I went 2 days ago (25/2/05) to by my 3 tiny 2cm Panda corys that I had reserved. (the tank was not ready for them) then I saw Schwartzi corys, and I fell in love with them. They were also on special and there was 5. So I decided to get 3 and they are now happy in my 126 litre (the pandas are in my Q.T. I have Sera tablets for bottom feeders, Sera premium plankton tablets, frozen blood worm and frozen brine shrimp and freeze-dried tubifex. The water in the shop was Ph:7 and GH:10 and mine was Ph:6.8 and GH:9. I floated them for 30 minutes adding a cup of water every 5 minutes. For the rest of the day they barely ever swam anywhere mainly must hiding behind bogwood.(Tons of bogwood in there.) I put a Sera tablet in there and it was gone in about half an hour and I think the lace gourami ate most of it so I put in another one and it was eaten too in a few hours. This morning I saw them all together swimming in the middle of the tank. They have not gone to the surface for air even once. They have only once been near the surface (not taking air just looking for food) to get some food. I fed them frozen bloodworms which they relished! They seem more active now swimming together and nibbling around the tiny gravel. They are housed with:
2 lace gouramis
4 pristella tetras
And soon:
3 panda corys
8 rummy nose tetras
1 peppermint catfish (It is not parancistrus speceis it is a ancistrus speceis.)
And 3-4 more corys of some type, maybe true Julii or more of the same speceis.
I have lots of plants and a Eheim classic 2213 canister filter.
anyone who has kept these please give me any tips!!!!
Both the corys (Pandas and Schwartzis) are now swimming a lot more, including swimming up to the middle and up and down the sides of the tank, and looking for food. (I gave them a Sera tablet, and the gouramis helped them eat it. They still haven't swam to the surface but in the tank the Schwartzis are in there is lots of aireation. (Bubble wall, income from Eheim canister filter and income from AquaClear 200) And the Pandas are the only ones in my quarantine tank with an air stone.
I have had 5 Schwartzi cories for 2 weeks now. They are a lot of fun to watch.
Are you concerned that they don't seem to surface for air? They sound like they are behaving normally to me. I've seen mine get air maybe 3 times in 2 weeks. It is an extremely fast dash to the surface and back, easy to miss. Also they are quite shy and still zip to their hiding space whenever I approach the tank, although they will now come out and graze while I'm watching, which they would not do the first several days.
I don't think there is a problem with your cats from what you've posted.
