Is My Cory Pregnant?

[WillyRBeek]

I noticed yesterday that 2 of my Cory's seemed to really be going at each other, I read an article on their mating habits and what they appeared to be doing is what they described in the article. Then, earlier today for about an hour, one of the Cory's was just sitting in a small cave in one of my rock decorations. At first I thought it was dead, but noticed it's eyes and gils were moving, and it's fins were still up and looked healthy. After a little while the Cory came out of the cave and swam around for a little while. Then about 10 minutes ago I looked, and it was back in the cave again...

Could someone fill me in on what's going on? And if the Cory is indeed pregnant and lays it's eggs, how would I go about setting things up to raise them?

 

[debbie888]

I noticed yesterday that 2 of my Cory's seemed to really be going at each other, I read an article on their mating habits and what they appeared to be doing is what they described in the article. Then, earlier today for about an hour, one of the Cory's was just sitting in a small cave in one of my rock decorations. At first I thought it was dead, but noticed it's eyes and gils were moving, and it's fins were still up and looked healthy. After a little while the Cory came out of the cave and swam around for a little while. Then about 10 minutes ago I looked, and it was back in the cave again...

Could someone fill me in on what's going on? And if the Cory is indeed pregnant and lays it's eggs, how would I go about setting things up to raise them?

If your cories lay eggs....they tend to lay on the glass...well mine do anyway....you remove the eggs, and put them in either a floating container, or a breeder net if you have one, with an airstone in to keep the water moving and to stop fungal collecting on the eggs......the eggs will turn beige if fertilised...and after 3 days...they should start to hatch....mine laid some on Wednesday and some have started to hatch today.

Forgot to say remove any that stay white in colour or any that have fungal on...I am by no means an expert....but am learning by the day.

HTH.

Debbie

 

[Cory_Dad]

You're spot on so far.

 

[debbie888]

You're spot on so far.

Ooh thanks....and that comment from an expert?

 

[Cory_Dad]

Expert? Me?

I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I just read a lot and get lucky (with my corys) once and a while.

But thanks for the compliment, unless you were being sarcastic then, good one; you got me.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Not sure if the OP is clear over this, but corys can't get pregnant. Mammals and livebearing fish do get pregnant, i.e. the male inseminates the female and she then produced babies at a later stage. With (pretty well all) egglaying fish the eggs are inseminated when they are being laid, so outside the female. With corydoras, the parents then have nothing further to do with their eggs (unless, like my paleatus, they eat them). So if they have been mating, the eggs will have been laid then- it's not going to happen later (unless they spawn again).

IME corydoras often appear zonked out after spawning (I believe a similar phenomenon has been observed in other species ). The fact that she was in a cave was probably coincidental, just a nice place to have a rest.

Other species of catfish, such as bristlenoses do deliberately lay the eggs in a cave, where the male then protects them.

 

[OldMan47]

How long after breeding will the cories look "zonked out"? Mine were very active 2 days ago and yesterday morning were very quiet but by the afternoon they were starting to perk up again. I'm not sure they were breeding but there was a lot of activity in a group of 2 females and about 5 males.

 

[jollysue]

The "zonked out" lasts for a short time--a few minutes. The Cory--often the female, although I think I remember seeing a male recently do this--will stiffen and freeze in mid stride. I thought the lady was having a heart attack or something. I took her out and put her in qt. LOL She stayed there untill she started laying eggs without a male and someone told me that the female controlled the spawn with a release of hormones.

Some species of Corys are glass smearers, some are glass placers, some put clumps or individual eggs on leaves, some are mop placers. I usually use Java moss for these guys. many who place eggs on glass will move to the Java moss if it is handy. Also often fry will survive in the tank if they have something dense to hide in.

 

[Cory_Dad]

Not sure if the OP is clear over this, but corys can't get pregnant. Mammals and livebearing fish do get pregnant, i.e. the male inseminates the female and she then produced babies at a later stage. With (pretty well all) egglaying fish the eggs are inseminated when they are being laid, so outside the female. With corydoras, the parents then have nothing further to do with their eggs (unless, like my paleatus, they eat them). So if they have been mating, the eggs will have been laid then- it's not going to happen later (unless they spawn again).

IME corydoras often appear zonked out after spawning (I believe a similar phenomenon has been observed in other species ). The fact that she was in a cave was probably coincidental, just a nice place to have a rest.

Other species of catfish, such as bristlenoses do deliberately lay the eggs in a cave, where the male then protects them.

You're absolutely correct about the pregnant word not applying to corys. What a lot of people mean by asking if their egg layer is pregnant is "Is my egg layer full of eggs and ready to lay them?".

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "So if they have been mating, the eggs will have been laid then- it's not going to happen later (unless they spawn again)." My males go after my females (and each other) like a bunch of peacocks. They will deepen in colour and chase each other around and then try to entice the female. This can go on for a couple of hours or days BEFORE the eggs are actually laid. Both the males and the female will also start cleaning potential egg laying site (aquarium glass, filter tube intake, heater, underside of sword plants, etc.)

When she is ready to lay her eggs the 2 males and the female will start to jostle and nudge each other. It almost looks like they are wrestling. Then the female rams into the belly of one of the male (in automobile accident terms, the female T-bones the male) and the male releases his sperm which the female takes up.

Male in the foreground being t-boned by female:

She will then release a number of eggs (usually ~10 with mine) and collect them between her pelvic fins and stick them onto something with the sperm then fertilizing them (we hope).

She's upside down with a clutch of eggs between her pelvic fins. Notice their whiteness:

Depending on the species and their age and health this can go on for several hours or more (or less). They do rest in between bouts but not long.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

 

[Coryologist]

You're absolutely correct about the pregnant word not applying to corys. What a lot of people mean by asking if their egg layer is pregnant is "Is my egg layer full of eggs and ready to lay them?". - Quote edited by Coryologist.

Greetings. The accepted term is "gravid." - Frank

 

[Cory_Dad]

You're absolutely correct about the pregnant word not applying to corys. What a lot of people mean by asking if their egg layer is pregnant is "Is my egg layer full of eggs and ready to lay them?". - Quote edited by Coryologist.

Greetings. The accepted term is "gravid." - Frank

BINGO! You're bang on Frank:

Main Entry:
Pronunciation:
\ˈgra-vəd\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Latin gravidus, from gravis heavy
Date:
1597

1 : pregnant
2 : distended with or full of eggs <a gravid fish>
— gra·vid·i·ty Listen to the pronunciation of gravidity \gra-ˈvi-də-tē\ noun

Thanks.

 

[Coryologist]

BINGO! You're bang on Frank:

1 : pregnant
2 : distended with or full of eggs <a gravid fish>
— gra·vid·i·ty Listen to the pronunciation of gravidity \gra-ˈvi-də-tē\ noun

Thanks.

Always a pleasure. - Frank

P.S. In commercial aquaculture applications you will also here the term, "roe-laden" used.