# Best type of cories for betta tank?



## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I've got a 14 gallon tank that my betta Finny (General Finn Snipes... don't ask.) resides in, he used to have 6 neon tetras buddies but they all died off unfortunetly :/ So now he has the whole tank to himself, and I'd really like to add in some cories. 
What kind would be best? I hear that some get too large, so thats why I'm asking  
Also, any good sites to buy cories online? I have no access to a pet stores. Aquabid I'm sure is good, but I dont have any experience with that site ;D


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

I've read that Panda Corie's are good. Petco sells them online. Here's a link.
http://www.petco.com/product/104838/Panda-Cory.aspx?CoreCat=Freshwater%20Fish


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Sweeda88 said:


> I've read that Panda Corie's are good. Petco sells them online. Here's a link.
> http://www.petco.com/product/104838/Panda-Cory.aspx?CoreCat=Freshwater Fish


Great  I've always liked panda cories, but I wasnt sure if they would be suitable. I'm glad that petco sells them online  But golly, they sure are expensive >.> Silly petco...


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

Yeah, they are a bit pricey. You could go with the Albino cories. They're like 1/2 the price. lol


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Sweeda88 said:


> Yeah, they are a bit pricey. You could go with the Albino cories. They're like 1/2 the price. lol


I heard somewhere that albino cories can get pretty big, so I'm not sure if they're okay... I'll look it up ^^


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

Okay.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Peppered cories!!!!


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

For a 14 gal You can go with any type of cory your want. It's your preference. If you get a smaller type of cory you can get more. If you get a bigger type, you have to get less (but no less than 3). I have previously owned bronze and albinos. My personal favorite are Julii's. Mine are only about 1.5 inches. I love their cream colored skin and stripes. Here is a pic of one of mine.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

Albino's get fairly decent sized, but you could keep 4 or so in a 14 gallon.


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## anglnarnld (Aug 27, 2010)

Well how many can you keep in a 20g long?


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

I have 3 in a 10 gallon. The females are much larger though. The males are like half the size. But they are all really fat. Spotted cories I also recommend. They cost the same as albino's, and I love how well their camoflauge works. They look like little rock piles with eyes!


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

Alex09 said:


> For a 14 gal You can go with any type of cory your want. It's your preference. If you get a smaller type of cory you can get more. If you get a bigger type, you have to get less (but no less than 3). I have previously owned bronze and albinos. My personal favorite are Julii's. Mine are only about 1.5 inches. I love their cream colored skin and stripes. Here is a pic of one of mine.


I have a 10gal... I must have these striped Cories *Flails*


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## LeroyTheBetta (Dec 18, 2010)

MrVampire181 said:


> Peppered cories!!!!


Mr Vampire, I've got 3 peppered cories. I haven't been able to get a consistent answer as to how big they get. Could you tell me roughly the size they reach? Thanks!


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

I would say albinos as they seem to be the most outgoing. I have 5 sterbais in my 2ft tank and I never see them. In our 200L we have albinos and they are always doing something.


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## celine18 (Sep 25, 2010)

i have 3 sterbais, and they're pretty skittish, whenever i walk up they scoot to the back of the tank, but when i'm on the couch, they're the funniest little guys to watch, they swim around and hunt around for food like crazy! and they're just generally cute anyways!!!


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

celine18 said:


> i have 3 sterbais, and they're pretty skittish, whenever i walk up they scoot to the back of the tank, but when i'm on the couch, they're the funniest little guys to watch, they swim around and hunt around for food like crazy! and they're just generally cute anyways!!!


haha That sounds like mine. When I first got them they werent like that. They used to play in all the plants and the bubbles. But now they are so timid. I have the feed them before I go to bed ..... they only like to eat at night in the dark.

I dont think I would of chose them if I knew thats what they were really like.


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## celine18 (Sep 25, 2010)

meeka said:


> haha That sounds like mine. When I first got them they werent like that. They used to play in all the plants and the bubbles. But now they are so timid. I have the feed them before I go to bed ..... they only like to eat at night in the dark.
> 
> I dont think I would of chose them if I knew thats what they were really like.


well they're only playful when they don't know i'm watching ;-). I really think their timidness may be from their mainly being wild caught. if i was taken out of my river heaven and stuck in a small glass box, i'd be pretty scared too...

i think i'd still get them, cuteness factor wins above all!!!

Edit: oh, i just saw your sig, you have them in a tank with a betta? could it be that he's picking on them? my betta picked on them....even then they still came out and swam around tho, maybe i just have masochistic fish? lol


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## meeka (Jul 1, 2010)

celine18 said:


> well they're only playful when they don't know i'm watching ;-). I really think their timidness may be from their mainly being wild caught. if i was taken out of my river heaven and stuck in a small glass box, i'd be pretty scared too...
> 
> i think i'd still get them, cuteness factor wins above all!!!
> 
> Edit: oh, i just saw your sig, you have them in a tank with a betta? could it be that he's picking on them? my betta picked on them....even then they still came out and swam around tho, maybe i just have masochistic fish? lol


No he doesn't worry about them. He flares at the platies a little bit ...... Not as bad as when I first got him. But everyone else he leaves alone. My cories were tank bred, not wild caught. They come out and eat when they don't think I'm watching lol.


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

My cories are very playful and not scared of me at all. I stick my hand in the tank and they only swim away when I get like an inch next to their face lol. Maybe they learned to recognize me as their provider. My bettas and platies sure do! They go crazy when I get near the tank.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Alex09, where did you get the cories?


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## Fermin (Apr 18, 2010)

Several of my bettas have lived at one time or another with my shoal of pygmy cories and they all got along swimmingly. 

It just depends on your betta's temperment. One of my bettas (Nebuchadnezzar) would immediately have killed all my pygmy cories if I had housed him with them because he's psycho, but the rest of my bettas are sweethearts and seemed to enjoy having pygmy cory tankmates.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

What is the scientific name for a Julie Cory? =]

EDIT: Is this the scientific name? *Cory trilineatus*


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

No need to worry about my betta's aggressive-ness, he liked to chase a neon tetra every now and then, but thats only when one came near him xD The neon tetras are all gone though... So just the one betta in my 14g, no snails or nothing either.


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

Here is a good link on Julii's. 
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/catfish/juliicory.php

I got mine from a local family owned LFS. They take really good care of their fish.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I'm also wondering, do cories _need_ an air stone? I heard somewhere that they were air-breathers just like bettas, but another site said that if they do breathe from the surface it means there isnt enough oxygen in the water... I dont have an air stone, nor have the money to get an air pump and all that stuff. When I had the neon tetras they were fine in my water, and I have my filter baffled right now, but I could fiddle with that a bit. When the baffle is off my filter, air bubbles come down from the output. Sorry if I didnt describe it well >.< Any input on this?


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

My filter is baffled and my cories are fine. They too can live in oxygen depraved waters so they can go up to the surface and gulp in air when necessary. I rarely ever see my cories do that though.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Ohhh I see! Thanks for the reassurance


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

> For a 14 gal You can go with any type of cory your want. It's your preference. If you get a smaller type of cory you can get more. If you get a bigger type, you have to get less (but no less than 3). I have previously owned bronze and albinos. My personal favorite are Julii's. Mine are only about 1.5 inches. I love their cream colored skin and stripes. Here is a pic of one of mine.


 
Errrr... I hate to burst bubbles, but those are most definately trilineatus, not julii. Julii are VERY VERY rarely captured and exported from Brazil, South America. C. Julii are found in the lower Amazon, where commercial fish collectors do not really operate. If they do find their way to pet stores, it's typically in Germany, but again this is very very very rare. 
C. Julii will have very small and distinct spots, rather than the more linear pattern in your picture

Almost all pet stores label them as julii... but they are not  
Maybe because it's easier to say "Julie-Eye" than "try-lin-knee-ah-tuss"?! 

However, trilineatus (or "false julii") are super awesome!! 
And... enough of my "rant".....

Anyways, I would recommend getting at least 6 of the same species. Most cories you'll find for sale are right around 2 inches when full grown. And make sure that they're compatible with the temperature you keep your betta at 

Pick whatever species you like best!! 
THEY'RE ALL GREAT!!


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## LisaLB24 (Oct 26, 2010)

I've got 4 trilineatus in with my betta and all get along great! My cories are very active, not shy at all. I love them! I don't have an air stone but my tank is heavily planted and I've never noticed them surfacing for air.


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about an air stone right away. 

But if you do notice them going to the surface to breathe a lot, then definately consider buying one. An analogy I like is... humans technically "can" live by only taking one breath every 20-30 seconds... but it's not ideal. Same with cories, the "can" live this way, but it's not ideal.

Or as a "free alternative" ... you could try lowering the level of water in your tank to create more surface agitaion, and therefore more dissolved oxygen in the water, and see if that helps the cories 




> What is the scientific name for a Julie Cory? =]


ANSWER: *Corydoras julii*


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## crezelda (Dec 17, 2010)

LPS has peppers, how many in a 10g? i was about to, but i got a java fern instead lol


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## celine18 (Sep 25, 2010)

meeka said:


> No he doesn't worry about them. He flares at the platies a little bit ...... Not as bad as when I first got him. But everyone else he leaves alone. My cories were tank bred, not wild caught. They come out and eat when they don't think I'm watching lol.


lucky, you have an easy going betta.



CatherineMPLS said:


> Errrr... I hate to burst bubbles, but those are most definately trilineatus, not julii. Julii are VERY VERY rarely captured and exported from Brazil, South America. C. Julii are found in the lower Amazon, where commercial fish collectors do not really operate. If they do find their way to pet stores, it's typically in Germany, but again this is very very very rare.
> C. Julii will have very small and distinct spots, rather than the more linear pattern in your picture
> 
> Almost all pet stores label them as julii... but they are not
> ...


i had been thinking they were falsies too! lol. at the store i got my sterbais at they were labeled as juliis... definetely not, lol. don't trust stores when they say julii. do a bunch of research on whatever cory you get, it seems like a very common thing for them to be mis-labeled.


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

> it seems like a very common thing for them to be mis-labeled.


Julii, Trilineatus, Leopardus, Sterbai, Haraldschultzi,Brochis, Scleromystax, Aspidoras, c128 (and a whole list of "c" numbers...) All tend to get confused, mislabeled, etc..... 

Corydoras identification can be... overwhelming with over 200 species and probably more that are yet to be discovered!


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

Hmmm... I did research and mine dont look like _Trilineatus_ I mean, here is a frontal shot of one of mine. _Trilineatus_ has much more pronounced squiggly lines on their head while Julli's have dots. I have also seen _Trilineatus_ (labeled as Julli) at my petco and they do look different. Their skin is a darker shade. I know because I bought one from petco and it wasnt until I put it in the tank that I noticed it looked completely different. Unfortunately it died 2 days later.









Here is a pic of _Trilineatus_ and when you compare the patterns on the head you see it looks way different. I could have an entirely different variety or just a hybrid lol.









As for my cories, I do believe they were captive bred, at least thats what the guy told me. Its a small LFS with good reviews and the guy definitely knew what he was doing (half his store was saltwater, he asked me about cycling, how I cared for my betta, water changes, etc), so I had no reason to not believe him.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/top100_species.php

This is a link to Planet Catfish's top 100 species page. Roll over the the scientific names (in purple) and a picture of the fish pops up.

Click the scientific name, and you will go to the species page. The one I visited, for the zebra catfish, has a ton of pictures. Scroll down, and you will find all the specfication for that fish, including size and PH preferences.

You do want to be careful in choosing catfish, because some of them are indeed quite large as adults (measured in feet)! If you have a smaller community tank 2-3" is a good adult size.

At any rate, you should find the catfish of dreams at Planet Catfish. 

Good Luck!
Cheryl


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## celine18 (Sep 25, 2010)

Alex09 said:


> Hmmm... I did research and mine dont look like _Trilineatus_ I mean, here is a frontal shot of one of mine. _Trilineatus_ has much more pronounced squiggly lines on their head while Julli's have dots. I have also seen _Trilineatus_ (labeled as Julli) at my petco and they do look different. Their skin is a darker shade. I know because I bought one from petco and it wasnt until I put it in the tank that I noticed it looked completely different. Unfortunately it died 2 days later.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yea, they're deffinetly not c. trilineatus from that close up...but he does have squiggles.....i think he is one of those great mysteries of the universe. ;-)


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

> Hmmm... I did research and mine dont look like _Trilineatus_ I mean, here is a frontal shot of one of mine. _Trilineatus_ has much more pronounced squiggly lines on their head while Julli's have dots. I have also seen _Trilineatus_ (labeled as Julli) at my petco and they do look different. Their skin is a darker shade. I know because I bought one from petco and it wasnt until I put it in the tank that I noticed it looked completely different. Unfortunately it died 2 days later.


I'm not going to put a whole lot of effort in to changing your mind cause everyone is allowed to have their opinions  ... but the fact remains, *TRUE* C. Julii are rarely sold. 

C. Trilineatus vary greatly in their patterns. I have several of them... some are spotty (and almost had me thinking they might be julii!) ... some have darker lines... some have lighter thinner lines... And there are several species that look very very similar to both julii & trilineatus.

Here are a wide variety of trilineatus pics: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=508

Ian Fuller (one of the authors of "Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish" and founder/owner of corydorasworld.com) took this picture in 1980: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?species=corydoras+julii&image_id=187


Anyways... I'm done with my cory ID spiel... IT'S FRIDAY!! WOOOOOOO!!!!


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

Here's the C. Julii picture for those that don't want to click the link


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

***Images courtesy Ian Fuller & Corydorasworld.com

Above is another of Ian's Pics. I guess I'm not allowed to HotLink the other image 


> Ian Fuller (one of the authors of "Identifying Corydoradinae Catfish" and founder/owner of corydorasworld.com) took this picture in 1980: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog...i&image_id=187


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

Well, Im not insisting that my cories are TRUE Julii's because looking at pics, Im convinced they are probably not, Its not like I have a problem if they turn out to be trilineatus lol. I was just stating that the pattern on their heads is distinctly different from what you see in your average trilineatus. Either way, they are special and I love em 

PS: I will continue to call them Julii's simply because spelling out "trilineatus" is a PITA. :lol:


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

*ALL* Cories are special  

And... to the original point of this thread.. most will do just fine with bettas! :-D


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## LeroyTheBetta (Dec 18, 2010)

Thanks for the link, FishyFishyFishyCheryl!


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## LeroyTheBetta (Dec 18, 2010)

Both the julii and trilineatus are beautiful! Personally, I'd probably get the julii....... just 'cause I like the name! :-D


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