How to make a 12 gallon eclipse into a cory tank?

Question

I have a 12 gallon eclipse bowfront tank with a heater and all! It has in it 2 endlers and 2 albino corys. I want to make it a cory tank. I have normal sized gravel that is colored blue. Would it be hard or bad to change the gravel to smaller sized natural gravel? Also How many corys could I have? I am aware of the 1" per gallon but I don't believe in it as petco and petsmart apparently started this method. What types of corys would look best together and how many?

Answer 1

You're right that the 1 inch per gallon rule isn't really true. It has actually been around since the 1950s when aquarium technology was very basic. With modern filtration and a good cleaning regimen you can often safely keep a few more fish. You can change the gravel but this will remove most of the beneficial bacteria. Ideally you should change it a little at a time. After you change the gravel wait before adding any more fish because the tank will likely go through another cycle. Your tank could probably hold about 5 or 6 corys.  

Answer 2

Well first off, the inch per gallon is a pretty good rule so I'd try to keep close to the amount of inches. And no they didn't make it up since most Fish Supply companies (i.e. Tetra Care, Top Fin) use that rule too. Secondly, you can have about two more corys in that tank and it'll be the perfect amount. Try peppered corys or maybe panda corys.

Answer 3

A lot of your beneficial bacteria lives in your gravel, so if you change out all of it, save some of your old gravel in a mesh bag or old sock and leave it in the tank for a week or two once you put in the new gravel.  That will give the bacteria in the old gravel a chance to colonize the new gravel and help keep your tank from going through a major ammonia spike and killing all your fish or making them ill.  Changing gravel is a messy business, so after you've taken out the old gravel, let the debris settle and then vacuum the bottom of the tank really well before you put in the new gravel.  No matter how tempted you are, don't change your filter media for at least a week after you've put in the new gravel.  It may seem awfully dirty because of all the gunk you kick up when changing the gravel, but you need to preserve all the bacteria in that filter media!

I would only keep 6 cories in a tank of that size with no other fish.  If you plan to breed them you might want to get more albinos so as to keep them all the same species and not end up with half-breed mutt cories.  Otherwise, mix and match them.  The cories don't care and it makes for a more interesting tank with a bunch of different looking cories.  Besides the albinos, I like the pandas and the emeralds, but the skunk and peppered cories are cute, too.  If you can find some pygmy cories, they're smaller, so then it'll be less cramped to have 6 in your tank, too.

Answer 4

you can have 1 corys per 2 gallons so thats 6

yes get fine rounded natural gravel