias and Sterbais frys(I used to seperate them by the species but lack of space and frequency of spawns. It just become too tough to do.)
The frys in the 4th tank which is 5Gare like week~2 weeks old and I do partial water change every day with the water from the parents tanks.
Of course I don't know how many eggs I get from Melanotanias next week but it just made me think about what is the needed tank space for the frys since they do hatch really well and I got more than 300+ eggs this week. I stillget eggs from Sterbais and Pandas also but not like Melanotanias hatch rate or egg numbers.

Anyway, I would appreciate it if you can share some idea or experience of keeping large number of frys successfully. And what tank size and how long Thanks in advance.

[Bas Pels]

Although I'm not breeding corys, my experience with breeding cich lids and other fish is that the more fish are in a tenk, the slower they grow.

Thus you might be able to get 100 corys in a tank previously used for 50, but they will remain in the lank longer.

If you are able to rais 100 corys, and have 200 fry, would it not be better to raise just the 100 you hoped for?

I do realize you intend to get your investments refunded, so you would like to optimize the sales. However, offering many fihes is the best way to lower their prices. I can't imagine this works differntly in the USA, as it is in fact an economic basic principle. However, raising fry does cost money, raising twice as much fry woll cost approximately twice as much.

[NEONCORY]

Thanks Bas Pels,

For your advice/feedback I appreciate it.
Although I did get massive eggs from Melanotanias this week and they hatch really well now(I got another 130 or so from the Wednesday batch this morning.) I still do not know how many will be make it to the so called selable size. Since I had trouble hatching them for first few spawns from them and last few weeks is pretty much the start of getting frys from them. So I really don't know how many would be in few months down the road.
It would be nice if I can get some money for the fish but I am more of hobbiest than the fish breeder/business person. Not to mention, not many store around here deal with the fish from hobbist bred unfortunately. I usually trade sell my extra fish at my local aquarium society.(as a matter fact, I got these 5 Melanotanias from trade with other member for some Panda Corys.)
I understand your point of supply and demand and the price. But I am not about to destroy the frys to maintain the price of the fish. I may not collect all the spawn from now on.
But I would like to keep and raise as many frys as I can. That is why I was wondering the tank space and numbers of frys I can keep safely.
As much as I do not like to think about it but I understand the need of cull to maintain the quality of frys. Surely I would never be ruthless as the Mother Nature cull. But I would not pumper all the frys to matuality. I usually keep and grow the frys in more natural setting than sterile bare tank. Granted there is no predator that would eat these frys but I know the weak unfit will not make it. I do feed them well if possible several times a day with daily water change. But still I don't think the weak or deformed or whatever the unfit should not make it. After that and I still end up with some fish that is not quite right, I will not offer to the public.
Anyway, I am not as business mind as I may should be but it is a hobby to me. And just try to figure out the space require to grow big batch of cory frys.

[NEONCORY]

They did left 230 more eggs today and I just couldn't help but pick them. They place them so nicely on the glass. This would put the total of more than 500 eggs in 8 days.
I mean is it really that tough to survive in the Nature that they have to make this many eggs?

I will try to raise as many as possible but I need to know how many is too many for the space I have to raise the healthy frys. Of course, I don't want to end up too many fish than the demand of the fish. And I imagine they are not as popular as Pandas or Sterbais. So I am planning to go around few of my local fish store and see if they are interested in trade or buy from me . Of course, this will not happen in another 3~4 months. And I still do not know how many would make it that far but it would be couple of hundreds even if half would do.

[NEONCORY]

I know it is so disappointing that there is no picture but I just don't have means to take and post the pictures yet.( hopefully I can get decent comp and camera near future.)

Anyway, I figure I'll clue you all in for the update of Melanotania wigglers I got in the beginning of the month.
It is kind of funny that for a while, I thought I lost them all. And doing really good raising Sterbai frys.(I tried to seperate the frys of each species but I found out soon after that I don't have enough tanks/containers and space to do. So I have few fry tanks with all 3 frys(Pandas, Sterbais and now Melanotanias) in it.)

Anyway, few weeks after I put the Melanotania frys in the fry tank, I only see the Sterbai and Panda frys. Well that what I thought. But I am now pretty sure that most of the Sterbai frys are actually Melanotanias. For quick glance, they just look alike at that age. But close observation, I did notice few difference between them.

1. Melanotania frys are little longer. No suprise there since the adults are known to have elongated body.

2. Their dorsel fin and tail have no marking but clear. On the contrary, Sterbai frys have some dotty stripy marking on the dorcel and tails.

3. However, their face (skinny line over their eyes) and dotty marking on their body is pretty darn close. I expect it will marge into the solid color eventually but at 4~5 weeks, they do look alike.

And about the number of growing frys, I still have no idea since I grew them in the survival of fittest furnished tanks. But I would imagine I have 100~200.
And the adults are pretty quiet since the 2 weeks of egg bananza. I haven't got single egg from them since then. Although they are pretty frisky today after the big water change yesterday. So who knows, I may get some eggs today.

Anyway, thanks for the people who adviced me of raising them. I think I have just about the right number of healthy strong frys, although they need another few months before I can rehome them.

[dundermez]

I raised 20 to 30 baby barbatus in a ten until they reached about a half inch. That took about a month.

[NEONCORY]

Thanks for sharing your experience, dundermez

I am in the process of moving the frys in 10G to 20. And the frys in 5G to 10. Hopefully next month or 2, I can move the frys from 20 to new home. And all the moving and shuffling all over again. Since I still get eggs from Pandas and Sterbais regularly. It is good or bad, I have not got any eggs from Melanotanias in 2~3 weeks. But I see the females are getting more round than ever. And I think I have 100~200 of their frys growing at the moment. It is kind of surprise to see that some of the frys are 2~3 times bigger than the smallest ones although I put them in the tank at the same time and they are about the same age at the time. Since I am growing them in survival of fittest setting, I guess some frys are just better at finding food than the other. And rich get richer and bigger get even bigger.
I guess I need to sort them by the size soon. I will do that when I move them up to bigger tank. Hopefully early next week.