bubbzy81 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I just went down to the local LFS to get some baby BN to help clean the bottom of my spawn tank of any uneaten food & I've come home with 2 corydoras. The boys in the LFS said they'd be the best at cleaning as they actually eat uneaten food, as oppossed to snails or BN or just tend to eat algae. Any thoughts/experiences??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amoi Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Ive had cory's in with bettas before in a 2 foot tank but never in a breeding tank. Personally I wouldnt use them in a breeding tank for fear that they would eat any fry or eggs that they could get their mouths around. They do eat blood worms etc so its a worry to me but I could be wrong. Corys are also a schooling fish and do better in groups (6 or more is best in my experience) which is alot to add to a breeding tank. I just have the good old apple snails in my tank and they do a great job and dont harm the fry at all. Cheers Amy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Cories are more interested in meaty foods than BNs, but that might not be what you are after with all those tasty fry swimming around deliciously. They are also very active and really tend to sulk in groups of 3 or less. 5 or 6 is about the point you see natural behaviours. Going by the average spawn tank size, the biofilter could probably only cope with one average sized corydora so that could be problematic. They wouldn't be my ideal choice for cleaning breeding tanks. They'd do OK in grow-out and betta community though. I'd really just go with snails. I find my apple/mystery snails will eat pretty much anything, and algae is definitely not their favourite. They'll eat it, but they prefer sunken fish food, fish flesh & carcasses and damaged plant leaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I find Malaysian Trumpet snails the best.... They don't eat plants... They don't eat eggs or fry They clean up anything else no matter where it's jammed...food and any unnoticed dead fish They are native to the same area as bettas BUT They are very prolific and need to be regularly culled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbzy81 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 *Just madly googled Malaysian Trumpet Snail*..... Whoa! I see what you mean about needing to cull them! Those things breed like damn rabbits! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Don't get them in any tanks with power filters as they have quite tough shells, so if they get sucked in they can wear down the impeller and housing. They are fun little snails though, well worth a go ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbzy81 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 What about their ability to reproduce 100 snails a week??? OMG!!! Where would you get them from? I've never seen them before. The LFS has golden mystery snails, I might just go grab some of them. I don't know where I went wrong with the red ramshorn snails. Just can't seem to keep em alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I don't know where I went wrong with the red ramshorn snails. Just can't seem to keep em alive. Wish I knew your secret! I'd love to get rid of all of the snails that breed like rabbits! The mystery snails are great though. Re the cories - they have that energy burst that takes them up to the top of the tank for a sip of air at times too - would be possibly they grab a fry on the way or disturb them seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I wouldn't put any other species in a spawning/fry/growout tank. Snails will eat anything, IME. Algae is a 'desperation stations' food for them though. They love uneaten food etc. The best thing they do is eat the bbs eggs that find their way into the tank, and turn them into curly worm-sized poos the fry can't eat. Were the boys at the LFS who said they'd only eat algae from the same LFS that told you a male betta needs 2 females to choose from, by any chance? I don't know why you've got trouble with keeping ramshorns alive, hmm. I have them at all levels of development, from big old 5c piece adults to the jelly egg nests. Maybe it's because I have that delicious layer of mulm, again? Holly I can send you a bunch of them if you want to try all different sizes. Let me know. Meanwhile, I don't think cories are going to do you any favours in a breeding environment (although they are very cute). Oh, Wayne - have you tried the zucchini trick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 The only zuchinni trick I know ends up with about a dozen bristlenose fry all trying to get their snouts on the same piece of zuchinni (and the resultant fights!) Do the snails go for it too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbzy81 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 The only zuchinni trick I know ends up with about a dozen bristlenose fry all trying to get their snouts on the same piece of zuchinni (and the resultant fights!) Your BN? My BN have to fight every other fish in the tank just to get a piece. All of my tropicals (swords, mollies, guppies) just wolf it down. There's usually never any left for the BN coz the tropicals bully them away from it. It's a free for all in there when it's zuchinni time! Lisa, I might just take you up on the offer for some ramshorns. You don't find them very often here. Everytime I see some I grab them, but they just don't survive for very long. They do ok, then all of a sudden they turn over & start rotting & smell REALLY bad! I wonder if the other fish are harrassing them & nipping at them??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I wonder if the other fish are harrassing them & nipping at them? Probably. Many bettas (and presumably other species) think their feelers are delicious worms just for them. That's why the smaller ones seem to do better. Want to PM me your address and I'll express post some up next week? They do produce a LOT of poo, just so you know . I keep thinking of your nice clean spawn tank! The beauty of the snail poo is that it's very easy to siphon up and the fry can't hide in it as well as they hide in general mulm. Edit: sorry Wayne, yes, snails will eat zucchini too. You may have to add enough that the others are full though, and leave the slices in overnight (maybe add at lights out and remove in morning 1st thing?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Snail poo is a very good media for infusoria.....first food for fry (That's my theory and I'm sticking to it! ) Like everything....fair enough in moderation....so needs to be thinned from time to time (or dug into gravel by MTS for plants to use.... ) Don't make your tanks TOO clean..... *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbzy81 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm a sucker for a clean tank. I grew up with a mum who worked in a pet shop & it was all about regligious water changes. I'm just learning to deal with the fact that some mess is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 some is ok. Lots is better, ironically! I don't siphon a tank until the fry are about 2 - 3 weeks old and even then it's just to get rid of excess bbs egg shells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbygodz Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 Iv'e kept cories with bettas without a problem. A male will often give the cories a good chase (great for his exercise) but they never seem to be able to to catch them. I definitely wouldn't advise having them in a spawn tank though as as my pair just ate all of my baby killies and then cleaned up the rest of the unhatched eggs. Bugger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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