# Room for Cory catfish with Apistogramma?



## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi cdarminio,

I have kept Corydoras with Apistogramma for years and the only time the Apisto's have bothered the Corys was when a pair wanted to breed and chased all the fish away from the breeding site. Corydoras and Apistos naturally inhabit the same rivers and streams in the Amazon basin.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

get a group of 6+ pygmy corys imo


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## cdarminio (Feb 5, 2016)

Do Pygmy corys spend most of their time near the bottom or middle level of the tank? I already have a lot of action in the water column (tetras and pencilfish) so I want something that will stick mostly on the substrate.

Do larger corys really "unnerve" apistogramma? My apistogramma is very active and bold, but I definitely don't want to stress him out by adding a large brochis.


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## n25philly (Dec 12, 2013)

cdarminio said:


> Do Pygmy corys spend most of their time near the bottom or middle level of the tank? I already have a lot of action in the water column (tetras and pencilfish) so I want something that will stick mostly on the substrate.
> 
> Do larger corys really "unnerve" apistogramma? My apistogramma is very active and bold, but I definitely don't want to stress him out by adding a large brochis.


The are two problems with keeping corys and apistos together. The first is that corys don't understand territories, so if the apistos start to breed the corys will keep trying to go where the apistos don't want them to be. Not a big issue as the apistos will just chase them away and the corys can handle whatever the apistos dish out. The other is that corys are pretty good egg eaters, especially as night so it's not ideal to keep them together if you plan on breeding. As long as your main intent isn't breeding (your ok if you don't get viable fry or are ok with some getting eaten) then there is no reason they can't be kept together. If you are looking to get lots of fry and grow them out to sell and what not then I probably wouldn't.


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## cdarminio (Feb 5, 2016)

I only have one male, so breeding won't be a possibility. Apart from that, is there any other issues of keeping corys with apistogramma?


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

As long as you're not breeding they would likely get along with no serious issues. A group of 6 Pandas would be cool. My Pandas bred like crazy after about 6 weeks. I was up to like 30 within a few months. It was pretty awesome


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## cdarminio (Feb 5, 2016)

For those who've had them, how difficult are Pygmy corys? My LFS tells me they're very delicate and die easily.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

cdarminio said:


> For those who've had them, how difficult are Pygmy corys? My LFS tells me they're very delicate and die easily.


I was told the same thing.


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

Just make sure they're fed well and they'll be fine. IMO the number one reason cories die is due to the fact people don't make sure food gets down to them. In the end they starve.


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## StevieD (Jun 17, 2017)

Having had a fish room specifically for breeding Corydoras and still have a few in my 135, the one food I recommend for Corydoras above all others is Ken's Premium Earthworm Sticks these sink to the bottom almost immediately, and stay there. 

If you have a club or FB group in your area mention to the members that you are placing an order and if more than $50 is spent shipping is free. I have yet to pay for shipping in over 10 years as all fishkeepers are happy to get free shipping, no?

The quality of the food is excellent, we also had long finned albino bristlenosed plecostomus in a 135 that were fed on Kens Algae wafrers. Price per unit for all their food is beyond compare for the quality you get and their customer service is as good as I have come across anywhere. 

You might even say I am a fan of theirs  but no I do not work for them, neither am I on on commission (darn it!)

Pygmy corries are best on a shoal of at least 8, and yes they do tend to swim in mid water.

If my memory serves me correctly there are three different pygmy corries and identifying them correctly can be a challenge.

I found this article on them Caresheet: Pygmy Cory | Corydoras pygmaeus, hastatus, habrosus | Aquariadise

Hope this helps 

SD


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