Benefit of having Corydoras

[Swancici]

What are the benefit of having Corydoras. Pros and cons. Are they worth it?

[discuspaul]

Cories are great tankmates for discus - they clean up all the food that settles to the tank bottom, are moderately active & quite cute, and make for an amusing display over a PFS substrate. Cons: I can't think of any.

[Swancici]

Yes they eat left over but they poop too. So would that be really cleaning it or am I better off just doing waterchanges everyday.

[Orange Crush]

Yes they eat left over but they poop too. So would that be really cleaning it or am I better off just doing waterchanges everyday.
Whether you get cories or not you should still do water changes every day. Like you said you will either have leftover food or more poop to vacuum up.

[Swancici]

Well yes i will be doing water haves everyday.I was just wondering with just having the discus would that make it less work or would it be the same as having Corydoras with the discus?

[Orange Crush]

Cories will not make it more or less work. Get them because you want them otherwise don't. :)

[Stuewart]

Cories do not eat poop. Ive been keeping them for 2 years and never seen one eat any poop. They dont eat algae either, as is commonly misconceived.

[Orange Crush]

Cories do not eat poop. Ive been keeping them for 2 years and never seen one eat any poop. They dont eat algae either, as is commonly misconceived.
No one said they eat poop. lol

[discuspaul]

No one said they eat poop.
Edit:
Hey, Orange Crush, your post just came in while I was typing mine. lol

[Orange Crush]

No one said they eat poop.
There's an echo in here :p

[Swancici]

Lol I don't think they eat poop idk about algey though. I do like them and will get them. Also do they do anything to help they tank? As I hear there cleaner fish?

[Orange Crush]

Like all fish they eat fish food it just so happens they eat the food that is on the bottom of the tank. They do not eat algae, they do not eat poop. They will not make your tank more clean because what they eat will become poop. They do not do anything to help the tank unless you overfeed your discus but, your tank would be more clean to stop overfeeding rather than adding more fish that need more food that then create more poop.

[Swancici]

That some good info. Yea I know not to over feed ect. Just was interested in what they do or not do ha. Thanks:)

[Orange Crush]

That some good info. Yea I know not to over feed ect. Just was interested in what they do or not do ha. Thanks:)
They must be in schools of 6 or more to be happy and healthy. Then they will be super cute and fun to watch.

[Wjmulder]

I have 2 and they're happy and healthy......never heard that cories were supposed to be in schools of 6 or more

[Swancici]

I know:) I be getting around 6-10 hopefully. I have done some reserch on them. Also do they need hiding places? As I'll be having a bb?

[Orange Crush]

I have 2 and they're happy and healthy......never heard that cories were supposed to be in schools of 6 or more
Yup, they are schooling fish. They are more likely to get sick and have a shorter life span because of the stress of not being in a group of 6 or more.

[Orange Crush]

I know:) I be getting around 6-10 hopefully. I have done some reserch on them. Also do they need hiding places? As I'll be having a bb?
They like to have "caves".
I use mopani to give them places to hide.

[:SEBastian:]

They like to have "caves".
I use mopani to give them places to hide.

agree caves are great for corys. a piece of slate or shaded places under roots or plants will do too. they will rest in those areas.

[random-cichlid]

quarantine them b4 u add them to your discus tank

[Swancici]

Won't need too. As I will be adding the Corydoras first and 6 weeks before I get the discus thanks for the advice though.

[Stuewart]

Ahh my bad in an earlier post about them eating poop. I misread an earlier comment.

[walt3]

i have 9 in my 75 gallon and i love them. there just another layer to the aquarium world. just like the plecos. something looks like its missing without a couple species of cats in a tank. just my opinion.

[Wes]

http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/cories.jpg
A group of 9 sterbai

[Eddie]

Definitely a good tankmate but the problem is that many believe them to be a clean up crew. This is a false idea. They produce more waste and any additional fish will only tax the bio-load on the tank, making it more important to change water. So all in all, the benifits don't really outweigh the cost if you are thinking of keeping things clean.

[retiredsailor]

one benefit that happened in my tank (years ago), i had a dozen and they schooled together and it was great to watch them got along the bottom in all together.

[dprais1]

The benefit for me is the same as it is for discus...

I like 'em a lot. That's it.

[k7prz]

I had a few lay eggs in my 20 gal planted tank. After a day or so the eggs were gone. Next time I scrapped the eggs off
the side of the tank with a razor and kept them in a fine net on the top of the tank. They hatched and after a week or so I moved
them into a 10 gal tank with a sponge filter. They are slightly larger than baby discus after hatching. 6 survived and after
about a month I put them back with their parents. Tiny little Corys are fun to watch too.
Dave

[krislewis3]

All of my coreys love algea wafers!! Are you speaking of a different kind of Algea?

[exv152]

Cories are a plus, no doubt. Even if it just means they occupy the bottom area of a tank, and discus the middle, along with another fish at the surface, it's all about aesthetics.

[Orange Crush]

All of my coreys love algea wafers!! Are you speaking of a different kind of Algea?
They wont eat algae in the tank but will eat it in the food. Besides algae wafers have quite a bit of fish protein in it not just vegetables/greens.

[wavesurfer]

I love my two albino cories and they are always busying themselves searching for scraps and stuff on the substrate. :)

They seem to enjoy getting into the limelight during the discus' photography sessions too: :D

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a249/WaveSurfer/20120508_Discus2.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a249/WaveSurfer/20120508_Discus1.jpg

[krislewis3]

Beautiful Aquascape, and fish....how old are the discus? And, yes, I love my little cory cats too. When they interact they remind me of the keystone cops!!!!!

[Pardal]

I strongly recommend you move those juvies to a bare bottom, grow out tank before is too late.

[Orange Crush]

I strongly recommend you move those juvies to a bare bottom, grow out tank before is too late.
+1
It will be very difficult to keep the water etc. clean enough to grow those discus out properly. If you are not doing at least 2 wc's per day, including very vigilent gravel vacuming, it is very likely that your discus will be permanently stunted and/or get sick.
It is not impossible for juvies to grow out well in a planted tank but, it is a rare person who can make it work. Especially if they are new to discus. You may be that person who can make it work but, a BB tank will make everthing much easier for you.