Panda Cory - Not suitable for tropical tank?

**Rummy Nose** · 6th May 2009, 10:55

Hi all,

I am a beginner and would like to keep some panda cory, together with platies and rummy nose tetras.. really looking forward to it!

I read somewhere that panda cory is not suitable to be kept with most tropical fish as it prefers a lower temperature?

Hope any experts here can shed some light, whether this is true?

Thanks in advance!

**wynx** · 6th May 2009, 11:05

Should be alright! I got like 5 of them in my planted tank since December 2008. To date, all doing fine.

**Rummy Nose** · 6th May 2009, 16:07

Thanks! will go ahead to get some panda cory soon.. ahhaha

**celticfish** · 6th May 2009, 16:46

Some corydoras are "cool water" species.
Meaning they like low temperatures (from 27C and lower depending on species).
For these you may find they "do well" after you get them in your tank only to find intermittent deaths over a few weeks or months.

Generally, if your tank temperature doesn't get over 27/28C you should be okay.
But that may not be enough for certain "cool water" species though.

**nasty12** · 7th May 2009, 09:40

Originally Posted by celticfish

Some corydoras are "cool water" species.
Meaning they like low temperatures (from 27C and lower depending on species).
For these you may find they "do well" after you get them in your tank only to find intermittent deaths over a few weeks or months.

Generally, if your tank temperature doesn't get over 27/28C you should be okay.
But that may not be enough for certain "cool water" species though.

Hi Celticfish,

would like to ask if "peppered cory" needs cooler water?
i bought these cute little fellas but didnt manage to survive ....
Keeping them with my other corys which are doing Alright!

**Rummy Nose** · 7th May 2009, 14:21

Did a search and this is the information I got from www.theaquariumwiki.com. Not sure how accurate it is.

Temperature Range
Bronze Cory (including Albino): 22-26°C
Peppered Cory: 20-25°C
Sterba Cory: 22-26°C
Juili Cory: 22-24°C
3 stripe Cory: 22-24°C
Panda Cory: 21-24°C
Pygmy Cory: 22-26°C

In wikipedia, under Panda Corydoras:
"As has already been cited above, the species has a preference for cooler than normal waters when compared to many other popular tropical fish species, and consequently, if it is intended to maintain the fishes in a 'community' aquarium setting, companions should be chosen that share the fish's tolerance or preference for cooler temperatures, around 22°C being a good choice of maintenance temperature for the species"

Think i need to buy a thermometer to test the temperature of my aquarium first before buying this cute fellas.

**bryan** · 8th May 2009, 15:09

I've never been succesful in keeping Pandas alive for more than a year. I find Sterbai to be more hardy and have faster growth rate. Brochis(although not a cory) seem to be quite easy too but rather skittish.

**trece** · 8th May 2009, 16:07

well good luck.. i really doubt that in singapore we can get anything below 26 without chiller. and in the day it'll probably be 29-31 without a cooling fan or two. although it does depend on your tank size.

**celticfish** · 8th May 2009, 18:02

Well said bryan!

Rummy nose,
If you look at the list you found you will notice that C. panda has the lowest and and lowest high in the temperature range.
C. sterbai also has the highest temperature tolerance at 26C.
All this agrees with bryan's experience of the two fish.

Here is sunny, hot and humid Singapore we'd need chillers to keep Corydoras in the temperature our temperate counterparts keep them in!
I believe some Corydoras keepers just use a fan for the more temperature delicate species.

**chooz** · 8th May 2009, 18:09

How do the LFS and local commercial breeders keep corys?

I am not sure about the breeders, but the LFS sure do not have chillers in those corys tanks. But the corys seem to survive well in the LFS until they reach our homes

**celticfish** · 9th May 2009, 12:51

Its probably one of the reasons why our Corydoras selection is limited.
Most of the exotic ones come in as wild caught.
As for the farms, I'm sure they don't chill their setups.
Heavy daily water changes from very large water storage are probably mitigating the temperature effects.
At least thats my guess...

**luenny** · 9th May 2009, 14:58

A lot of panda cories sold in LFS nowadays are bred around this region of the world. Farm bred ones are cheaper and they are more suited for the temperature of this region. I had panda cories bred in my planted tank before. Temperature should be - I guess - around 26 - 27???

**eeeeemo** · 11th May 2009, 13:23

i bought 7 very healthy pandas with 2 fat berried females!
all died one by one after being kept with my L46 at 30-31degC
but ONE survived. and is doing well...
maybe if you buy a 100 you will get a breeding colony of pandas! but you gotta let most of them die first.
FYI the females died off first then followed by the males.
now the surviving one is a male.

**mywish4fish** · 22nd May 2009, 18:50

yes, to share i tend to agree that Panda cories seems harder to keep than Sterbai. it will die off after a while. Sterbai seems to last longer but too had casaulties. Surprising my surviving cories in my tank is of rare type .. the one like panda but has a dark band over all the from front to back (bandit or something like that) .. not sure which species but they survived much better than my batches of panda and sterbai. i love cories and looking to add more. thanks

**Rummy Nose** · 22nd May 2009, 23:11

Thanks all for your comments!

Just to update that I have bought 6 corydoras panda and an aquarium fan as well! Hopefully with the cooler temperature they can survive longer.

Wish me luck!