# Number of corydoras for 29 Gallon



## beckyhiker (Mar 30, 2017)

I've noticed in several threads in the forum that people are planning cory cat centered tanks in 20 Longs. As far as Aqueon aquariums go, I see that the 20L has the exact same footprint as a 29G. I'm wondering about how many cories people feel are ok for a tank with these dimensions? I would love to fit 6 each of 2 different species in mine, but I'm not really convinced that there is enough bottom area for this. The two cories I'm considering supposedly max out at 2" when grown. My 29G is pretty heavily planted, BDBS as substrate, and has manzanita branches and black lava rock, as well a some smaller river rocks pressed into the sand. Current inhabitants are 2 juvenile female bettas, 3 Amano shrimp, 3 otos, 1 nerite snail, and several MTS. According to AqAdvisor this stocking plus the 12 cories still leaves me room to add the school of Lambchop Rasboras that I want, but again, I'm not sure if there is enough bottom real estate.

I really appreciate opinions, thanks very much!


----------



## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

A dozen should be fine as long as you don't go crazy stocking the rest of the tank. Corydoras are pretty peaceful and should be perfectly happy in a big group like that. There aren't going to be territorial disputes or aggression or anything of that matter. It is more your overall stocking level. 

I currently have 9 large Corydoras (3 different species) and about 20 pygmy Corydoras (2 species), 6 kuhli loaches, and a bushy nose pleco in a 36 bowfront, which isn't that much bigger than your 29g, and everyone gets along fine. The different Cory species either ignore each other or school around together.

In my 20 long that I am setting up as a Cory tank I have 5 Corydoras eques at the moment and there is tons of empty real estate in the tank. If I were you I would introduce the first 6 and see how you like the look of them in the tank and then add the second group.


----------



## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Triport said:


> A dozen should be fine as long as you don't go crazy stocking the rest of the tank. Corydoras are pretty peaceful and should be perfectly happy in a big group like that. There aren't going to be territorial disputes or aggression or anything of that matter. It is more your overall stocking level.
> 
> I currently have 9 large Corydoras (3 different species) and about 20 pygmy Corydoras (2 species), 6 kuhli loaches, and a bushy nose pleco in a 36 bowfront, which isn't that much bigger than your 29g, and everyone gets along fine. The different Cory species either ignore each other or school around together.
> 
> In my 20 long that I am setting up as a Cory tank I have 5 Corydoras eques at the moment and there is tons of empty real estate in the tank. If I were you I would introduce the first 6 and see how you like the look of them in the tank and then add the second group.


Agreed. I don't have much "open" bottom space in my 75 and they don't seem to mind at all. They consider whatever is on the bottom to be their territory. I know some of them get bigger, but there are also several smaller species. My Pandas are hard to notice if you aren't looking for them


----------



## beckyhiker (Mar 30, 2017)

The Dude1 said:


> Agreed. I don't have much "open" bottom space in my 75 and they don't seem to mind at all. They consider whatever is on the bottom to be their territory. I know some of them get bigger, but there are also several smaller species. My Pandas are hard to notice if you aren't looking for them


Thanks to both of you. Pandas are one of the types of cory that I was hoping for. I have 8 C. melanistius in my 75G, but they are very shy, so they spend a lot of their time hiding under a large piece of Malaysian driftwood which is further blocked by another piece of driftwood. It makes it hard to judge how much space they would be happy with if they were not so skitish. It's an exciting event when we spot those cories!

The 29G doesn't have large, blocky (log type) pieces of driftwood like the 75G, just some skinny manzanita branches. Do you think that's sufficient? I actually have 2 smaller pieces of Malaysian driftwood soaking, but I'd have to redecorate around half the tank to fit them in and probably move, or get rid of, my lava rock formation. There are lots of plants to hide under/in, but I don't know if that would make them feel as safe as wood.
@Triport, unfortunately there is a very poor selection of cory cats here, there isn't even an LFS in my county; I have to shop down by work. This means that I probably will have to order my fish and since I work that means that I have to take a day off so that I can be home to recieve the shipment. Because of this I'd like to get all my cories at once, although otherwise I totally agree that splitting them up would be better. I suppose that I can keep my fingers crossed that if I order 6, the work lfs will get in something more interesting than what it has currently.

Thanks again!


----------



## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

Oh I understand that perfectly. We have no good LFS in my area so I order all of my fish and often have to get them in numbers larger than would normally be considered sensible because otherwise the shipping gets too absurd. Ordering online is great though because it opens you up to all sorts of species that often wouldn't be carried by a LFS. My 20 long parameters are looking good so I am thinking of ordering some for next week.


----------



## beckyhiker (Mar 30, 2017)

Triport said:


> Oh I understand that perfectly. We have no good LFS in my area so I order all of my fish and often have to get them in numbers larger than would normally be considered sensible because otherwise the shipping gets too absurd. Ordering online is great though because it opens you up to all sorts of species that often wouldn't be carried by a LFS. My 20 long parameters are looking good so I am thinking of ordering some for next week.


Cool, what are you going to get? Right now I'm (mostly) deciding between Pandas, Adolfis, and Venezuelans. I would love to find a place that also carries T. espei (Lamb Chop rasboras) because I can only find the Harlequin Rasboras in the LFS. 

I know what you mean about ordering extras. I ordered fish for my 75G this past March and, never having ordered a fish before, I assumed that there would be some attrition. Well, oops, everyone survived, which I guess is great, but I think that I'm going to have to rehome someone eventually.


----------



## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

When I got back into the hobby I actually initially was just going to have a 17 gallon rimless tank. But then I realize I would have to mail order my fish and the shipping charges for just a few fish would be crazy so I ran out and bought several more tanks so that I could just do one big order for all the tanks every 6 months or so. Now 3 years later I have like 7 tanks and am thinking about 2 more!

The Wet Spot in Portland has an amazing fish list of all sorts of unusual things. They usually have lambchop rasboras. I bought 10 from them a few months ago. I don't think they have them on the list this week but they are usually in stock so I bet in a week or two they will have them. 

For my 40 breeder I am going to get some Corydoras loretoensis and C. concolor. For my Cory tank I am going rarer and more expensive. I am thinking Super Schwartzi, C. weitzmani, and C. semiaqulis.


----------

