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[rodsboys]

As long as we're talking cories, I have 5 peppered, 6 panda, 7 albino bronze, 2 regular bronze, and 5 " Julii". All on my 40 long tank. The albinos have spawned a couple of times. I am going to try my hand at raising them soon. Peppered and panda are still growing out and I need a Julii female to go with the 1 f/4m set I have now.

[reptileszz]

OK, about the cories. I can set them up in a 10 gallon. That is all there is space for anywhere in this house and it is a stretch. We are talking on top of my husband's bureau in the bedroom. If I got 3 more would they be ok in a 10 gallon schooling around? I plan on using water from the established tank but will have to use the 3 cories to cycle a new filter. Maybe I should just bring them back? Seriously will do whatever you guys say here. I hope the petstore will refund/store credit me for them if I take them back.

Thanks,
Carole

[Jenste]

If you are using an uncycled filter then there is no reason to move old water over - water is not cycled so all you are doing is putting them in dirty water that the filter has no way of cleaning for them.

What kind of cories are they? A 10 gallon will be a little tight for 6 but certainly doable if set up correctly. Normally I would say to make sure you wait to buy new ones until you are done cycling, but since you will not have another quarantine tank it will be up to you. When (if) you buy more, make sure it is the same species.

Sand is very important due to their barbles. Do not keep them with gravel. Don't fill up a lot of space with decor. Plants are fine as they will help while going through a cycle but avoid any other decor.

Because it will be uncycled, daily partial waterchanges are going to need to be done for a couple months and do not replace the filter media or you will throw away all your growing bacteria colonies.

In the end, it is up to you as to whether or not you want to keep them. You will also have to decide if you want to buy more now from the same shop, before cycling is done, you will have to do larger daily water changes to deal with the higher bioload. If you wait until after cycling before buying more then you will have to either figure out a way to quarantine the new additions or not quarantine which means you risk entering a disease but won't put more fish through the cycling process. It's a tricky situation and only you will be able to figure out what works best for you.

You could also return the cories and keep the 10 gallon on hand to use as a future quarantine tank for any new frogs.

[rodsboys]

Cories do not do well as cycling fish. Try to transfer over some media, water will do nothing for you so just use new declorinated water. 6 cories will be fine in a standard 10 gallon for most species. A lot of breeders do 10 gallons for small breeding groups.

[reptileszz]

OK, sorry to be so OT here but... what if I bought a filter that could utilize the same bio ball thing's that are in my very established turtle tank? Could I put some of them (not all of them obviously) into the new filter thereby getting some precycling?

Thanks,
Carole

PS could also cut the foam thingy in there and use part of that apparently if I get a fluval in tank filter. The media looks similar enough to put in there even if just in pieces.

[rodsboys]

OK, sorry to be so OT here but... what if I bought a filter that could utilize the same bio ball thing's that are in my very established turtle tank? Could I put some of them (not all of them obviously) into the new filter thereby getting some precycling?

Thanks,
Carole

That would be the way to go. I transfer media everytime I setup something new and when I shut down setups I transfer the media back to an existing tank to keep it alive. I have some media that has been alive for years

[reptileszz]

That would be the way to go. I transfer media everytime I setup something new and when I shut down setups I transfer the media back to an existing tank to keep it alive. I have some media that has been alive for years

Excellent! I will do this! Off to the store to get a filter

[Jenste]

That would work fine. I have done the same and squeezed bioballs into most of my filters.

[mpmistr]

You know I forgot to mention this a while back but I read on WetWebMedia (which is a pretty good site for expert advice btw) that the BioWheels on Marineland filters can turn into serious nitrate factories, over time. Your set up has been running for what? 8 years? If you are still having high nitrates have you considered removing the wheel and seeing if that helps (like remove it and test the water 1 week later)?

[reptileszz]

I will have to look into that. I have not checked the nitrates since last weekend. There have been several minor water changes since then and the addition of new plants and sand. We shall see.

Thank you!
Carole

[reptileszz]

Cories do not do well as cycling fish. Try to transfer over some media, water will do nothing for you so just use new declorinated water. 6 cories will be fine in a standard 10 gallon for most species. A lot of breeders do 10 gallons for small breeding groups.

I cant transfer over media from this filter. It is a single cartridge plus biowheel.

Thanks