cory care

[j-man the skater-man]

these are sorta general questions but i figure that i am starting my tank with corys so...

how can i get the pH to 7-ish for my corys that is natural and quick?
do you think corys should count on the 1 inch per gallon rule?
are all the temp, ph, est. pretty much the same for all corys?
do corys like slower moving waters?
how can you tell a male from female cory? (i hope to breed them one day)
will species interbreed?
do corys like low light cause some fish i want like low light?
will cherry shrimp and corys interfer with one another?
will they eat brine shrimp?
does anyone on the coast of north carolina know where to get mylasian trumpet snails? (geting cause i have sand for the corys)
when corys swim on stuff and look like they are sucking on the plants what are they really doing?

IF FISH ARE BORN IN AN AQUARIUM THEN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT IS A AQUARIUM RIGHT???
SO WHY DO YOU NEED TO MIMIC THE FISHS NATURAL HABITAT???

[sumpthinfishy]

I'll try to answer some of your questions. Fishnut2 would be more knowledgeable, but I'll see what I can do.

First, what is your pH? It's generally better to acclimate the fish to your existing water conditions. Adding chemicals to the water is best avoided if possible as it's difficult to maintain and who needs to buy more stuff?

My pH is actually pretty high and my cories do very well, spawning on a pretty regular basis.

I don't know this for sure, but seems they wouldn't want a river. Most tanks aren't going to present a problem, I'd think.

Males tend to be smaller and less "plump". Generally pretty hard to sex them. If you want to breed them, it's a good idea to have 3 males to 1 female.

I don't know about light. But I don't think any fish likes total blinding light. They rely on smell for food more than sight, so I don't think they'd object to a lower light tank.

I'm unfamiliar with shrimp in aquariums. Would think they should be fine, but researching it is always a good idea.

MTS should be pretty easy to get most anywhere. Some lfs give them away. Check aquabid or do a search on Google for snails and there are many places to buy them online.

What you see corys doing when they look to be sucking on plants, they are looking for food. Generally their little mouths and whiskers are always in motion.

Hope this helps.

Check out www.planetcatfish.com for good info on all sorts of cories with lots of pictures for identifying them.

[Damon]

Acclimate your fish to your water, not the other way around for most aquarium fish.
Yes and no. ****While they take up space, they are not huge waste produces and do keep the aquarium clean.
No. While they perfer softer waters, some perfer cooler temps than others
Water flo varies to my knowledge.
Females are more rounded and usually bigger when mature than males.
Not sure if they will breed or not. Ask Fishnut2
They like standard aquarium lighting.
Cherries and cories get along fine together. No problems even with the babies.
Yes they will eat most aquarium foods.


FIshnut is the resident cory person. He can give you more difinitive answers.