# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  Sterbai Corydora tank

## KittyCat

Decided to do a Sterbai tank. With 20 Sterbais and 5 guppies to clear leftover floating worms or food. Quite the opposite for what people normally get corydoras for!

Not really a scape but something fuss free with a bit of green. Green is tied to a dw and resting on the bogwood! Java Fern? I don't know haha.

3 pcs Driftwood, GEX freshwater fine sand and a nursery for my many baby guppies.









Cutely resting on their anal fins








Cory Cats!

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## tetrakid

All these very cute "sea-hamsters", especially when they roll their eyes. 

You can tell from their looks what they are thinking about**:Tubifex worms.  :Smile:

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## keithtang

They are really cute fishy.... Have a tank of them in my room with my L-series. Sweet....

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## KittyCat

Just added a canister filter and decommed the 2 ugly HOFs!!

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## VSGenesis

Kitty, do you intend to breed them? Have you been successful with breeding them? 

They're gorgeous. Have a few at home

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## KittyCat

> Kitty, do you intend to breed them? Have you been successful with breeding them? 
> 
> They're gorgeous. Have a few at home


I bought a few what I think are females but so far nothing. Not gonna purposely breed them but will just let it happen when it happens.

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## KittyCat

In order of images: New canister + decommed drying HOFs | In/Outlet valves + DIY cut to fit intake and vertical rainbar outlet | Side view... And a hello kitty bow.


Budget new filter, Dophin 700, 7 red notes.

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## tetrakid

Good to see all the nice setup, and so many cute C. Sterbais. 

They are the most peaceful fish around. And they are very peaceful to each other, and never ever quarrel over parking space at all. Unlike Tetras, which will sometimes bite their friends' fins too. Corys and Platys are adorable and meek fish.

If one keeps only one type of fish for a long time (years), one will normally be able to see them breed at least once, and learn more about their behavior. With the experience gained, one can then easily become an expert in breeding.  :Smile:

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## KittyCat

Video!




Look at 00:51, one of my cory on the right (swims out at 00:53) has a barbel that grew another barbel.. Like in an inverted Y shape, weird but cute!

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## KittyCat

Official band name = "One Direction" hahahahhhahaha




Staring at my nerite.

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## tetrakid

The special thing about these adorable little Cory Sterbais is that whenever they park in front of the tank with their bright eyes, they seem to be thinking of you, and Tubifex. Lol. 

And although all of them appear to look alike, they are each really different from each other. :Smile:

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## enforcer533

Hi may i know where you get those big sterbais ??

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## KittyCat

c328, I basically snagged all 20, now left 5 or 6 hehe.

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## tetrakid

After looking at them for a few months, I am sure you can tell each of them apart.

Actually, they are all different if you observe them closely.
 :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile:  :Smile: .

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## Kenng

The substrate looked thin. Might want to top up

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## freyster

very nice cories tank

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## KittyCat

> The substrate looked thin. Might want to top up


It actually is pretty thick. Because the black silicon is quite thick as well.




> very nice cories tank


Thanks!

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## tetrakid

561552_10151064366113716_1806366526_n.jpg
I like the one in front which has a big cross on his face. 
I also like that one at the back on the right side which looks like an elephant. Lol.  :Smile:

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## ken90ken

I'm planning to dedicate a tank for corydoras as well.. May i ask how thick is your sand bed, and how high is the inlet of your canister filter? I dont wanna get too much sand sucked up. Thanks!

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## tetrakid

When I keep C. Sterbais or any Goldfish, I usually do not use any substrate, because they are heavy poopers. I always have the hahit of sucking out all the poop at the tank bottom every day with a TINY siphoning tube. Because of this habit, I cannot afford to have any substrate to make sucking up the poop difficult. But each person has his own style or choot pattern in the hobby.  :Smile: 



> I'm planning to dedicate a tank for corydoras as well.. May i ask how thick is your sand bed, and how high is the inlet of your canister filter? I dont wanna get too much sand sucked up. Thanks!

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## sthh

Always nice to see a tank of corys. Nice

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## ken90ken

> When I keep C. Sterbais or any Goldfish, I usually do not use any substrate, because they are heavy poopers. I always have the hahit of sucking out all the poop at the tank bottom every day with a TINY siphoning tube. Because of this habit, I cannot afford to have any substrate to make sucking up the poop difficult. But each person has his own style or choot pattern in the hobby.


No substrate not as pretty. Haha! I do know it is alot more troublesome though. I currently have a few albino sterbais in my community tank sitting on gravel bed. I sometimes do siphon up poop using a airline tube as well, when the gravel vac cant get to those small spaces.

I'm pretty determined to get them sand haha, since i got a deco that would match it nicely. Bought a canister filter before that as well. This is a stupid question but.. do you think pointing the inlet tube inside the tank in a different direction would suck less sand up in the bed?

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## KittyCat

> I'm planning to dedicate a tank for corydoras as well.. May i ask how thick is your sand bed, and how high is the inlet of your canister filter? I dont wanna get too much sand sucked up. Thanks!





> No substrate not as pretty. Haha! I do know it is alot more troublesome though. I currently have a few albino sterbais in my community tank sitting on gravel bed. I sometimes do siphon up poop using a airline tube as well, when the gravel vac cant get to those small spaces.
> 
> 
> I'm pretty determined to get them sand haha, since i got a deco that would match it nicely. Bought a canister filter before that as well. This is a stupid question but.. do you think pointing the inlet tube inside the tank in a different direction would suck less sand up in the bed?


Hi Ken, welcome to the hobby! 

A lot of us corydora keepers use SUDO sand. For me I used GEX freshwater sand as I could not find small packs of SUDO sand at that time. Anyway, my sand is only about 0.5mm thick, sufficient enough to hide fresh tubiflex with a pipette in so the corys can dig, but not too deep so the corys can reach the bottom of the tank to find food all the way.

My canister filter intake is only 0.5mm above the sand surface. The sand is pretty heavy, so even if the sand was sucked in, it will fall down to the bottom of the intake plastic cage (but this is in my case). My filter is running at full capacity as of now.

There wouldn't be a problem if the cage for your intake has a solid bottom, as with most intakes. So far no problem for me. I keep the lowest level of my canister empty incase any sand is sucked up so that it will be at the bottom, which I can remove every filter change.

Of course different people has different styles. tetrakid doesn't like sand, so he constantly emphasizes on the trouble and how much he bothers to clean his tank everyday, but I love sand. Vaccuum is not much of a problem as well. Comes with quite a lot of practice but after awhile you will realize that sand is not that troublesome if you get the right type. They will sink faster than poop so when you vacuum just adjust the pressure accordingly. Corydoras don't shit THAT much if you feed them enough, but not excessively. I have no problem with corys pooping everywhere, and as of now I have 18 sterbais (2 went to my bf's tank), 6 guppies and many many baby guppies. I am planning on 2 SAEs.

Also for a more natural look, you can add ketapang leaves (Available at c328 for 1 golden coin per huge pack). Be sure to add only one at a time every few days and stop at 2 or 3, as it can make the water slightly acidic and putting 2 or 3 in a go can overload the corydoras.

Since corys are only bottom feeders, you might want to get a few guppies or neons so that you can fill up the mid level of the tank. Or even pygmy corydoras! I have 6 guppies in my tank and they are spawning, so I have plenty of babies.

Hope I helped! do post a thread once your tank is up!

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## KittyCat

> Always nice to see a tank of corys. Nice


 thank you!

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## ken90ken

Hi Kitty!

Thanks for your reply! Helped loads! These ketapang leaves, after i add one every few couple of days, when should i take the old ones out? 

Thanks again!

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## KittyCat

You can just let them disintegrate. Just add 1 - 2 or 3 depending on the size of your tank. Then they will slowly disintegrate over a few months, so 1 packet can last you a whole lotta years. Depending on you, you can add in your filter or just throw on the sand. I like to see my corys so I put the leaves in the filter.

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## ken90ken

> You can just let them disintegrate. Just add 1 - 2 or 3 depending on the size of your tank. Then they will slowly disintegrate over a few months, so 1 packet can last you a whole lotta years. Depending on you, you can add in your filter or just throw on the sand. I like to see my corys so I put the leaves in the filter.


great idea! thank you so much for the advice!

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## KittyCat

> great idea! thank you so much for the advice!


You're welcomed!

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