Cory, Pictus, snail?

[Jester]

Ok So a while ago I bought a peppered cory, 5 days ago I bought a panda cory... I head he needed a friend because they are happier when they school I also exchanged my large glass peddle substrate to sand, Now shouldn't my corys be schooling after 5 days?

On another not, pictus catfish good or bad!? I have a giant danio in the tank and 2 cory, I heard pictus can get aggressive and some do not, are they a good addition to my 20 gallon tank?

Also what about snails I hear they eat the decayed food at the bottom of the tank but also are bad for the tank at the same time, opinions?

[Jaykit]

20 gallon tank would be too small as pictus cats also need to group together and grow much larger than your cories.

Your cories will also do best if you get 3+ more for them. a nice group would be 5-6 in your tank.

Apple snails would be a good fit your your community of cories and danios. Just remember that they need lots of calcium in their diet to be healthy. Just make sure to do some research on them before getting them.

Edited April 30, 2010 by Jaykit

[JLake]

Yeah dont add pictus cats, if you want a night time cleaning crew to help the corys try the small bumble bee catfish from harold. they r only like 3 bucks and you never see them. But they keep my white sand white. Im not sure if they should live together as I knbow lil about corys. But other members will add their two cents.

[Jester]

Thanks! i'll go get some new cories tomorrow I think and maybe an apple snail

[Guppygirl]

Sometimes different cory species don't school together. They tend to like their own kind, but some will school with others. If you do get more corys try to get two more of each kind, pepper and panda. I have 9 panda cories and they like to school together which is cool. Skip the pictus. As for a snail-- mystery(apple) snails are neat and will eat leftovers but as the others have said they need calcium and eventually you might have to feed it also. I haven't had a apple snail in a couple of years.

[BettaFishMommy]

apple snails definitely need a calcium rich diet, and you can easily make snail jello for them. if you want the recipe i can send it to you. i've bred and raised about 7 generations of apple snails over the past couple years and never had shell deterioration while feeding snail jello, but that may also be due to Edmonton having hard water, which is great for snails.

[Raven]

would pond snails need looks of Ca too? and how do you give them extra Ca? I remember something about crushed egg shells...

[BettaFishMommy]

i wouldn't bother with feeding any 'pest' snails (ramshorn, mts, pond, etc) a specially calciumated (look ma! i made a new word! lol) diet. any extra food and they start multiplying too fast in the tank. i have a bunch of red and brown ramshorns in my planted tank and they don't get any sort of calicumated food and their shells are perfectly formed with no white areas or problems.

[Jester]

Thank you everyone for your input its helped quite a bit and I world love the recipe for the snail jello.

[Wingin' It]

I find just dropping in a calcium citrate tablet easier

Edited May 7, 2010 by Wingin' It

[BettaFishMommy]

dosing calcium (dropping tums in the tank) does not give the snails as much calcium as if they ingest it. snails do absorb things through the soft parts, such as their foot, but the calcium is better absorbed when eaten.

here's the 'snello' recipe (courtesy of www.aquariacentral.com)

Snail Jello

1 can of baby food (4-6 oz)

1 tsp+ fish food (may be omitted)

Calcium/vitamin supplements (I use 1tsp Jurassi-reptical powder w/out phosphorus) Instead i use about 8 to 10 tums (doesn't matter what flavour, just don't use the minty ones)

1 packet (= 1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin I actually use 1.5 packets

You can select any fish food and any flavor of baby food that you like. Try to find baby foods with at least 4% calcium (vegetable medley has a higher %), either fruit or vegetable types are find. This is a good way to feed fish foods that are good for snails but don't sink, like freeze-dried shrimp, or fish foods that have a strong smell when cooked in other recipes. You can mix in much more than a teaspoon of fish food, and including the ingredients of a "snail trail mix" instead of a single fish food would make this snail treat more nutritionally complete.

Instructions

Open the baby food and pour it into a small bowl. Heat the baby food in the microwave for 60 seconds (caution, it will be very hot).

Stir in the unflavored gelatin (add it slowly to avoid unsightly clumps of gelatin; don't use a blender or you risk creating air bubbles that will make it float) crushing any lumps with the back of a spoon.

Add calcium supplements and vitamins if you have/want them. Stir thoroughly.

Pour this mixture into a dish with a flat bottom (tupperware-type containers work well; if you are doubling or tripling this recipe, you might consider a pie pan).* Fold in your fish food(s) if you are adding any.

Refrigerate for several hours, then return and cut into cubes.

One jar of baby food yields a good handful of snail treats. Keep them refrigerated until serving. These sink and hold up pretty well in the tank, but as with any food, large uneaten portions should be removed after the snails have finished. These can be frozen for up to a month.

*You can use an ice cube tray to create big treats for a tank full of snails. No slicing is needed in this case.

[JLake]

very cool,i only hvae one snail. How do i know if i need to feed it? I have also noticed some small snails so obv it reproduced "hans solo" do they need food?

[BettaFishMommy]

JLake, what kind of snail is it? if you've had it a long time and it reproduced on its own, then it isn't an apple, since they need both genders to reproduce.

if the shell of your snail is looking weak or has pits/fissures, or is turning white, then yes, you do want to supplement the diet with calcium.

[JLake]

Not sure the type. Its a reddish brown and seems to have a thick shell.

[BettaFishMommy]

what is the shell size/shape? or better yet, post a photo!

and if the shell is thick and there aren't any cracks or visible damaged areas then you probably don't have to worry about feeding extra calcium. our water is great for snails.

Edited May 8, 2010 by BettaFishMommy