# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Catfishes >  The Hastatus Century Club

## Ecalyte

Hello everyone!

I've recently added the last of my 100 hastatus into my 30cm cube. 

I added them in batches and checked Ammonia readings a day after each batch was introduced to ensure that my filtration was able to handle the bioload.

50 was the first introduction, 0 Ammonia. 20 after, 0 Ammonia. Last 30, 0 Ammonia.

Their tank mates are 4 Aura Blue shrimps, and 4 Fire Red Shrimps.

So, before any pictures I'll share the water parameters.

pH: 7.1
GH: 2-3
kH: 1
TDS: 140
Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Africana'
Rocks: Seiryu rocks (Probably why my pH is so high even with Africana!)

I am thinking of the plants to add into the setup, so I should have probably done that before putting these pictures up.. But I'm excited because of what they did tonight!

*Setup*







*Closeup!*



*So as you can see.. there are specks on the glass, upon closer inspections.. Eggs!* 



Due to the lack of plants, I think they've decided to just heck it and laid them on the glass! I did a 40% WC and I guess that simulated some kind of rain fall, and got them spawning.. Hopefully with the advice of the gurus here, I can raise them to adulthood  :Smile: 

I hope all the other Hastatus keepers here can share their setup and pictures.. along with words of wisdom! This is the first time I'm keeping a cory-only tank..

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## RonWill

Congrats!!!! I can almost see that ear-to-ear grin from where I am. Don't worry... the little scooters are not impossible to raise.

My work schedule is somewhat erratic but let's meet up at GC one day over kopi and I'll see what can be done to ease the 'new-daddy anxiety'  :Grin: 

I'm sure GC's uncle will have something to say too...  :Laughing:

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## soltari007

Careful Ronnie, that GC uncle a bit siao siao(mad) one  :Wink:

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## RonWill

Sam, he can be a grouch but not unapproachable  :Grin:

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## vannel

Haha.. He's pretty friendly I would say.. Just as long as you get him on the right topic.

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## Wackytpt

My batch also spawn last night.

My setup is easy. It is a bare tank with a sponge filter. Any weekly dosage of a special potion =)

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## soltari007

My hastatus are breeding too, very satisfying to see them lay eggs in broad daylight!

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## Wackytpt

Corydoras Guru Sam, I thought you have them for quite some time. 

Anyway good to hear they are breeding.

Seems you are the master breeding in corydoras. 

Quite a number of your cories are breeding, can share what the secret. =)

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## dimitri

> Careful Ronnie, that GC uncle a bit siao siao(mad) one





> Sam, he can be a grouch but not unapproachable





> Haha.. He's pretty friendly I would say.. Just as long as you get him on the right topic.


which uncle are you guys refering to?????????????

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## RonWill

Dimitri , same 'Mat Rocker' uncle at GC ... service with a starry-eyed look or a smile, depending on whether he has had his cuppa of caffeine.

Ecalyte, if time allows, I'll take a quick pic of my setup (some will freak out the neat freaks!!). Nothing as nice as yours though. Bare-bottom, primitive air-lift sponge filter and a few plants on driftwood, to shift things around for easier maintenance. I know folks who are against bare-bottom tanks, mostly because bacterial growth on the glass, that might cause infection of the barbels. Must admit I've never thought of things that way so.... I'd probably spread a thin 1cm layer of fine substrate during the next water change.

Vannel, your _hastatus_ should be spawning by now. Try looking at the side and back walls of the tank and of course, chances are better without egg or fry-predating tankmates.

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## soltari007

> Corydoras Guru Sam, I thought you have them for quite some time. 
> 
> Anyway good to hear they are breeding.
> 
> Seems you are the master breeding in corydoras. 
> 
> Quite a number of your cories are breeding, can share what the secret. =)


Hey bro, I didn't have to do anything but pray for rain  :Very Happy: 
Hope that with the current rainy season can trigger as many species as possible to breed.
Every Western forum is saying that these cories breed at low temperatures only, so it's good to prove them wrong and give local fish keepers more confidence to keep and breed cories. More keepers = bigger market = nicer cories available.

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## venom

very nice cory setup you have. 
have wish to keep them but understand they will look nice on a big group.

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## vannel

> Vannel, your _hastatus_ should be spawning by now. Try looking at the side and back walls of the tank and of course, chances are better without egg or fry-predating tankmates.


I havent had the luxury of eggs yet, possibly due to the fact that I do have my _Hastatus_ commed with my _Melini_. Both cories have not been producing, which brings me to think that I should really seperate them, at least for long enough till they start spawning and producing eggs before having them back in the comm tank. That's the main issue though, not having enough space for multiple species tanks. Anyhow, being a comm tank, I do have 4 Otos (which theoretically are safe) and another 6 Golden White Cloud Mountain Minnows (for top level interest) in there which might be the culprits. Going to shift the WCMMs out to my office tank instead.

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## Ecalyte

So I think it's a failed spawn! Haha.. no fries as far as I can see. Probably not a good environment for them to grow up in yet.. furthermore I realised that my 2213 is producing far too much flow for the 30cube. So, I've adjusted the outflow and now it's much more peaceful.

Guys... POST YOUR SETUPS!  :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:

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## Ecalyte

After planting 3 pots of Staurogynes and a stalk of Hygrophila Corymbosa 'Compact' here's what the tank looks like now!





Please leave your feedback! Thanks!

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## RonWill

> ...no fries as far as I can see


 Of course you won't, since the tiny buggers are probably hiding but... the clown killie saw them and said, "yummy... thanks!!"

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## Ecalyte

Haha my girlfriend added that killie on Saturday T_T

I'll transfer them to my 2ft tank, but then they'll start snacking on my shrimplets! Haha.. WHO WANTS??

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## Wackytpt

Can pass to the friendly uncle. The clown killies will feast on the fries

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## Ecalyte

I realised that the Hastatus really likes resting at the top left side of the tank at the 'landing site.' So I decided to plant it. This way they will start resting at their designated resting spot in the mid-front of the tank haha!

So bar a few minor changes, this should be the final scape.



Also I noticed they were hovering in the front of the tank.. so looks like my idea worked? Haha!

Watch in HD!

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## stormhawk

I cannot imagine owning 100 hastatus because of the massive dent it will do to my pocket. Tank is looking good though. By the way, the small strainer may keep out shrimplets, but the suction from the canister filter may be deadly for the hastatus fry. You might want to roll off the eggs gently with your finger, or use a forceps to collect them carefully. Other option, set up a floating or sinking mop so they can lay their eggs on it, then you can remove the mop and raise the fry in a separate tank with a sponge filter.

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## Ecalyte

Can you see it??



HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!

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## RonWill

Congrats!! There should be more that you can't readily see. Serve a half-pellet of very finely powdered Hikari carnivore twice weekly for the little fellas and see if you can throttle down the filter's flow-rate.

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## stormhawk

Awww a baby on the leaf. Congrats Ecalyte.  :Smile:

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## barmby

is that a mosquito larvae? = )

wow JZX alot !!!

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## Ecalyte

Look who came out to greet me Merry Xmas! Hehe!

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## nasty12

Couldn't resist the temptations of bro ecalyte and bought myself 60 pieces!!
Hehe

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## Jovel

Do they still sell these awesomely cute corys?? at GC?

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## Ecalyte

GC is sold out. I took their remaining stock. Last I know of JZX brought them in, not sure of availability now. Look at the Merchant section and you should find their thread... My friend who bought from them did comment that they are very small, about half the size of the GC stock..

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## Jovel

Thanks bro. Should drop by and take a look. Smaller but price wise the same? They don't seem to come cheap argh.

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## stormhawk

The price of hastatus in Singapore went up in the last 5-6 years or so. This is due to irregular supply and you cannot really complain when some Corydoras species are sold for more than $20 each. C. pygmaeus and habrosus are bred locally I think, so their prices remain low as supply is regular to say the least. I remember buying them at $1.50 each the first time I saw them locally. Someone on the old Petfrd forum bred them and he sold the young for like 50 cents each. Just imagine how much the cost has risen.

With the proper feeding regimen, the small specimens can also turn into nicely sized individuals. The key thing is that they are healthy and active.  :Wink:

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## barmby

looking the price.. JZX should have them if they are not dead by now. minimum order of 10 pieces i think

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## marimo

lol i cant see a shyt in the 1st picture 
my eyes start to feel pain after staring for 30 secs

I think i see a tadpole in the video .... hmm

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## Ecalyte

> lol i cant see a shyt in the 1st picture 
> my eyes start to feel pain after staring for 30 secs
> 
> I think i see a tadpole in the video .... hmm


Hahahhaha! In the picture look at the centre of the picture.. on top of a frogbit..

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## Ecalyte

Thought I lost it.. but I found it again! A little bigger this time...

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## stormhawk

Already forming the blotch on the caudal peduncle. Good progress in growth. Did you see the body form in the early stages? They look like miniature eels.

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## barmby

Wah.. so nice to see. thanks for sharing

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## nasty12

Sharing some of my poison!! hehe

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## barmby

Abit overcrowded. watch the water change dude : )

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## vannel

OoOooOo.. Chinese New Year brings luck! Came home from work today to see a white spot on the glass wall of my C. Hastatus tank.. Seriously thought it was a bubble.

Attachment 28159

Attachment 28160

Downside is.. I only see a single egg. Hrm, wonder if they just started doing-the-do. Hopefully I'll have more news tomorrow.

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## Doraemon82

Hi guys , new in cories but very interested in this cute fellow .. Would like to know more abt them ... Heard from a fren they are quite rare in Singapore , saw them at JZX ... the price is quite ex ... I have a extra 1ft tank would love to get a group of them .. Just want to know whether is it worth it ? Hope bros and sis here can give advise ... Anyway I already have a 2ft tank that keep many different cories ...

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## vannel

They disappeared from SG for quite a few years before making a comeback a few months ago. Pricing is something I cant comment on, but safe to say, these cories are well worth the money. Midwater cories are not very common at all..! Even the other common dwarf species are mainly bottom dwelling. You would do well keeping these in a group of 6 or more in a Hastatus specific tank if you are hoping for them to breed at all. Oh, to my knowledge, and because of their relatively new existance in SG, the Hastatus stock should all be WC and that attributes to a slightly higher cost as well.

I'm probably the last person here to have success with breeding these cories (just managed to harvest quite a few eggs these few days) and am a newbie as well. I'm sure the other bros here will be able to feed you with more advise on tank setup and cory husbandry.

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## stormhawk

They are captive bred in small numbers, in another country, perhaps Taiwan. This species is uncommonly found in LFSes in other countries, where there are breeders who raise them for sale. Locally, they are not cheap because you have to import them, and price-wise, is similar to other species like C. schwartzi etc, which commonly get sold for around $5 or more each. People find hastatus expensive simply because they are small and the cost of C. pygmaeus and C. habrosus (both of which are locally bred in a farm) is much lower in comparison.

A few years ago, there was a local breeder other than Ronnie, who bred hundreds of these little guys, and he sold them at 50 cents a piece. How I wish he still had these and sold them at that price. At that time, the cost for a hastatus at an LFS was not more than $2.50, so I guess inflation is hitting hard.

@Doraemon82,

They are rare locally only because their importation is few and far in between. If you intend to keep these, a small species group for breeding purposes would be good in a 1ft tank, if you're on a budget. They are just as easy as C. pygmaeus or habrosus. Try not to mix these with other dwarves if you intend to spawn them.

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## vannel

> They are captive bred in small numbers, in another country, perhaps Taiwan. This species is uncommonly found in LFSes in other countries, where there are breeders who raise them for sale.


Oops! My bad on the errorneous information. I apologise.

I have previously engaged an SG importer to help me bring in some _C. Hastatus_. They agreed to help me, but the price was a red note + a green note each. At that point, no other LFS had brought them in yet and I always attributed that to be the cause of an inflated price for the cories. Plus, I also checked with the importer on the origins of the aforementioned cories and was told they were WC. Anyway, long story short, I eventually heard from the importer that 90% of the cories did not make it past quarantine._ C. Hastatus_, as many would tell you, are notoriously bad travelers and DOA is quite high. I'm guessing that is more so for WC stocks.

That's why I assumed the cories were WC. After such a long hiatus of the species from SG waters, I was not expecting to suddenly see the import of _C. Hastatus_ from a different source.

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## stormhawk

Where wild caught corys are concerned, we don't normally get the best stocks to begin with. Almost all of the best quality fish are sent directly to Japan, or Europe and to the US, where hobbyists will pay top dollar for such fish.

The importer quoted you that price because these little guys are from the Rio Paraguay, which doesn't seem to be fished much, especially since Paraguay and Bolivia are not known to be centers of the fish trade. If these were wild caught, the price would be much higher.

C. hastatus is a bad traveler because they are sensitive to high ammonia levels. When packed in the hundreds per bag without some form of ammonia absorber like zeolite or activated carbon, they almost always arrive with ammonia burns.

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## Doraemon82

Thank you bros for all the info ... Guess I will read on them more then will get a group of them .. Will update u guys ... Thanks and happy new year

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## stormhawk

Happy New Year to you too. Don't take too long to decide on whether to purchase them, or you may never see them again.  :Laughing:

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## Doraemon82

Haha yeah lor bro ... I know but u know lah got to get wife permission first as I already have a tank Liao ... Haha ..

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## stormhawk

Hehehe, very easy to fix. Show your wife how cute they are. Ladies always love the cute stuff... especially when the pets have babies.  :Grin:

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## Doraemon82

Already bring her to see and even told her is rare in Singapore... Hehe , still waiting for answer ...

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## vannel

Yep! I don't think that _C. Hastatus_ will become a mainstay species in SG for long if history is anything to go by. It's definitely a worthwhile investment. Good luck with your wife..! A small shoal would look splendid in your room..!

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## vannel

Hey bros,

Just wondering.. Has anyone read posts written by apistomaster on PlanetCatfish or other forums/blogs on his colony style _C. Hastatus_ setup? I know I have probably asked this question alot, but, I am still wondering about the optimal setup for the cory. In this case, apistomaster seems to have a wealth of experience in the aforementioned corydoras species and I would have to presume he's doing something right.

Anyone has any comments on his style of breeding C. Hastatus in a colony? How about his employment of a 160gph (600l/h) powerhead attached to a sponge?

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## RonWill

> Has anyone read posts written by apistomaster on PlanetCatfish or other forums/blogs on his colony style _C. Hastatus_ setup?


 Dennis,
Larry's ("Apistomaster") approach to colony breeding is very do-able and by now, most folks will probably realize that there's no 'ideal' or 'optimal' setup/parameter for prolific breeding. What most breeder-wannabes neglect is proper conditioning of the adult stock. Raising the tiny fry is a separate issue altogether but not impossible.

Raising 1000's of _C. hastatus_ or any of the pygmy species (except _C. gracilis, cochui_ & _xinguensis_ which I have zero experience), is not an exaggeration. In just over 3 months, I'm now growing-out about 250 _hastatus_ fry/juvenile, ranging between 3mm to 12mm. The larger juveniles proudly show off the peduncle adult markings and will shortly join one of my 3 breeding colonies.

The employ of powered sponge filtration, plus other options, are more of individual's preferences and proportionate to bio-handling in said tanks. One can never go wrong with over-filtration but personally, I'd prefer a little less turbulence in the tanks ensuring foraging being less strenuous for the little ones. Combined and multiple filtration isn't anything new though our requirement and mileage may vary.

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## vannel

Yea. Indeed Ronnie.. I always over-think when it comes to my tank setup. In any case, I seem to have found a way that works for me and probably shouldn't change anything drastic. Perhaps I should install a lily pipe outlet for reduce the current abit though..

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## stormhawk

C. hastatus seems to like some current though. Perhaps they are more of semi-fast flowing stream fish, rather than placid stream fish. I find mine in the middle water column swimming against the flow of the rainbar that I placed midway from the bottom to the top of the tank.

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## vannel

That has been my observation too, stormhawk. My C. Hastatus always love a swim in the fast flowing currents. As mentioned, I don't employ a rainbar at my outlet, hence, my current is quite strong along at least 2 sides of the tank. However, these are the areas where the cories love swimming in and in fact, these are the areas where the eggs are usually situated as well..! I just wanted to tone it down a notch for the newborn fry.

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## RonWill

Adults love casinos. Kids love playgrounds. Get my drift??

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## vannel

Already have quite a number of fries in my tank now.. But, its still pure joy to come home to this..

Attachment 28350

Taken on my crappy Blackberry phone camera. Pardon the quality.

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## RonWill

> Already have quite a number of fries in my tank now..


 The plural for fry is still fry. Fries, you order at McDonald's  :Grin: 

Dennis, maybe now you'd understand why breeding fishes can be so intriguing. Congrats!! May this be a bountiful year with more _hastatus_ cuties to come.

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## vannel

Ack..! Ronnie is out to make me look bad.. Haha. Pardon my English! See, now you have killed my mood.  :Sad: 

Yay. This is indeed a bountiful year. I'm pretty sure I have more than tripled my original breeding group of 7 adults. Even if one of the adults did eventually pass on. Not even sure why (No torn fins, red splotches, white spots, etc). Has anyone's _C. Hastatus_ from the original GC batch started to die of old age? I truly don't mean to curse or anything.. Just wanting to know what happened to the adult.

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## RonWill

No lah... I'm not cut out to be a teacher but the mis-use of "fries" has been corrected often enough  :Grin: 

Dennis, I've not heard of anybody's adult _hastatus_ dying of old age... not yet, anyway. Documented maximum size for these buggers is a little over 3cm and I have some (from GC's first import) that just past 2cm. For any healthy _hastatus_ to die young, it's either from disease, malnutrition or poor husbandry.

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## vannel

Haha. Seems like I have not been listening attentively in class..  :Opps: 

Hrm, it's always sad when I see a fish doing badly or dead. Most of the time, I don't ever find the root of the problem. Well, at least for this time, I don't think it'll be malnutrition or poor husbandry. WC has been done as usual, and I have been conditioning them for breeding with tubifex and microworms (the fish didnt look skinny or anything). Perhaps it was something internal, since I didnt see anything wrong on its exterior. Might have been from the tubifex although I was sure I wash them at least 5 times a day, and always before throwing them into my tank. Ugh.. Too bad they are probably the best live food for conditioning cories. I really need to find a good way to culture the tubifex so they are cleaner..

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## stormhawk

They don't take very well to being cultured and it's a massive hassle to create a circulating system for them without taking too much space. It's far easier for you to culture grindal worms as a substitute for tubifex worms.

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## vannel

Yea.. Hence why I've been reading the thread about Grindalworms on the Killie sub-forum. It does seem like its easy, but, are grindals and tubifex going to provide the same nutrition? Are grindals just as effective for conditioning cories?

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## Shi Xuan

Vannel, grindals and tubifex have different nutritions, so if you read my post in the killies sub-forum, well, I did mention feeding tubifex worms to the cories as well because they are high in protein.

As for grindals, they are generally fatty, therefore, it's not a good idea to feed the fishes lavishly. On the other hand, with these worms, you can change the food pellets for them, as it helps to vary the nutritional content for fishes and it's easy to tell they are gut-loaded, simply by the color of the food they are fed with. 

Grindals are ok for small cories like C.hastatus but as for conditioning food, tubifex worms is generally preferable. I have varying result when using these two worms and I find an increased egg deposition when I feed tubifex worms to the C.hastatus and C.pygmaeus I kept in my community tank. :Smile:

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## ralliart12

May I know what type of food to feed juvenile hastatus? i.e. these specimens are of size 1cm & even smaller (but aren't fry). & is there any way to to ensure they can get at the food, i.e. stop any water-flow at feeding time + half an hour?

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## vannel

> May I know what type of food to feed juvenile hastatus? i.e. these specimens are of size 1cm & even smaller (but aren't fry). & is there any way to to ensure they can get at the food, i.e. stop any water-flow at feeding time + half an hour?


I would like to know as well, how others have been feeding their juve/fry. My current colony tank of _C. Hastatus_ are fed tubifex (which the fry most definitely wont be able to fit in their mouths), Hikari Carnivore Pellets (hopefully when it breaks up and softens, the juve and fry would be able to pick up the small pieces), and lastly, a dose of microworms every few days (this is almost exclusively done for the juve and fry in case they don't get their share in the tank).

Actually, I think they should survive well if your tank has ample java moss and detritus (from any leaves that have since "disintegrated" in your tank). I see some of my small _C. Hastatus_ darting around the tank occassionally and they have since grown in size.. So, I suppose what I am doing works.

By the way, I don't remove the eggs from my _C. Hastatus_ tank. I also don't stop the filter when I feed them.

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## stormhawk

Microworms is a good first food since they sink directly to the bottom, where the fry normally stay. At 1cm or smaller they should be able to ingest powdered flake food or young grindal worms. Have you tried Sera Micron, or Hikari First Bites? Just stir the food in a cup of water to make it sink before pouring it into the tank, or using a dropper or turkey baster to place the food close to where the fry are.

If you stop water flow in your filter during feeding time for any period longer than 3-5 mins, the resulting water that rushes out can contribute to a sudden ammonia spike as the filter bacteria are sensitive to lack of oxygenation, which happens when the filter is stopped for a long period of time.

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## ralliart12

> Microworms is a good first food since they sink directly to the bottom, where the fry normally stay...


Don't think my colleagues will take very well to me culturing microworms in the office.  :Laughing: 

But thanks for the information though.




> ...Have you tried Sera Micron, or Hikari First Bites?...


Nope, I didn't come across this "Sera Micron" product recently; is it a commonly-available fish food? Then again, I have a huge bottle of TetraBits. If I manage to grind it into powder & if the ingredients inside Sera Micron is a repeat of TetreBits, then it may be a waste of cash. On the other hand, I was thinking of grinding both Hikari Carnivore Pellets (as used by another fellow in this thread) & TetraBits into a single fine powder, soak the powder in dechlorinated water for a while to turn it into a solution, then use a syringe to inject into the top-layer of the sand (where the Hastatus may rummage around).

Update: I found this on the web:

 

Hikari First Bites. If this is really a semi-floating/slow-sinking as promoted, then it may solve my potential hassle.




> ...If you stop water flow in your filter during feeding time for any period longer than 3-5 mins, the resulting water that rushes out can contribute to a sudden ammonia spike as the filter bacteria are sensitive to lack of oxygenation, which happens when the filter is stopped for a long period of time.


Woah, I did not know that. Thanks for the warning.

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## vannel

Yep! Hikari First Bites is a good option for powdered food. It is as described and floats for awhile before slow-sinking to the bottom. Care should be taken to feed only a little of the powder.. I tend to over-feed when using First Bites as I don't really see the fry feeding.

On another note, do your Hastatus fry stay on the bottom? My Hastatus fry tend to like "hanging" on the back glass (which has black oyama pasted). Only as they grow slightly larger will they start venturing around on the substrate.

By the way, I noticed 1-2 fry were dead in my tank over a 2-3 week period. Is it abnormal for casualties? Or do they tend to survive with near 100% success? What is a good percentage of fry survival?


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## ralliart12

> Yep! Hikari First Bites is a good option for powdered food. It is as described and floats for awhile before slow-sinking to the bottom. Care should be taken to feed only a little of the powder...


Oh, so it is really powder? Fantastic! Probably will drop by C328 this week to see if I can get a pack.




> ...On another note, do your Hastatus fry stay on the bottom?...


Mine aren't exactly "fry". They are smaller than the "usual" units that I recall selling at GC; but is definitely not fry, i.e. the "pendant" near the caudal fin is out already & the body is a single colour (un-mottled). Mine are just small, i.e. biggest is around 1cm.




> ...My Hastatus fry tend to like "hanging" on the back glass (which has black oyama pasted). Only as they grow slightly larger will they start venturing around on the substrate...


That sounds pretty normal to me. Is there anything "extra" around your back-glass, e.g. outlet of HOB filter, dimmer lighting, etc?

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## vannel

Yep! You guessed right. That's the glass face where I have my filter outflow. I suppose that's okay then.


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## stormhawk

I wouldn't say powder, more like very fine crushed bits. Sera Micron is also commonly available and sold as a first food for fry. I raised guppies on Sera Micron with crushed flakes. Should work with Cory fry too. It seems to be a little dirty green in color so I guess it contains some spirulina algae and mixed bits. I wouldn't say they are similar to Tetrabits but you can always pound the Tetrabits and feed the "dust" to the fry. They should ingest it.

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## vannel

Hrm. The First Bites are as close as I can find to powder (I consider it powder since I can't grind it up anymore than its original state, but I guess I can't call it "dust" yet). Never seen Sera Micron first hand so I can't comment on that.

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## stormhawk

There's also this dried plankton food I saw at C328, can be a good mix to the diet also. FD Cyclop-Eeze should be good too but I cannot find this food locally.

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## vannel

Did not really get an answer from my previous posting. Sorry for the questions bros.. I'm a real newbie.

I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me on the success rate of raising C. Hastatus fry to about 2-3 months old when they are more stable. Since my very first spawn which is about 2 weeks ago during CNY.. I've had multiple spawns from my 6 adults and most of the eggs have successfully hatched into fry. I don't have a definitive count of the total fry count, but I should think I have at least 30 fry in the tank right now. The problem here is that I am seeing some deaths in my fry population. At present, I have picked up and removed 4 fry from the tank which I saw floating around the water column, dead (not sure if there are more casualties.. I just pick out the free-floating ones that I see). Is this statistic somewhat expected? Or should survival rates be close to 100%? If so, please enlighten me on what I should be doing to improve on the fry's survivability.

Thanks!

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## RonWill

The process of preparing a conducive environment, triggering mating activities, raising at least 80% of hatched fry to adulthood is called "breeding". Finding an occasional fry without attempting is not breeding, that is just accidental spawning.

Fry survivability can never be 100% due to a variety of reasons. We can only provide for things that minimize deaths (appropriate foods etc) and things that maintain water quality (waste management etc).

If breeding _hastatus_ was that easy, they'd probably be worth $1 each at LFS.




> ...please enlighten me on what I should be doing to improve on the fry's survivability


 The answers are often under our noses. Think small.

----------


## barmby

Ron is quite forthright about the issue being raised  :Well done:

----------


## ralliart12

Just tried the Hikari First Bites today & what can I say? Hikari did it again (from my experience, at least). My small Hastatus has taken wonderfully to it (the powder).

----------


## stormhawk

That's good news. Some fry are picky about what they get as food. Do they rush when they notice the powder?

----------


## ralliart12

> That's good news. Some fry are picky about what they get as food. Do they rush when they notice the powder?


Actually, mine are just small; but ain't fries. Nonetheless, at first they were like "hey, there's something in the water...", then they were like "oh my god oh my god!"...

I'll probably mix it (their diet) up a little when they grow older.

----------


## stormhawk

I can imagine, the little guys rushing for the food. Perhaps you can try with crushed Tetrabits later on.

----------


## ralliart12

> ...Perhaps you can try with crushed Tetrabits later on.


Is there any tool/equipment/machine I can use to easily blend multiple types of fish food together into fine powder? What I can think of now is simply to throw the various types (of fish food) into a mortar & use a pestle to pound it into finer powder. Anything _less primitive_?

----------


## stormhawk

I used to put the food bits on a piece of paper placed on a thick piece of newspaper. Then I'd lay a piece of plastic, usually the fish bags over it and pound the food gently with a pestle or something hard. Doesn't take much force to crush the food. You can even use your fingers.

Or you can use a kitchen mill or a food processor if you want to make your own fish foods.

----------


## vannel

If you don't mind spending some cash, commercial coffee grinders come in many shapes and sizes. I'm sure you'll be able to find one that will suit your needs. I would probably deem it a little overkill though, especially since they would most likely outgrow powdered foods and should take to eating Hikari Carnivore pellets very soon. If you have any intention of breeding them, you should probably think about live foods (of which Tubifex worms are second to none, IMHO)..

----------


## vannel

Small Update on my C. Hastatus tank..

Attachment 28560

Attachment 28561

2 little spots which I found and were at easily accessible areas where picture taking was possible..  :Grin: 
Looks like its almost time for a tank upgrade..


Attachment 28562

This picture is just for fun. I thought it was quite hilarious, really.

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## stormhawk

Last pic was priceless. You should make the worms do a smiley face. My GF says the "face" resembles Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.
What's that twirly thing on the right of the 2nd pic? A worm?

----------


## vannel

Haha.. It was just so funny, especially with 1 "eye" bigger than the other. Kinda like a quirky look.

And yes, the twirly thing is a stray tubifex worm. They'll get him soon enough!

----------


## stormhawk

Are you using some sort of marine sand in the tank? I used Europet sand in my old tank with a very low depth so I can see the hastatus digging for worms. They loved it.  :Grin:

----------


## vannel

Regular ole Sudo sand.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9700 using Tapatalk

----------


## ralliart12

> ...If you have any intention of breeding them, you should probably think about live foods (of which Tubifex worms are second to none, IMHO)..


Now that you mentioned it, I recall seeing "Hikari Bio-Pure FD TUBIFEX WORMS" being sold in PolyArt at Clementi area. Perhaps I can try that in future? Or does the "being (eaten) alive" aspect of live food matters that much? Nonetheless, currently I'm not trying to breed them; I'm also unaware of how to breed them.

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## stormhawk

You can but these FD cubes usually float. I used these in the past to good effect with tetras and such, not so much with corys. As with all things, eating the food live would be best, but not necessary. You can always gut load grindals with the nutrients that you want and feed them with live tubifex that have been allowed to purge their guts and kept clean beforehand.

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## vannel

> ... Nonetheless, currently I'm not trying to breed them; I'm also unaware of how to breed them.


Well, if you are not trying to breed them yet, then I suppose ready made foods should suffice. However, I would still recommend the occasional treat of live foods should you happen to have access to any. I think you would have a good time talking to a certain someone (a.k.a our mutual friend) who has recently gained an interest in the C. Hastatus species as well. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to have a chat, and so will I..

----------


## vannel

> Are you using some sort of marine sand in the tank? I used Europet sand in my old tank with a very low depth so I can see the hastatus digging for worms. They loved it.


By the way storm, what's your take on the Europet sand? That can be bought from PetMart in Serangoon? I learnt from experience that the C. Hastatus, albeit a Corydoras, does not dig as "comprehensively" as the other cories do.. Yes, they do forage a little, but there's no "digging their heads into sand" action to be said. At least not for my batch. Hence, I'm actually in the process of slowly siphoning out the Sudo sand everytime I do a WC. Going to bring it down to just a thin, thin layer so they can get to the tubifex worms that wiggle into the sand.

Additionally, I have been planning a tank upgrade. As you saw, my tank is one of those cheap OceanFree tanks with a bow-front. Whilst not technically a problem, I would really love to upgrade from this 50cm tank to a standard sized 2ft tank instead and perhaps use a different sand base. Would you have any to recommend?

----------


## stormhawk

Europet Sand is excellent for Corydoras. I used to have it in my cory tanks but it is very fine. Much finer than Sudo Sand, but paler in color. I would suggest that you use a very very thin layer, just enough to cover the bottom. This ensures that the Corys can and will get to any worms hiding in the sand. Just place a few branchy driftwood in the tank, propped up by the branches, so there will be no dead spots that will form in the sand underneath the driftwood. 

You should see this thread by bernie to have an idea of what I'm talking about**:
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...of-an-old-tank

This way, the Corydoras have more floor space to root about, and you can see them easily. Tie some plants to the branches of the driftwood and you have a simple and effective layout. A few KTP leaves here and there will compliment the overall look.

----------


## Doraemon82

I tried using fine sands .. But my water is always very blur ... Whenever the cories make the sands and is always not clear even when the tanks use overflow system

----------


## Adam_80

> I tried using fine sands .. But my water is always very blur ... Whenever the cories make the sands and is always not clear even when the tanks use overflow system


Perhaps not too fine sand. Tried using fine sands a few time but there is always a level of cloudy dust after some activities. Pretty eye sore..

----------


## stormhawk

If you did not rinse the sand before use, then be prepared for a "sandstorm" in the tank. If this happens you must run the water through several layers of fine filter wool or a diatom filter, else the water will remain cloudy even if you keep doing water changes in the hopes of reducing the cloudiness.

I found this video on Youtube while browsing and it is an ingenious method:




He uses gravity and basically suction within the bottle to ensure the sand "self-rinses" within the bottle. I'm going to experiment with this method in a spare tank with a smaller bottle and some fine sand.

----------


## vannel

OooOOoOooo.. Very good demonstration. Thanks for the video link bro. That was highly informative. Tell me how you fare with your experiment.

----------


## Doraemon82

Sorry ... Dun know y I can't see the link

----------


## ralliart12

> ...He uses gravity and basically suction within the bottle to ensure the sand "self-rinses" within the bottle. I'm going to experiment with this method in a spare tank with a smaller bottle and some fine sand.


After which, where do the clouded water go?

----------


## stormhawk

If you watch till the end of the video, he just removes the bottle quickly from the tank. I guess he probably dumps the cloudy water into his sink.

----------


## vannel

I was wondering.. What kinds of lighting is everyone else employing over their C. Hastatus tanks? I really like those "downward pointing root system" looking tanks with what I presume are directed beams of either MH or LED lights shining into a dark tank (similar to the video shown below).




Does anybody have any experience in setting up a light system to replicate that effect?

----------


## ralliart12

> I was wondering.. What kinds of lighting is everyone else employing over their C. Hastatus tanks? I really like those "downward pointing root system" looking tanks with what I presume are directed beams of either MH or LED lights shining into a dark tank (similar to the video shown below).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does anybody have any experience in setting up a light system to replicate that effect?


If you want "shimmering" effect, spot lighting is required, i.e. LEDs & Metal halide lamps. If you want to try out the effect, can borrow a LED light set from me.

How significant you want the spot lighting effect to be, can be adjusted by the height of the light set above the water.

----------


## vannel

Yep! Actually, I was wondering about the so-called spot lighting for LEDs. Correct me if I am wrong, but, I doubt the ones commonly sold in our LFS are considered "spot lighting" since they have a fair amount of length and the spread of the light is not exactly confined to a small area. Which brand and model of LED lights are you using in your tank, ralliart12?

Also, does anyone know of a programmable (photoperiod and dimmer) LED lightset..? I have plans on doing up a C. Hastatus showcase tank at home and would appreciate suggestions on lighting, tank dimensions, etc.. These cories are a dwarf species and nothing short of a sizeable shoal will be required for them to be "seen" as the highlight of the tank. I'd hate if visitors end up going.. "Eh! What you keeping in your tank ah? Like nothing inside one leh!"..

----------


## stormhawk

You can use a rail with individual spot lights shining on a different part of the tank. Programmable LED lightsets.. I think you'll have more luck asking the lighting shops. Perhaps Inwares may have a solution for your needs.

----------


## ralliart12

> Yep! Actually, I was wondering about the so-called spot lighting for LEDs. Correct me if I am wrong, but, I doubt the ones commonly sold in our LFS are considered "spot lighting" since they have a fair amount of length and the spread of the light is not exactly confined to a small area...


If I interpret this idea correctly, spot lighting doesn't really confine examples to "1 point of light source"; I will tend to believe it can be "multiple points of light source", but each point must be a "point", e.g. a bulb, & not a "spread-ed" light source, i.e. a florescent tube. But you raised a good point, i.e. those LED light sets commonly seen in LFS have too many diodes cramped within a certain area & the effect behaves as if like a single "tube" of light. To elaborate this, I will say, each diode has a cone of light source, when cones are far apart, i.e. 1-2" apart, depending on the optics of applied per diode, e.g. 40-deg, 60-deg, 80-deg, totally no optics, they will have pronounced "spotlight" effect (N.B. "spotlight effect" is an observed effect; while "spot lighting" is a type of lighting). An example of spotlight effect is as below:

10211RippleWideTest.jpg

When the diodes are far apart enough, and/or their optics are narrow enough, and/or their height from the water are high enough, you will also get "spotlighting" effect. So the point you raised is valid, but I believe, as I mentioned in my prior post, you can try playing with the height of the light set above water to see if we can generate the different type of effect.

If you are really, really interested in this aspect of LED, check out this page:

ReefLEDLights (scroll down & search for "60deg Optics")




> ...Which brand and model of LED lights are you using in your tank, ralliart12?...


I am using 2 sets of UP Aqua Pro-LED-A-16, whose artist rendering you can view here:

link

I feel it is overpriced because the fixture is way worse than it looks from the artist rendering.

I will say for your Hastatus tank, assuming you are growing no plants, or low-light plants, perhaps you can try the "Ecoxotic Aluminium LED Arm", as showncase at:

The Aquatic Gazette




> ...Also, does anyone know of a programmable (photoperiod and dimmer) LED lightset..?...


Have, quite a few, but how much you are willing to spend? If you wish to emulate cloud cover passing along the length of the tank also can, i.e. Mazarra (the so-called Maxspect G3), there are quite a lot out there with photo-period & dimmer control. The one I ordered for my house tank can do:

_1. begin the day, (e.g. wake-up phase) with 0% white led light, 2% blue led light, and 50% moonlight, for approximately a period of 1 hr.

2. You may then want your aquarium to start entering more of a dawn phase, whereas you introduce 30% white led light, increase the blue led light to 10%, and moonlight to 30%

3. You may continue on like this, with a variety of different lighting phases throughout the beginning part of the day, then you'll start entering into a more normal daytime phase, which may be along the lines of 100% white led light, 40% blue led light, and 0% moon light.

4. For your Dusk effect, Sun Down, you may want to repeat the exact opposite of the above, with the moonlight being the only leds left on throughout the night._

But most LED light sets with photo-period & dimmer, can probably do this.




> ...I have plans on doing up a C. Hastatus showcase tank at home and would appreciate suggestions on lighting, tank dimensions, etc....


If you are going for Amazon biotope feel, I feel that getting the correct colour temperature is more important than intensity. In addition, previously on this forum, I saw another user using a pair of directional spot light (real spot lights) to shine into the sides of his tank diagonally to create shadows. It's also very nice. Or you can consider this type of LED as well:

orphek-PR25.jpg




> ...I'd hate if visitors end up going.. "Eh! What you keeping in your tank ah? Like nothing inside one leh!"..


For me, if they do not bother to observe with more interest, the effect put into your tank, it's their loss  :Roll Eyes:

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## vannel

> I will say for your Hastatus tank, assuming you are growing no plants, or low-light plants, perhaps you can try the "Ecoxotic Aluminium LED Arm", as showncase at:
> 
> The Aquatic Gazette


I've read about this light unit some time ago when JadeIceGreen posted on the nano corydoras setup for 5 C. Sterbai. Problem with this unit is the arm, which only fits up to 6mm glass. That could eventually become a problem. Also, the arm only allows for a single angle and comes in a strip form, which means the unit will unfortunately not be ideal for what I have in mind.





> Have, quite a few, but how much you are willing to spend? If you wish to emulate cloud cover passing along the length of the tank also can, i.e. Mazarra (the so-called Maxspect G3), there are quite a lot out there with photo-period & dimmer control.


That's a little overkill as well for me. Anyway, same issue with the lighting unit being a more suited for a spread to cover the whole tank, rather than to achieve the lighting effect in the previous video I posted.





> If you are going for Amazon biotope feel, I feel that getting the correct colour temperature is more important than intensity. In addition, previously on this forum, I saw another user using a pair of directional spot light (real spot lights) to shine into the sides of his tank diagonally to create shadows. It's also very nice. Or you can consider this type of LED as well:
> 
> orphek-PR25.jpg


Now this, is what I am looking for. All that's really missing is an arm that is non-intrusive to the design of the aquarium. Since this bulb is made to be fitted into a standard E27 socket, I wonder if anyone has seen an aquarium light ballast that'll hold this bulb.. Alternatively, I've also googled and came up with this:

http://www.kessil.com/products/a150_...rium_light.php

.. which is a very well designed led spot light that seems to be what I'm looking for. Anyone seen this on sale in SG and know the price for it..?

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## tobi

> If you are going for Amazon biotope feel, I feel that getting the correct colour temperature is more important than intensity. In addition, previously on this forum, I saw another user using a pair of directional spot light (real spot lights) to shine into the sides of his tank diagonally to create shadows. It's also very nice. Or you can consider this type of LED as well:


This you can get them from Inwares or dealextreme. Problem is finding a suitable light holder for your tank.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

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## Emokidz

I think Hikari first bites is a good option. Easy to feed too. For my apisto and betta fries, I mix first bites in water and feed it to them using a dropper. It's better for fries that like to hang out at the bottom.

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## ralliart12

> ...In addition, previously on this forum, I saw another user using a pair of directional spot light (real spot lights) to shine into the sides of his tank diagonally to create shadows. It's also very nice...


Found it!:



Link: My 2nd GEX tank

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## ralliart12

> ...Anyway, same issue with the lighting unit being a more suited for a spread to cover the whole tank, rather than to achieve the lighting effect in the previous video I posted...


I do not really understand this sentence; care to re-phrase?




> ...All that's really missing is an arm that is non-intrusive to the design of the aquarium...


Perhaps you will like to custom-make a stainless steel stand? Last I've heard, they are not that expensive.

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## vannel

The Maxspect G3 is mounted on top of a tank, much like the usual light sets being sold. It looks like its meant to light up the whole aquarium evenly, and the LED distribution is quite spread out, thereby minimising the amount of shadows cast on the bottom of the tank. That's quite different from what I am looking to achieve. Comparatively, the PAR38 LED bulb fits what I need alot more. 2 of these bulbs mounted and pointing downwards at an angle should suffice to replicate the Sun's rays.

If the articles written on many cory websites are anything to go by, then, a natural C. Hastatus biotope would have relatively still water and should boast plenty of natural plant cover. Given this, I have in my mind a picture much like how pictures are taken with light rays penetrating through the canopy of leaves, except, replicated underwater.

Anyway, I'm not a pro at DIY and the end product would probably be quite lacklustre. I think I would rather leave it to the experts. Haha.

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## vannel

It has been some time since anyone updated their C. Hastatus progress.. Has everyone already moved on to the other fancy cories being offered by JZX..?

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## RonWill

Dennis, mine are doing ok. Would have been much better had not for the heat wave that wiped out approximately half of my young scooters. Last ballpark figure was close to 400 fry but for now, managed to raise only about 200. All of them happy going to school and having fun, like all little kids do.

Dang... that dream of 800 _hastatus_ in a 4-footer is gonna be a while more...

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## RonWill

> Has everyone already moved on to the other fancy cories...


 Nope, not everybody. I'm still working on the _C. eques_, _napoensis_ but the _Super schwartzi_ did look tempting though.

I don't have much tank space (or tubs that holds water) *but* I'll definitely make room for any _gracilis_ or _cochui_ or _xinguensis_ or ...  :Laughing:

----------


## vannel

That must have been some heatwave Ronnie. So far, mine has been doing great without any need for a fan/chiller to maintain the temperature. They seem to be able to take temperatures up to 30 or 31 without any mass casualties here in my room. I've only recently upgraded my tank to a 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 to properly house all the C. Hastatus and they are still laying eggs all over. I should think I'd be able to hold about 200-300 of them in my current tank easy.

With regards to the other 3 dwarf cories.. I'm darn sure you would find plenty of space for them if you could only get some viable pairs. I'm quite sure I would be able to setup a chilled tank for them if ever the chance arises..

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## stormhawk

What I want to see is Ronnie back in action with C. oiapoquensis.  :Grin:

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## vannel

Ecalyte! How come you are selling off your C. Hastatus..? Are they not doing well in your 1ft cube?

----------


## Ecalyte

Ya... I really cant keep up with trying to keep the pH low with regular water changes.. 

Too many seiryu rocks.. Fighting a losing battle.. 

Anyone here wanna take up the sale?

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## vannel

Ohh. Why the need to keep the PH low? Hmm. I would adopt them, but the price is still a little prohibitive.

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## Wackytpt

I also don't mind to help adopt some.

Ecalyte why you need to adjust the PH? The rocks giving problem?

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## tetrakid

I watched the video, but it only showed 'the fine art of sand-pouring', lol. But I am raring to have a go at it too.

Being new to sand work, I am wanting to know also the initial preparations, if any, before one executes this superb advanced technique. 

For instance, do we put the raw purchased sand straight into the bottle from the packet and start to pour it in? Or do we need to wash and rinse the sand beforehand? This is what's stopping me from trying it out, until I understand fully.

Hope Uncle Ronnie can offer his views on this? Thanks, Uncle Ronnie.




> After which, where do the clouded water go?

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## vannel

I think you just have to pour the sand into the bottle and let the bubbles do the trick. Don't think there's a need to pre-wash the sand.. Otherwise, it'll really defeat the purpose of the video and the method being shown.

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## RonWill

> For instance, do we put the raw purchased sand straight into the bottle from the packet and start to pour it in? Or do we need to wash and rinse the sand beforehand? This is what's stopping me from trying it out, until I understand fully


 I don't know how others do it but I practice safe sex... erm... no... make that wash/soak/boil or safe quarantine of *anything* that's going into closed-system setups or tanks. That would, of course, include all woods, plants, livestock, stones and substrate (other than those I've tried and known good). I'd rather be safe and sexy than sorry!!  :Grin: 




> Hope Uncle Ronnie can offer his views on this?


 err... what has this to do with me???

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## RonWill

> Ya... I really cant keep up with trying to keep the pH low with regular water changes..


 I think you're reading too much into those numbers. So long as it doesn't rise beyond pH7.5, why not just condition the adult _hastatus_ and observe for spawning activities. The tank is chilled, isn't it? Not the most important thing either, since I experimented on a group and got them making whoopie at 32°C.

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## stormhawk

The sand pouring video is pretty straight forward. Get a funnel, pour your sand in, and let gravity do the trick.

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## vannel

> I think you're reading too much into those numbers. So long as it doesn't rise beyond pH7.5, why not just condition the adult _hastatus_ and observe for spawning activities. The tank is chilled, isn't it? Not the most important thing either, since I experimented on a group and got them making whoopie at 32°C.


I agree with RonWill on this.

I don't have a chilled tank for my C. Hastatus and they have been doing the do practically every few days for the past few months in whatever the room temperature was. Heck, I don't even measure my PH anymore and just opt for tap water + anti-chlorine (PetFran's Ultimate Defense), which so far, has proven to be safe. My recent tank upgrade makes aging water impossible with the volume of the tank requiring quite a few pails.

Point is, keeping them shouldn't be too hard since they are not that finicky with water parameters. Only real problem I see is the size of your tank (which if I recall from this thread is a 1ft cube) which you are using to hold 100 C. Hastatus (as inferred from the title of this thread). If the rocks are causing water issues.. Why not rescape to a wood hardscape instead? The driftwood/bogwood will surely help in bringing your PH down to optimum conditions.

----------


## ralliart12

> It has been some time since anyone updated their C. Hastatus progress.. Has everyone already moved on to the other fancy cories being offered by JZX..?


Mine are still vibrating in my tank. Managed to coax them to feed from a DIY-ed worm feeder "cone" instead of focusing on the substrate. Only issue nowadays is getting real solid quality, red, wriggling tubifex worm stock. The couple of fish shops I visited so far, is really not up to standard (in terms of their worms).

Am also interested to maintaining the lifespan of the worms over a week. My colony can typically "settle" 50cents-worth of worm in a week, so that's roughly how long I need them (the worms) to last.

Currently my method is ketapang water + airpump, or frequent water changes + airpump; results are hit & miss, though.

----------


## tetrakid

I have tried to freeze some of the Tubifex once I bought a good fresh sample. Just before freezing, I rinsed them multiple times with fresh tap water. I reasoned the chlorine will be good to kill any harmful micro-organisms. For the last rinse, I let as much water as possible drain away before adding cold drinking water from the fridge, just enough to cover the layer of worms and then put it in the freezer.

The thin slice of frozen Tubifex in the ice will still look good after many days. But the problem is when thawed, I still find some colourless worms when I feed it to the fish. 

Any better practical ideas to suggest?

----------


## ralliart12

2 questions:

1. Wouldn't the tap water instead kill most of the worms on your rinsing?
2. Wouldn't freezing the worms kill them?

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## tetrakid

I wouldn't want to see live frozen Tubifex worms either, lol.  :Smile: 




> 2 questions:
> 1. Wouldn't the tap water instead kill most of the worms on your rinsing?
> 2. Wouldn't freezing the worms kill them?

----------


## ralliart12

> I wouldn't want to see live frozen Tubifex worms either, lol.


Haha; this really cracks me up!!!

----------


## tetrakid

Frozen worms, etc is nothing new, except that here I am trying to do it DIY. If not, it's a pity to let a big bundle of beautiful and healthy worms rot and then discarded in a few days.

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## vannel

Another rainy day.. Perfect conditions for C. Hastatus to breed once again..




Sorry for the low-res video. It was taken using my phone camera.

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## stormhawk

vannel, they getting all kinky for you.  :Laughing:

----------


## vannel

Haha.. Yep! I've been watching them for a good few hours today chasing each other around and sticking eggs around the tank.

----------


## vannel

Anyone has ever seen their Hastatus having trouble swimming and lying sideways on the bottom? I have a single Hastatus with that issue now and this is probably the second or third one to have this same problem in the six months of keeping and breeding them. The affected Hastatus will 'thrash' around and attempt to swim a little before dropping back down onto the bottom. I don't really have a video or anything at the moment but I might attempt to take a video later. Fins and barbels are intact. No fungus or other growths/white spots on the exterior. Looks like maybe a little red spot on the abdomen area, but otherwise nothing else I can see that is out of the ordinary. The rest of the shoal seem to be unaffected.

The last time I had one of my Hastatus with this issue, it died in quarantine after a short period of time. Any chance someone has treated their Hastatus with the same issue and had it survive?

----------


## stormhawk

When that dreaded red spot appears, there's little you can do. It's a sore of some sort and quite lethal. I tried to use an antibiotic, in my case the yellow powder, to treat it but with no success thus far.

----------


## vannel

Yep. I have been trying to treat it using different methods as well but I think once the symptoms appear, it is already too late for any form of medication.

----------


## Ezie

So hard to find hastatus now. I just missed a batch from GC. Anyone knows where i can actually order or buy them? So would shrimp soil actually work for them or do they need finer substrate and what kind best suits them?

----------


## vannel

i think the season is over for them. Not too sure. Maybe you will be able to get some off the forumers here. I know Ecalyte was selling his shoal of Hastatus awhile back. Not sure if he still has some leftover. As for substrate.. Hastatus are mid water cories and the specific substrate is not very important as long as it doesnt have sharp edges. However, even if they rarely dig, they should still be housed with a very thin layer of fine sand. That way, live food will not be trapped between the sand. Also, sand should be inate. Shrimp soil is active and might bring ph down too much depending on the brand.

----------


## tetrakid

From what I have gathered, Tubifex also need to be fed. Conventionally, they used to be fed gu sai, or whatever sai, but it seems they also eat other decaying organism too, including suitably pulverised fish flakes, morsels of dead fish, etc. This is worth experimenting.

Self-cultivated Tubifex is much more preferred than those from contaminated sources, since the harmful parasites in the guts would have been much reduced, or eliminated after a period of time. 



> Mine are still vibrating in my tank. Managed to coax them to feed from a DIY-ed worm feeder "cone" instead of focusing on the substrate. Only issue nowadays is getting real solid quality, red, wriggling tubifex worm stock. The couple of fish shops I visited so far, is really not up to standard (in terms of their worms).
> 
> Am also interested to maintaining the lifespan of the worms over a week. My colony can typically "settle" 50cents-worth of worm in a week, so that's roughly how long I need them (the worms) to last.
> 
> Currently my method is ketapang water + airpump, or frequent water changes + airpump; results are hit & miss, though.

----------


## Ezie

> i think the season is over for them. Not too sure. Maybe you will be able to get some off the forumers here. I know Ecalyte was selling his shoal of Hastatus awhile back. Not sure if he still has some leftover. As for substrate.. Hastatus are mid water cories and the specific substrate is not very important as long as it doesnt have sharp edges. However, even if they rarely dig, they should still be housed with a very thin layer of fine sand. That way, live food will not be trapped between the sand. Also, sand should be inate. Shrimp soil is active and might bring ph down too much depending on the brand.


Hmm sand like those used in marine is not inate though... It buffers higher ph and kh too.  :Smile:  sigh, guess its months of empty tank and waiting agony for unknown period again. :Sad:

----------


## vannel

> Hmm sand like those used in marine is not inate though... It buffers higher ph and kh too.  sigh, guess its months of empty tank and waiting agony for unknown period again.


You are right. But that's because they usually employ coral sand, which is just finely grinded up coral chips. For your purposes, you can check out the very widely used Sudo Sand or visit PetMart in Serangoon for other types of sand. They do stock some very fine sand and you would probably find one of the colour you prefer. Most river sands are inate and should have no bearing on your water parameters.

----------


## Ezie

Any chance pygmy cory would school like hastatus?

----------


## vannel

Nope. Hastatus are the only mid water shoaling cory species. The Pygmaeus will only occassionally swim in mid water but spend most of their time on the bottom.

----------


## ralliart12

> So hard to find hastatus now. I just missed a batch from GC...


Wait, you mean the batch from GC is _entirely_ sold out?  :Shocked: 




> i think the season is over for them. Not too sure. Maybe you will be able to get some off the forumers here. I know Ecalyte was selling his shoal of Hastatus awhile back. Not sure if he still has some leftover...


I believe he has sold all of them.




> ...However, even if they rarely dig, they should still be housed with a very thin layer of fine sand. That way, live food will not be trapped between the sand...


Can they be housed safely with a _bare bottom_ tank?




> Any chance pygmy cory would school like hastatus?





> Nope. Hastatus are the only mid water shoaling cory species. The Pygmaeus will only occassionally swim in mid water but spend most of their time on the bottom.


Hi vannel, that said, I do observe my previous batch of Pygmaeus do school with my Otos (yes, my Hastatus will also school with my Otos; my Otos must be wondering why all this small fishes are following them...) & they do exhibit mid-water swimming when they have grown comfortable with the environment.

But the mid-water swimming & schooling behaviour is way more significant in my Hastatus than my Pygmaeus.

----------


## RonWill

> Wait, you mean the batch from GC is _entirely_ sold out?


 Yep... each & every surviving one (after shipping mortality) plus a smaller shipment, but those were all taken up *entirely* as well (last 15pcs went with the blink of an eye). What would you expect of healthy fishes... buy season parking in retail tanks??  :Laughing: 

I would humbly suggest that those still keen in owning _hastatus_, to place a deposit or paid reservation with either the boss or shopmaster. Pretty sure they'll do what they can to make everybody (well, almost) happy especially if they know you're sincere (nobody likes to be 'aeroplaned' without good cause).

----------


## ralliart12

> ..I would humbly suggest that those still keen in owning _hastatus_, to place a deposit or paid reservation with either the boss or shopmaster....


Wow, like that can I just open a _tab_ with GC, credit a couple hundred bucks in, & have first dips on any future Hastatus shipment? Haha...joking... :Laughing:

----------


## RonWill

Store credit? Strange concept for LFS trade but very do-able. Heh... FYI, you won't be the first and no prizes for guessing correctly who is!!  :Laughing:

----------


## tetrakid

For limited items, the auction bidding system is best and fair.  :Smile:

----------


## RonWill

> Anyone has ever seen their Hastatus having trouble swimming and lying sideways on the bottom?


 For the moment, thankfully, no. I'm guessing bacterial inflammation/infection.




> For limited items, the auction bidding system is best and fair


 It might be the case for eBay but bidding is forbidden in AQ.

----------


## Lexz_10

Hi bros, any sight of hastatus recently?

----------


## vannel

Unfortunately, I think the season is once again over. You'll have to watch the forums and see if there are any bros selling off their stock. Maybe next year we'll see them again when the Amazonian season is right.. Hopefully it doesn't disappear from SG for another few years like before.

----------


## Ecalyte

JZX just brought in a new shipment of Hastatus! I just read about it in the Merchant section..

----------


## vannel

Yep. So did GC. Probably the same batch. GC did mention most of this batch have already been reserved.. How many more people are snapping up the C. Hastatus..?

On another note, Uncle Ronnie! How is your C. Hastatus project coming along? Hit the magical 800 yet?

----------


## RonWill

> Hit the magical 800 yet?


 Chugging along patiently. Now halfway there...

----------


## ralliart12

> ...GC did mention most of this batch have already been reserved.. How many more people are snapping up the C. Hastatus..?...


Too many, I didn't get the full amount I reserved  :Sad:  But I guess, having some, is already enough  :Smile:

----------


## vannel

Good that you managed to reserve some! My total haul from JZX just an hour ago..



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## ciaossu

haha left 1 only? wow seems like hastatus is very popular in singapore.

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## vannel

Yea. Haha.. Apparently the person who bought up the whole batch of C. Hastatus missed out on the 1 lonely male. Decided to rescue it from JZX there and then.. Haha. Cories are not meant to be lonely fish afterall.. Good that I bought 1 anyway. Had to expand my current crop's gene pool.

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## ciaossu

haha, the male looks abit skinny though. i'm sure it will fatten up in no time  :Smile:  and good luck in your breeding program.

----------


## vannel

Oh ya. They are always abit malnourished from the shop. I already have a tub of tubifex ready.. The lonely male has already been introduced to the rest of the shoal. Hehe..

Breeding has been good so far. Recently there has been more than the usual deaths and I have since done a 75% wc. Hopefully that solves the problem.


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## ralliart12

> ...Recently there has been more than the usual deaths and I have since done a 75% wc...


Of the _fries_ or the _adults_?

----------


## vannel

Of the juveniles. Not sure why.. But I just decided to play safe and did a major wc coupled with my Eheim maintenance.

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## ralliart12

Is 75% your usual proportion of water change? May I know if you use distilled water or just the usual aged + de-chlorinated water to perform the water change?

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## RonWill

> Good that you managed to reserve some! My total haul...


 FWAH!! That's quite a haul...  :Roll Eyes: 

To think you actually had me scrolling left, right, up & down looking for others!!  :Laughing:

----------


## RonWill

> Of the _fries_...[/I]?


 erhm... plural for fry is still fry. Fries taste good when crispy, with a touch of salt and ketchup!!  :Grin:

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## RonWill

> Apparently the person who bought up the whole batch of C. Hastatus...


 Just don't look at me orh. Not my doing!! I'm quite contented to see my little harem growing steadily and not getting stressed out with unexplained casualty.

In case Murphy decides to come a knocking on my door, my _hastatus_ are distributed into 5 tanks, 2 of which are the F2s. Kiasu, kiasi, kia _hastatus_ konk!!

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## vannel

Haha.. and therein lies my problem!! I have all my eggs in 1 basket! F0 to F2 as well..

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## ralliart12

> erhm... plural for fry is still fry...


Oops, thanks for the correction. Btw, Ron, will _daily_ small (say 10%) water change (with aged & de-chlorinated after) be harmful to the fishes in any way?

----------


## Lexz_10

Hi bros, may i know that you guys usually feed your C. hastatus? 

thanks in advance  :Smile:

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## RonWill

> ...will _daily_ small (say 10%) water change (with aged & de-chlorinated after) be harmful to the fishes in any way?


 Unless your tank's bio-load is high or you have a habit to feed heavily, why the need for daily WC? Then again, if you have the time, it's actually good husbandry and quite ideal, ie. small incremental replacement with treated water instead of larger weekly WC.

Lexz, I feed mostly a variety of live foods plus carnivore tabs and Novobits. I have a fetish for plumb fishes!  :Grin:

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## ralliart12

@Ron, which (brand/model) carnivore tab? I was thinking of feeding the fish food to the worms before feeding the worms to the fishes...

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## vannel

My C. Hastatus are quite adamant about their tubifex diet and they don't go for anything else anymore..  :Sad:

----------


## ralliart12

> My C. Hastatus are quite adamant about their tubifex diet and they don't go for anything else anymore..


Hi vannel, may I know if you feel them daily, or...? & how do you physically feed them, i.e. administer the worms?

----------


## vannel

I feed them daily.. But there are some days where I cant get any tubifex (sold out, too late and LFS has closed) and they go hungry for a day or two.

The tubifex are washed through a few times prior to feeding to get rid of gunk and foul smelling water.. After which, I just drop a small glob of tubifex into the tank. Nothing special to it.

----------


## ralliart12

> I feed them daily.. But there are some days where I cant get any tubifex (sold out, too late and LFS has closed) and they go hungry for a day or two...


*
I see. I was thinking of doing alternate days. I'll see how it goes. Right now, my worry is that not every one will get its share. Sometimes there will be a few that do not eat, & I do not prefer to leave the worms in the water for too long...




> ...After which, I just drop a small glob of tubifex into the tank. Nothing special to it.


*
Okay; I drop my worms into the tank, they bury rather deeply into the soil...need some more novel solutions.

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## vannel

My tank is sand based and the layer of sand is super thin. The worms generally don't have much to bury themselves in.

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## stormhawk

If you have a deep layer of gravel/sand/soil, don't drop the whole ball of worms in. Use a glass bowl or some porcelain feeding dish instead. If the worms burrow into the substrate and die in there because of unknown reasons, you might have a massive problem on your hands.

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## ralliart12

> My tank is sand based and the layer of sand is super thin. The worms generally don't have much to bury themselves in.


*
Oh yah, I recalled your tank setup.




> If you have a deep layer of gravel/sand/soil, don't drop the whole ball of worms in. Use a glass bowl or some porcelain feeding dish instead. If the worms burrow into the substrate and die in there because of unknown reasons, you might have a massive problem on your hands.


*
Yes, I'm am trying to avoid having worms burying into the soil. Currently I am feeding extremely small amounts so that I can be confident that the worms will never make their way around. But at the end of the day, I'm stillI dropping the worms onto the substrate. Previously I did try to use a container (a small glass container) to house the worms inside the tank, but the challenge is that the wall of that container is too high & sometimes (more often than not), the corys will swim in & perceived that they cannot swim out. Then they panic. If the container wall is too low, the worms may (get thrown) crawl out.

Maybe I should look for a container which is neither too high or too low...want to suction it to my wall...but most of such (glass) containers have no way to attach anything to it.

----------


## Mystikboy

Perhaps diy/ get something with an inclined base, such that the worms cannot worm their way out but the cories should easily find their way out

Just a rough sketch of sorts. Hope it helps!

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## RonWill

Ralliart, a cory's favorite activity is sticking their little noses into fine substrate, foraging for food. It's unnatural, if otherwise, but if you're concerned of worms in substrate (which I see nothing wrong in and of itself), then keep your substrate thin. I'll bet your bottom dollar that the cories will sniff it out. A shallow feeding dish will work as well.




> ...want to suction it to my wall...but most of such (glass) containers have no way to attach anything to it.


 Heard of gUSH Crystal Pod?

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## ralliart12

> Perhaps diy/ get something with an inclined base, such that the worms cannot worm their way out but the cories should easily find their way out
> 
> Just a rough sketch of sorts. Hope it helps!


@Mystikboy: I am unable to load your sketch (even when I hit the URL directly) but I roughly get what you mean. Thanks, I will consider this approach.




> Ralliart, a cory's favorite activity is sticking their little noses into fine substrate, foraging for food. It's unnatural...then keep your substrate thin...A shallow feeding dish will work as well...


Yes, I have seen online videos of them living in their real-world, natural habitat. On the other hand, I adore planted tanks. As a matter of fact, eventually my current tank housing them, is "supposed" to have a carpet of glosso. So, whether I make the substrate thin now, or not, it does not matter eventually; my needs may be better served with a feeding mechanism that is _off_ the substrate.




> ...but if you're concerned of worms in substrate (which I see nothing wrong in and of itself)...


I'll be a bit more cautious with regards to this aspect though, I have had a large batch of fishes wiped out on me, simply because the worms left in the tank decided all to die overnight (& claim the lives of the fishes with them)  :Crying: 




> ...I'll bet your bottom dollar that the cories will sniff it out...


Yup, even when I stopped feeding them, I see them nosing (literally) around the less fine beads of my power-type aquasoil and GEX shrimp soil (which, is quite large-beaded). Perhaps it's their habit; I hope they do not uproot my glosso though.




> ...Heard of gUSH Crystal Pod?


Of course. But _previously_, I was using this:



& there will always be a few from my shoal that seems unable to swim out after they enter this wide-mouth glass container, i.e. they sniff their way almost to the rim but always seem to think there's a cover stopping them from swimming out. After which they will panic a lot & ran into each other (the rest who also think that they are trapped inside). I am concerned this isn't conducive for their well-being. So, given that the Gush crystal pod has also high walls (_& a very slightly_) narrower mouth, I'm afraid the "_panic-&-ramming-into-each-other_") situation will repeat itself.

Incidentally, I have also heard of the Gush Feed Pod.

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## tetrakid

Cory's are an abnormality of nature in that they have eyes but cannot see anything, lol...  :Laughing:

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## vannel

I tend to think they just cant see that there's a glass panel in front of them! Ever considered a feeding bowl of solid colour?

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## stormhawk

A solid ceramic or porcelain bowl will be fairly useful in this respect. Even a hand made clay dish will be good. Even when eating worms they don't eat it all at once or just slurp it in. They'll pause, chew and gobble the next one. Pretty slow ingestion if you ask me. The sponge pad method used at GC that allows the worms to drop in slowly with a dish or bowl beneath it should be helpful.

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## ralliart12

Oh dear, I lost one today:

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## stormhawk

Looks like an inflammation of the gut.

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## ralliart12

> Looks like an inflammation of the gut.


Is this ailment the same as what you have mentioned before (_see below_)?




> When that dreaded red spot appears, there's little you can do. It's a sore of some sort and quite lethal...


What could have caused this inflammation of the gut? & how can I prevent it?

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## stormhawk

They're similar I think. The inflammation could have come from parasites that were present on the worms or whatever you were feeding them. Prevention means feeding clean food whenever possible. Probably soaking some Bakto Tabs from Sera with Seachem's Garlic Guard might help to get the corys to feed on the tabs.

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## ralliart12

> They're similar I think. The inflammation could have come from parasites that were present on the worms or whatever you were feeding them. Prevention means feeding clean food whenever possible. Probably soaking some Bakto Tabs from Sera with Seachem's Garlic Guard might help to get the corys to feed on the tabs.


Qn1: may I know what are Bakto Tabs?
Qn2: can I & should I soak Tubifex worms in SeaChem Garlic Guard before feeding them to the corys? SeaChem Garlic Guard is absolutely safe right?

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## vannel

I have had a few of my cories succumb to the same thing before. Its baffling especially when everyone else is healthy. I'm struggling now with an outbreak as well..

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## stormhawk

Bakto Tabs are a type of medicated sinking tablets made by Sera. You can find this product at C328 or other LFS that stock Sera products. I think they have it available in smaller packs. The drawback to using this item is that not all fish are willing to feed on the tablets directly, hence the suggestion of soaking the tabs in Garlic Guard.

Seachem Garlic Guard is meant for use with fish so it is safe. The thing is that it might spoil quickly in Singapore's climate, so keeping it in the fridge might help to prolong the storage life. It is used as an attractant for making picky fish feed on certain food items so it would be fairly useful if your fish refuse to feed on something.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...rlicGuard.html

I believe even Jack Wattley, the famed discus breeder, swears by the use of garlic in his discus food.

I remember when I was still using Sera O-Nip, my fish loved it so much and they would come to the pellet I stuck on the glass and chew bits off from it no matter where I placed it. It worked very well with my Corydoras. To me, I believe the O-Nip had a powerful attractant in it, which explains why the fish would move so far up the glass just to feed on what was essentially, compressed powdered flake.

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## vannel

Argh! I have found the culprit and cause of my fish deaths. A bloody damselfly nymph was still hiding in my tank even after I changed out the substrate, junked all the original plants/driftwood, and changed out my filter sponges. No idea where it was hiding when I did a reset of my tank. I pray they are all gone..

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## ralliart12

> Bakto Tabs are a type of medicated sinking tablets made by Sera. You can find this product at C328 or other LFS that stock Sera products. I think they have it available in smaller packs. The drawback to using this item is that not all fish are willing to feed on the tablets directly, hence the suggestion of soaking the tabs in Garlic Guard...


I'm currently still monitoring my shoal; I try not to feed them anything out of the ordinary. What will happen if there's nothing wrong with the majority of the shoal & they consume the Bakto tab?




> ...Seachem Garlic Guard is meant for use with fish so it is safe. The thing is that it might spoil quickly in Singapore's climate, so keeping it in the fridge might help to prolong the storage life. It is used as an attractant for making picky fish feed on certain food items so it would be fairly useful if your fish refuse to feed on something...


I bought a bottle recently; it smells delicious. Nowadays I sprinkle a spoonful over the Tubifex worms before feeding them to the shoal. I discover that garlic really got some magic, i.e. I have one betta that will ignore a large, conspicuous piece of dry food but will be attracted to the significantly smaller New Life Spectrum Thera A pellets (which also contains garlic, by default).

I'm curious, does the "_Guard_" in its name hold any significance, i.e. does it kill germs & external parasite (from the _food_)?




> ...I believe even Jack Wattley, the famed discus breeder, swears by the use of garlic in his discus food.
> 
> I remember when I was still using Sera O-Nip, my fish loved it so much and they would come to the pellet I stuck on the glass and chew bits off from it no matter where I placed it. It worked very well with my Corydoras. To me, I believe the O-Nip had a powerful attractant in it, which explains why the fish would move so far up the glass just to feed on what was essentially, compressed powdered flake.


So, you suspect Sera O-nip contains garlic? Btw, I tried Hikari Carnivore sinking pellet soaked in garlic, my shoal ain't interested. Like _vannel_'s batch, my shoal has garnered an acquired taste.




> Argh! I have found the culprit and cause of my fish deaths. A bloody damselfly nymph was still hiding in my tank even after I changed out the substrate, junked all the original plants/driftwood, and changed out my filter sponges. No idea where it was hiding when I did a reset of my tank. I pray they are all gone..


Oh dear, that's horrid  :Surprised:  But how did it get in? e.g. is your tank near a window, did you rinse/quarantine your plants & driftwood before introducing them into the tank, etc?

How did you spot it (the nymph) btw?

_Some new questions:_

do Hastatus react adversely to:

1. adding of Mosura BT-9 into the water as part of regular water change/conditioning/maitenance?
2. dosing of SeaChem Flourish Excel (for plants)?

----------


## Wackytpt

They should be ok with the correct dosage of BT-9. 
As for Excel, if should be fine if the dosage is correct.

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## ralliart12

> They should be ok with the correct dosage of BT-9. 
> As for Excel, if should be fine if the dosage is correct.


So, these 2, _in the correct, moderation_, should be a-okay? I'm a bit concerned about them "choking" on the BT-9 powder.

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## vannel

I believe the nymph was introduced when I put some water hyacinth into the tank some time ago. The water hyacinth was from my outdoor pond. Now I'm paying the price.

I really hope there isn't any more of those dreaded nymphs in my tank. They are exceptionally hardy and survive in highly concentrated PetFran's external + internal defense and coupled with a dose of No Planaria.

I can only hope the original batch of damselfly eggs have already hatched and that I've caught every single one of them.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

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## ralliart12

Close-up shot of some Tubifex worms:

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## stormhawk

@ralliart12,

Since the Bakto Tabs are medicated food, you should not feed them to your fish unless necessary. The "Guard" part in Garlic Guard probably has no significance whatsoever. Garlic probably has a capability to kill internal parasites, though how true this is, I don't know. I guess the active ingredient in garlic has a role to play. I don't think Sera O-Nip contains garlic, but probably something else that is capable of attracting fishes en masse, like a chemical additive. There are fishes which are easily baited with a piece of rotting meat, so I guess whatever Sera added, mimics that "stink". My fishes in the community tank only get live tubifex once a week as a treat, which is probably why they are still interested in the Carnivore Tabs. They get about 10-12 tablets every day and have no interest in other tablet foods. So far, the rams and the Oryzias woworae are spawning on that diet.

@vannel

It's a pity to hear that. I'd suggest that you quarantine any plants in the future, just in case. I found this out the hard way too after 2 nymphs destroyed my shrimps.  :Opps:

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## vannel

Yep. I thought I gave the plant a long enough soak in the tub. Apparently the next time I'll have to quarantine plants for > 2 weeks before introducing into my tank. I think I've already caught about 5-6 of those nymphs already. Hopefully this is the end of their destruction. I have fry in the tank I need to worry about..

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## ralliart12

Sharing some photos of my current setup:








> ...I think I've already caught about 5-6 of those nymphs already...


I'm curious: how do you catch them anyway? Using a net?

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## vannel

Wow. That's a lot of Hastatus! Haha.. Anyway I caught the nymphs using a net and siphon. Depends.

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## Cheesetian

My goodness! How many Hastatus do you have in there man? Looks to be more than a hundred pieces!

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## vannel

It looks too crowded in there. I would opt for a larger tank if you are intending for them to breed. Also, I noticed a major excess of Tubifex worms on your subtrate. That's going to be a HUGE problem bro.

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## ralliart12

> ...I would opt for a larger tank if you are intending for them to breed...


Duly noted; as a matter of fact, plans for a larger tank is _already in the pipeline_.




> ...Also, I noticed a major excess of Tubifex worms on your subtrate. That's going to be a HUGE problem bro.


Yes, even though I feed in _very small_ portions to ensure the ball of worms get consumed _before_ dosing more worms, _over time_, the worms do get into the substrate. Unfortunately, if I wish to avoid this problem, I would really have to give up a Hastatus tank with a carpeted substrate. Let me think about it.

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## vannel

Looking at the tank in your picture. That should be a Gex Glassterior 450..? Given the amount of Hastatus you have in there, I would suggest at least a 2x1.5ft tank.. Maybe even larger if space permits.

With regards to the substrate.. Its been a long-standing problem for you and looking at the mass of tubifex in the substrate.. I think the answer is evident. You are going to have to do something before the problem goes out of hand and causes mass casualties.

Good luck!

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## ralliart12

> Looking at the tank in your picture. That should be a Gex Glassterior 450..?...


Yes, it is.




> ...Given the amount of Hastatus you have in there, I would suggest at least a 2x1.5ft tank...


You mean a _base_ area of 2-foot by 1.5-foot? I think I'm going for the "standard" 2-foot by 1-foot tank. Quite hard to find a 2-foot by 1.5-foot _non_-custom-made tank. Not to mention finding a _stand_ for such a tank.




> ...With regards to the substrate.. Its been a long-standing problem for you and looking at the mass of tubifex in the substrate.. I think the answer is evident. You are going to have to do something before the problem goes out of hand and causes mass casualties...


I agree. That's why for the _new_ tank I'm more inclined towards your _thin-layer-of-find-sand_ substrate setup.

At the moment I'm doing _daily 25%_ water-change to help with the condition of water in the tank.




> ...Good luck!


Thanks, vannel  :Smile:

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## vannel

How many of them are there in the tank actually..? I would think a standard sized 2ft tank would hold them.. But would not be adequate for growth and expansion of your current shoal. They might be small cories, but being free swimmers, they also tend to need slightly more space than your average cories. My current tank is a 2x1.5x1.5ft and I am already quite bothered about 100 Hastatus having sufficient space to swim naturally. Given time and space when my new house arrives.. I'll be sure to dedicate a 4x2x2 tank to these cories.

This just happens to be my take on the topic and most likely does not represent the best way to keep Hastatus. I guess its up to your individual preference and know-how to best determine what you hope to achieve.

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## Lexz_10

Bro ralliart12,

Nice setup there. especially the number of cory inside the tank  :Smile:

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## nicholasliao

Updates please! Ive been reading from post one and it has been interesting so far! Will the regulars start posting an updatr to their tanks.

I am considering to set up either a hastasus tank or a laser cory tank. I haven't really decided on the species yet. Any advice?

I would love to breed them and would like to know which is easier.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4

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## Shi Xuan

hastatus are easier to spawn, IMO. When I had them, they spawned on my glass tank walls and filters. Raising their fry, as with all cories, is another thing altogether. That said, hastatus are really fragile fish, so treat them with care. Best would be a matured tank.

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## ggyy11

Hi all, I need some help here. I have some 20 hastatus but there area few which remain inactive at the bottom of the tank. Some even fall side ways. At first, I thouht they were dead but when I moved them, they start to swim. After some time, they fall back down and "pretend' to be dead again. I just found 1 really dead last night. What could be wrong?

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## barmby

It is hard to identify the root cause without knowing pre existing condition of the tank. Also, please take a picture of the tank.

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## AhVy

> Hi all, I need some help here. I have some 20 hastatus but there area few which remain inactive at the bottom of the tank. Some even fall side ways. At first, I thouht they were dead but when I moved them, they start to swim. After some time, they fall back down and "pretend' to be dead again. I just found 1 really dead last night. What could be wrong?


Did you measure your tank perimeters?
Ph level? Mine also.. recently I lost a batch. Then I tested the water and realised that the PH level was too low! I raised it to about 6.8 and it's better now for my new batch.

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## whitedash

Hi guys, I just got my hand on these little cuties and I'm aiming to breed them. 
Anyone have experience keeping them with otos? I'm wondering if the otos will feast on the eggs?

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## nicholasliao

Hello all! This is my current setup with hastatus. Need some advice on whether its possible to keep them in here. Currently removed sand and soil at bottom. Currently dosing blueexit to cure bba and excel spot dosing. So far 1 death has occurred and 3 missing. Current count at 20/23.

Current tank specs:
90cmx45x45
Eheim2215
Eheim 2215 & prefilter.
Boyu wave maker
Totto bubble stopper
Co2 at 2bps

Hard scape:
Black lava rocks
Blyxa japonica 
Mini fissiden
Driftwood
Buceps
Sudo sand
Ada soil
Java moss

Advice very much appreciated and needed!

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1439444078.711930.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1439444117.728560.jpg



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## barmby

That's very promising. Full tank shots please?

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## nicholasliao

Full tank shot as requested!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1439463686.878352.jpg


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## barmby

I like the tank. it has sandy base for the corydoras to 'park'. this help to lengthen their longevity. like!

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## nicholasliao

I counted only 11 of them out of 23. Should I be worried barmby? I am only currently feeding them once every night and only a few of them are seen scavenging the bottom. 

Do I have to increase feeding intensity to the morning as well or reduce the flow of the wave maker ?


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## barmby

I have not kept Hastatus myself. I cannot comment sorry. But for me Sterbai can be tough to keep alive too. First they lost their delicate barbels , wither and die. I have 8 and left with 4 that stay with me for 5 years at least.. 

The environment is very important. Gravel size. Cleanliness and etc. 




> It is often problematic to feed Corydoras in aquaria with fast feeding mid-water fish such as tetras as flake and sinking pellets are consumed by such fish before they have hit the bottom and sometimes, even while lying on the substrate

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## vannel

Looks nice Bro. Maybe reduce your ferts and co2. It's tough to maintain a high tech planted with sensitive species. 

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## nicholasliao

Hi Vannel,

No ferts added. Co2 at around 1.5-2BPS. I have alot of queries as well hopefully someone here can help! Do i reduce the Co2 to 1bps?

1. I am currently combating BBA which i dose Bluexit at 20ml everyday for consecutive 10 days. Currently I have been dosing for 3 days straight. I also do spot treatment of excel at about 3ml diluted with 9ml of water. 

2. As the dosing is considered chemicals, I try and count my hastatus everyday. As of yesterday, i can only be able to count 11/23 of them. Should I be worried? They usually hide between my Blyx Japanica or under my huge lava rocks at the bottom where the current is not as strong. I'm not sure if the current is affecting them from coming out but there are others that do. How do we know if they are struggling to cope?

3. Do they like current? Some of them seem to enjoy swimming against the current/wavemaker while others look like as if they are struggling.

4. The one thing and most important of it all, that gets me worried is that they don't seem to be eating as fervently. I only see at a time about a handful of them scavenging at the bottom. Should I be worried? Do i need to off my filter when it is feeding time? 

5. I am only feeding them dry food. I recently bought new life spectrum's small sinking food + garlic and I still require to crush them before i feed them as they dont sink as readily. How much do I need to feed to ensure that it is enough? A small pinch or a teaspoon full (which is alot).

I also have Hikari algae wafers and carnivore pellets which I drop but still no interested individuals but only 1 or 2 of them nipping at it but swims away after. My yamato and fire red shrimps always seem to get it before the hastatus do. Do I need to place the food in a feeding dish so that the hastatus are able to readily find them?

I just started a small culture of microflex worms which I got from bro Urban Aquaria and would be able to feed them this culture when it has grown to a substantial amount. 

Thanks everyone! Your kind input and advice is much needed!

Nicholas

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## vannel

I've always kept my hastatus in tanks with a rainbar pointed back towards the glass. This allows them some flow along 1 side of the tank and a very mild current in the rest of the tank. I've also never dosed any chemicals since they are a very sensitive species (high doa and requires utmost care in slow acclimatisation). 

As mentioned, keeping a planted tank with co2 injection clashes with the ideal requirements for hastatus. I've always also run an air stone in my tank. 

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## qool

Actually I find hastatus have been very easy to breed. I have just feed keep feeding them enough Sera o nips and leaving them to do their stuff. Just do not remove the frys even if you could see them let them be with their mom you should better survival rates.

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## vannel

With ample food and good water quality, they breed easily. No fuss with fry like the other Corydoras species either. However, their rapid expansion of numbers affects water quality very fast as well. Typically that leads to massive die offs. You'd also need to worry about expanding their gene pool given their rate of reproduction. 

The first wave of hastatus a few years ago was insanely difficult to stabilise. Glad that these interesting cories are now common in the local market. 

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## nicholasliao

Hi all,

I have a a few queries.

1. How do you know that your hastatus are fed well? Im dropping NSL sinking bits + garlic and see only a few of them nipping it and then they move on without eating the whole thing. Is the food too big for the mouths? Its already the smallest size I can get and even grind the whole container and repackaging it into a brand new one.

How do i know if they fancy the current food? They always seem to be looking for food on the sand bed. What is an indicator of a healthy hastatus and if they are eating properly? I might also be trying Sera-O-nips food which sticks on the wall. Been seeing quite a number of good reviews on them.

2. Micro worm cultures are gone in a flash but I cant harvest enough to feed the whole colony everyday and so i do it once every few days. How do i get them used to dry food instead of live food all the time?

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## qool

How do i know if they fancy the current food? => If you see the whole group of Hastatus swimming to the feeding bowl and within 15 minutes nothing is left.

I might also be trying Sera-O-nips food which sticks on the wall. Been seeing quite a number of good reviews on them. => Yes sera-o-nips I have already tested it with various batches of Hastatus so far none have been able to resist it. Before using it wasn't able to get them to breed but after using it I am already having my fourth generation of fries. Key to fry survival is to stop itchy finger instinct and remove them from their mother.

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## nicholasliao

Thanks qool. Will greatly consider getting sera-o nips now. the nsl food im feeing seems to be getting some interest but i dont put them into the feeding dishes so i cant realy say if the shrimps get at them first or the fishes. thanks qool.

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## zenz

May i know where can I find Hastatus?

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## Ingen

> May i know where can I find Hastatus?


Green Chapter has lots of them, probably the most value for money I seen thus far if you are buying at 10 pieces a go.

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## zenz

Thanks Ingen, unfortunately GC doesn't stock it anymore...

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## Ingen

> Thanks Ingen, unfortunately GC doesn't stock it anymore...


I just saw two tanks full of it last week... And those tanks been there for quite awhile, it's in the back room.

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## zenz

I was there 2 Saturdays ago, didn't see them, will check it out again, thanks!

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## seudzar

I was at GC a couple of days before, the hastatus are kept in tanks located at the back of the store. If not sure, ask the shop master, he will guide you there.

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## zenz

Thanks for the confirmation, will be there soon!

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## Ingen

Because of the revival of this thread, I gave in to the temptation that I have been holding back for the past year and bought 10 from GC...

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## Shrimplicity

Anyone selling their frys?

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## qool

I think you are better off buying young fish as the frys are very vulnerable.

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## Calv

> Anyone selling their frys?


Doubt anyone would want to sell fry. Seeing as it's the most sensitive stage of the life cycle to introduce them to totally new water conditions. 


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## Calv

Any bros here have noticed that some hastatus have a faded colour compared to the rest? Could there be something wrong or is it normal? ImageUploadedByTapatalk1456742570.463151.jpg


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## qool

Usually faded out means the end is near ..... I experience this before with my hastatus.

If you have a breeding box can quarantine it and try to feed it separately and hope if turn back ok.

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## Calv

> Usually faded out means the end is near ..... I experience this before with my hastatus.
> 
> If you have a breeding box can quarantine it and try to feed it separately and hope if turn back ok.


Thank you qool for your reply. That sucks to hear. Initially only had 1 faded colour. But ytd noticed 2 more with the same symptoms. I will quarantine it right away. Thanks for the advise! 


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## qool

If you are seeing more fishes becoming pale please check your water condition. The cause might be the water and not your fish, if they get stressed they will also lose colour.

Verify if your quarantined fishes recover their colour if yes definately your water got some issue. Do a water change and monitor.




> Thank you qool for your reply. That sucks to hear. Initially only had 1 faded colour. But ytd noticed 2 more with the same symptoms. I will quarantine it right away. Thanks for the advise! 
> 
> 
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## Calv

> If you are seeing more fishes becoming pale please check your water condition. The cause might be the water and not your fish, if they get stressed they will also lose colour.
> 
> Verify if your quarantined fishes recover their colour if yes definately your water got some issue. Do a water change and monitor.


Just did a test. Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate is at 0ppm. Ph is at 7.6. TDS is at 250. 

I will be doing a wc shortly and monitor my ph and tds again. 


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## barmby

Multiple small amount of water change will bring down the ammonia /ammonium level in the tank. This action will not shock these delicate fishes too much

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## Calv

> Multiple small amount of water change will bring down the ammonia /ammonium level in the tank. This action will not shock these delicate fishes too much


I usually do a 10-20% for each wc i do. Usually once or twice a week. Ammonia is at 0ppm each time i do a test. 


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## andrewtyr

Anyone else spotted these little critters in singapore? I have about 7 of them in a shrimp tank - not sure the chances of egg survival

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## Shrimplicity

I have some, maybe selling. Pm me

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## dz.tng

Hi Shrimplicity, I'm keen on getting some too if you're selling them. Here is my number, 92220285. Hope to hear from you

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## AhVy

Hey hey.. I'm also looking for these cute little ones...anyone selling? Hehe

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## madonion

> I have some, maybe selling. Pm me


Hi Shrimplicity, just wondering if you still have any of those Cory Hastatus left after all these years?
Im keen to buy.

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