Breeding Corydoras pygmaeus

[Puffer]

Hi,

Bro Ronnie's recent post (under Killie section, 'Tiny Cory') has somewhat inspired me, as I've recently 'infected' with the 'Pygmaeus itch'.
I'm currently facing a little problem in the water quality which I need advice.
Can anyone help?

I've a very matured 2 feet tank of mixed lapis and soil, an old Ecco internal filter running and an air-stone bubbling.
A group of 15 Pygmaeus was added 10 days ago but here lies the problem: The tank is terribly cloudy.
I guess those little fellas' liking of digging on the soil, mulms etc must have triggered the cloudiness.
It is so bad that visibility is only 5cm from the front tank.
I've made huge 60-80% WC every two days but still no improvement.
I don't think it is healthy for the fish, right?
What can I do to remedy the situation without an overhaul?
Previously, with other fauna, there is no such problem.
There are some small crypts and lots of java moss on the back of the tank, but I keep the front area bare.
There's no other fauna (except trumpet snails) as I intend to breed these little fellas.

Thanks in advance.

[celticfish]

I've a very matured 2 feet tank of mixed lapis and soil, an old Ecco internal filter running and an air-stone bubbling.
A group of 15 Pygmaeus was added 10 days ago but here lies the problem: The tank is terribly cloudy.
I guess those little fellas' liking of digging on the soil, mulms etc must have triggered the cloudiness.
It is so bad that visibility is only 5cm from the front tank.

I don't think 15 pygmaeus can do so much that its only 5 cm visibility...
If nothing fundamental has changed it could be them but not likely?


I've made huge 60-80% WC every two days but still no improvement.
I don't think it is healthy for the fish, right?

You know its not "good" and yet you've done it...
This makes me think the high water changes may have knocked out your BB and caused the cloudiness in your tank.


What can I do to remedy the situation without an overhaul?

Add in a powerhead to mechanically clean the floating mulm.
Since its a "very matured" tank I'm assumig that the mulm build-up and its volume is very high.
So the idea is to now mechanically remove this from your tank.
Get a power head with a cannister so you can add white wool to catch the suspended mulm.
Repeating this procedure may help you avoid a complete overhaul of the tank.

*got my fingers crossed for you*

[Puffer]

Thanks Celticfish for taking the time to reply. I've been waiting for days for an advice. I am just about to go 'shopping' for new substrate (mostly likely sand) to make an overhaul....

The sudden murky and cloudiness is totally unexpected. It has been very clear before that. You are right to say 15 little cories can't do much to stirr up such serious cloudiness in a 2 feet tank, and I now suspect it's the beneficial bacteria being knocked out - due to overfeeding? Just before the cloudy problem, I threw in live daphnia and tubifex worms, as the fish don't seem to take in pellet and tablets. The huge WC was in the hope of removing the suspended particles but to no avail. Its now time to get more wool and carry out your suggested method. By now, I've no clue how many pygmaeus are in the tank.

My sincere appreciation to you for bothering to reply - I thought I've either posted in wrong section (which I did), or posted a silly question.

[celticfish]

I like to reccomend the Sudo Bottom Sand.
This sand seems to have been "engineered" for cories.
The slight orange tinge of the sand seems to make the colour show on almost every cory I have!
No Joking here.

Only downside is you have to wash this sand before use.
It is also shown in the instruction to do so.
I flushed mine 3 times before use.
I hope this reply doesn't come too late...

[Puffer]

I was searching in the forum for suitable sand and chanced upon Sudo Bottom Sand, and here you recommended this sand! What coincidence! Thanks a million for the advice given. I am going to set up a new breeding tank.

[RonWill]

Hi Rob,
Just saw your thread and sorry I missed it. From what I can remember, pygmaeus are more foragers than diggers, going through detritus, mulm and under driftwood for bits of live food. Your cause of cloudy water is probably overfeeding, inadequate scavengers or sudden increase of bio-load beyond what your current beneficial bacterial colony was capable of processing.

There's no other fauna (except trumpet snails)

BTW, MTS are notoriously infamous for being egg eaters and I'd recommend ramhorn snails instead if you're serious about breeding the pygmy cories or any fish for that matter. MTS will hide and even clamp up during bleaching, only to re-emerge when conditions are favorable. Tough muthers to rid and if you're redoing your setup, start again from scratch, bleach/boil previous equipment and try not to introduce uninvited 'guests'.

I have Sudo sand but preferred bare bottom tanks for ease of maintenance, which isn't very often. In each breeding tank are air-driven sponge filter, round air-stone, stack of driftwood with attached anubias and clumps of moss. No, esthetics is not a concern and I am fond of 'dirty' tanks, so the young have much to feed on.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Puffer]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the advice. I've re-done a new setup with Sudo sand and a medium-sized sponge filter. Everything else is bare and 8 pygmaeus survived the recent ordeal. They are currently quite inactive, resting on the bottom sand most of the time, and not feeding well, except tubifex worms. I am looking for healthy and clean wood-attached anubias into the new tank. I guess it will take a while to whip them up into 'peak' conditions.

I have a group of 5 pygmaeus in a community tank and they are quite plump and greedy. Should I introduce them into the new breeding setup to 'induce' the inactive ones into feeding food they do not currently accept? Unaccepted food I introduce are: NLS crushed dry food, hikari carni pellets, hikari sinking waffers, freeze-dried brineshrimp etc.

[IlOutfitter]

You had a bacterial imbalance, it can last up to 3 weeks but you will wake up one morning to a crystal clear tank, it was just a bacterial bloom and nothing to change the water over.

Basically its the nitrogen cycle in action, just the visible part of it.

My peppered corydoras breed in cooler temps and always lay on completely verticle surfaces, Ive found em on my glass, on sheer rocks on some plant stems and leaves(corkscrew vals) and my intake tubes for the filters, even the thermometers.


Here is a site that might help you, read it all it shows alot and tells alot

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Catfish,%20Corydoras.htm

Good luck, pygmy's are rare even in the american trade.
My corydoras always eat bloodworms or blackworms right before and during spawn.