Cory cats with bigger cichlids?

[RampageRR]

I just set up a second tank to use for growing out my festae fry. I was thinking about getting a group of 7-10 young/smaller cory cats to roam the bottom and clean up whatever food the fry don't grab before it hits the bottom, with the plan of moving the cories into my big tank with the adult festae pair once they hit their adult sizes.

Is this a bad idea? I know cories have spines, but I don't know if larger cichlids even pay attention to small bottom dwellers. Anyone have experience with cory cats and larger cichlids at all?

 

[Binge]

My red hump geo decided my corys were close enough to him in color to deserve punishment several lost hunks of dorsal fin. He is in my big tank now..

 

[thiswasgone]

Cichlids keep track of everything in the tank. Generally aggressive cichlid species will attempt to eat anything that fit into their mouths, and if they cant they will bully it to death. Corys grow way too small to stay with any medium-large aggressive cichlid species imo, but it can work out if you are keeping the cichlid solo with enough cover. A pair, however, will most likely kill everything near them that is not their fry.

 

[RampageRR]

I kind of expected to hear this. Thanks for setting me back on the right path. I may still get a group and keep them in the fry tank for an eventual exodon shoal tank setup.

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Bigger cichlids + cories will inevitably equal 2 dead fish

 

[cichlidfish]

I kind of expected to hear this. Thanks for setting me back on the right path. I may still get a group and keep them in the fry tank for an eventual exodon shoal tank setup.

Cories won't do well w/ exodons either. The cories will be destroyed.
It's usually best to keep peaceful fish w/ peaceful fish.

 

[RampageRR]

Cories won't do well w/ exodons either. The cories will be destroyed.
It's usually best to keep peaceful fish w/ peaceful fish.

I heard they were OK with exodons since they stayed on the bottom and are somewhat armored, but that may not be 100% accurate. I wouldn't do it without more researching before buying anyways, so no worries. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I have kept Brochis splendens successfully with adult green terrors with no issues,even whilst breeding.
However festae tend to be more aggressive and Brochis are bigger than most corydoras.
It's not just the welfare of the cory's that's at stake.A spiny catfish can get lodged in the throat of a big cichlid and can cause death.

 

[cichlidfish]

I heard they were OK with exodons since they stayed on the bottom and are somewhat armored, but that may not be 100% accurate. I wouldn't do it without more researching before buying anyways, so no worries. Thanks for the heads up!

The issue is more of being harassed. Cories are active fish sometimes swimming midtank.
They stress easily and feeding might be hard since exos are aggressive eaters.
The only kind of tankmate I'd recommend is an armored pleco.