# Will Emerald corys school with smaller corys



## kicksilver (Aug 9, 2012)

I've got a 30 gallon hexagon tank that I want to use as a corydoras tank. I have 3 albinos currently, and I was wondering what other types of corys would be best to add. I was interested in pygmy corys, because they swim in the middle of the tank while the others swim at the bottom. I also wanted to get a few pandas, and then try to introduce just one emerald, as they tend to get up to an inch larger than the other species, I thought it would look interesting to see him schooling with the smaller ones, and serving as a leader of sorts. Would the 2-3 pandas group with the three albinos, and would the Emerald join up, and hang around the albinos, or the pandas? Would the Emerald be too stressed out because he is alone, or would the company of the other semi-smaller corys keep him happy? The tank will be a heavily planted, low-light, aquarium, because I hear that those are the conditions that they like.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The emerald will probablly school with the albinos, Pandas are also bottom fish. If you want cories that swim in mid tank, Hastatus is your best bet but you probably won't see them to much as they like to hang in the plants.


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## kicksilver (Aug 9, 2012)

Thanks for the advice, I like the look of the hastatus, I'll most-likely seek out some black, and some white bodied ones when buying them, in order to have a more diverse school.
Also, it might be worth mentioning that the layout of my tank will have a cliff the divides the floor in half, and the back half is going to be raised up about 6 inches, and will have only plants that intake nutrients from the water column, and will be tied down instead of planted, whereas the front will be planted into soil, with far more dense vegetation.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Sounds interesting, can't wait to see pics.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Cory species don't school well with others. If you isolate a Cory species it is lost. Corys school best with the same species. Skunk, Pandfa and Pepperd Corys each form tight schools of the same species. Different Cory species often have different habits. The Peppered like to climb plants while the Pandas never do. A hex tank has small gravel area for its volume so these is less roaming room for the Corys.


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## kicksilver (Aug 9, 2012)

So peppered corys like to climb plants? What about emeralds, I plan on having a little over half of the tank floor covered in plant life, and would be curious as to which ones would enjoy that type of setup the most(climbing, hiding, and swimming amongst the vegetation etc.). I'm at most going to have five or six corys that dwell at the bottom, there will also be a cave in the cliff-face for them to explore.
Also, what exactly do you mean by "it is lost"?


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## Sherry (Nov 22, 2011)

I have panda cory's and pepper/emerald ( don't know what kind) cory in the same tank. They get along great. Maybe I got lucky. The panda's have a baby right now. I still have no problems. 
Well, maybe I have not helped you at all. sorry....


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

kicksilver said:


> I've got a 30 gallon hexagon tank that I want to use as a corydoras tank. I have 3 albinos currently, and I was wondering what other types of corys would be best to add. I was interested in pygmy corys, because they swim in the middle of the tank while the others swim at the bottom. I also wanted to get a few pandas, and then try to introduce just one emerald, as they tend to get up to an inch larger than the other species, I thought it would look interesting to see him schooling with the smaller ones, and serving as a leader of sorts. Would the 2-3 pandas group with the three albinos, and would the Emerald join up, and hang around the albinos, or the pandas? Would the Emerald be too stressed out because he is alone, or would the company of the other semi-smaller corys keep him happy? The tank will be a heavily planted, low-light, aquarium, because I hear that those are the conditions that they like.


Hello kick...

My larger Emerald and Albino Corys don't pay much attention to the smaller ones in the tank. My smaller ones like my Orange Saddles and Pandas are a little friendlier toward one another and will forage together, but briefly. I've noticed the Pandas will stay together longer.

Corydoras are "shoaling" fish, not "schooling" fish. Tetras are schooling fish. They group together during the day for protection and when one moves the others mimic that move. Corys forage together, but their movements are individual. That's the difference.

B


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