Mixed School/Cory compatibility?

[sillypony]

So, i bought 3 arched cories (c20) for my 10 gall, but had to move them to a 55. One died, so now i only have two. And I feel bad for them, as I know they don't have nearly enough friends.

My question is, are there any other species of cory I could get that will school with them, if I can't find more c20's? (i know all my danios, regardless of 'type' school quite happily as one group... so i thought maybe some cories would do that?)

Thanks!

LeeAnna

[Plecofanatic1989]

Hello. Yes different species of Corydoras will school together quite happily. But sometimes it seems like they know that the others are not lke them and they DO prefer to school with their own species. In my 55 gallon, I have 2 C. aeneus, 2 C. trilineatus, 2 C. brevirostris, 1 C. nanus, 1 C. elegans, 3 C. bilineatus, and 1 C. napoensis (I also have 2 Brochis splendens which don't school with the cories). I think that's all of them... . There is nothing wrong with mix schooling and it can be fun to do.
Good luck and enjoy your cories!!
Josh

[Richard B]

Given the absence of their own particular species, lots of corries will school together so you can add to your group with whatever is available to you.

In the wild some different species are naturally found together, like for example, adolphoi & imitator & occasionally small pims like brachyrhamdia shoal with them imitating the cories!

[apistomaster]

I would try to get more Corydoras arcuatus. Sure, mixed Corys do fine but I think they are best kept with several of their own kind.

[sillypony]

I'll try to get the same kind, but the LFS sells out of everything VERY fast, and you never know when they'll get it in again (except for the standard stuff like danios and neon tetras...)
I really appreciate the responses, as i was worried my poor cories would be permanently lonely if i couldnt find more of their kind, as people on another site said they absolutely wouldnt.

I think mine may be amenable to it, as they play with the queen loaches sometimes... but on the other hand, they spend time sitting together in front of their reflection in the background, as if they are studying the those two 'other' fish. Poor cories.

Thanks again for the help!

LeeAnna

[Carp37]

I'm not sure how much most species shoal together with other species, but other Corydoras of a different species definitely seems to have a reassuring or calming effect on them- I've got 5 weitzmani, 4 pestai and 4 sterbai together, and they often prefer to sit at rest with another Cory, regardless of whether it's their own species or not. They do seem to prefer their own species' company to an extent (especially the sterbai, which seem to prefer sitting under the same plant together), but despite the fact that mine have greatly differing body shapes and colour patterns, they get along fine. When they're foraging they go off and do their own thing, going about either singly or in loose groups which split up and swap about.

My Brochis splendens are in a group of 20 in another tank without Corydoras, and these definitely do shoal together- they spend most of their time sitting at one end of the tank, and come out to feed en masse. However, they seem much more shy as a big group than they were as several small groups- they seem to have become almost nocturnal or crepuscular, coming out as a swarm at dusk to forage and just sitting in cover for the day, unless bloodworm is introduced.

[fishious]

I found this topic helpful, as we had a sole habrosus, and weren't able to find more locally. We were curious if a school of trilineatus would be good/bad/indifferent for the habrosus' social instincts.

We did add 6 trilineatus, and it was terribly cute, as the habrosus was all over them when they were added, bumping into them and generally staying as close as possible. The habrosus seems quite perky compared to when it was solitary, and the trilineatus don't seem to mind it being around. It's nice having a big group of them all together.

[CoryfanAad]

Think you'd do the same if you we're lonely. It's not a case of shoaling, but being less lonely. I even had a dwarfloach that tried to "communicate" with my habrosus. Rehomed it !! Best is same species, but better than alone offcourse !!!