My Cories Are Not Funny

[soritan]

I thought one of my albino cories had died. He was on his side, not breathing, perfectly still, for over an hour... for three hours. Nothing was wrong with my water stats, all were ok (except for a minor bacterial bloom due to my tank being new, but my filter NOT being new). To console myself, I went and had a gin and tonic, and started to wonder what I should do.

Since I hadn't seen any of my 4 cories in several days, and just today I finally saw exactly 1 (snuffing about my brand new cave), I feared the worst. I thought all my Schwartzi's had died, and I only had one lonely albino cory... who had eaten... you know, everyone.

My betta was fine, my harliquin rasboras were fine, my water stats were fine (0-0-10 ..... why can't I ever get more than 20? >< ), and there was that lonely little albino.

3 gin and tonics later, my timer turns off, and it's 'night' in my tank. Since I've had a few, I forget my fishey woes and concentrate on reading about... uh... I don't know, DNS issues concerning my server, or something. And then I look at my tank, and I see... everyone. Including the fish that was 'dead'.

Comedians! The lot of them! I shall deny them bloodworms!

I shall give them fewer bloodworms!

.....

....

I shall remove the caves?

 

[robyngunston]

All of my Cory's with the exception of one..only ever come out when the light is off, I suppose they just like the dark? Well then....that's a first...being able to teach a fish to play dead

 

[soritan]

Yeah, all my cories are more active at night, too. For the last few days, I had assumed that they were all hiding out in their brand new tank cave. It's when I saw the cory actually lying on its side that I suddenly began to dread everyone had died in some sort of mass incident I had somehow managed not to notice.

One cory is still MIA, but now I don't fear for his life.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me, too.

 

[robyngunston]

My one cory lies still for ages sometimes, I also wonder if he is still alive as everyone bumps into him and he just sits there...and then later he will be swimming around? I suppose it would be pretty obvious if they were dead as they would float to the top?

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Awwww bless them. None of mine play dead thankfully but they do spend most of the daytime in the dark spots of the tank. Know the feeling of dread tho. My yoyo loaches often sleep on their sides or lean at an angle against the glass. The first time I found them doing that I panicked and immediately went to get the assumed dead fish out. Naturally they got quite sulky with me and swam off fast. Nowadays they do it (deliberately I swear!) right at the front of the tank trying to wind me up. Dead giveaway the second I open the top or talk to them tho.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Barracuda518]

Awwww bless them. None of mine play dead thankfully but they do spend most of the daytime in the dark spots of the tank. Know the feeling of dread tho. My yoyo loaches often sleep on their sides or lean at an angle against the glass.

My yoyo's did that too and my Striata (zebra loaches) do it to. I had read that they do that, but had forgot. They were doing it on the first day I got them, so of course, I thought something was wrong As soon as I opened the lid, they zoomed off looking for food.

As for my cories sleeping on their sides, thats never happened. I dont think thats normal behavior for a cory, especially if it wasnt breathing. You definately need to keep an eye on them. Maybe Inchworm will post and comment on that, she whould definately know if its normal or not.

 

[Littlelady]

That's strange, my cories all, without exception stay out all the time, they have several places they could 'hide' but just don't seem to do it. If they are not busy snuffling and sifting through the sand then they are all lined up and watching me go about my day...

 

[soritan]

X( I think that particular cory is either a jokester, sick, or just plain weird.

I came home from work, and he was lying in a bed of floating anacharis about an inch away from the surface, perfectly still, on his side. No gill movement, nothing. Knowing that this cory had freaked me out earlier, I opened the hood and sprinked some food, and it was like... instant cory, just add flake.

Do cories do this?? Is this normal? I can't be having weekly heart attacks because I think the same cory is dead over and over again.

 

[jollysue]

Many of my cories tend to hide out when they've done a good scour of the tank and are not hunting food. But the C. virginae/Sangama line up at the edge of the sand and wait for me to feed them. One is sitting there now waiting for a good blackworm feed. The pandas also group together out in the open in their tank of small black and white species. My busy pepper clan in the big community tank are very busy all the time out and about.

I think the particular species, the tank mates, and the size of the clan can have to do with their boldness to stay out in the daylight.

But none of my cories lay on their sides and play dead, soritan. Leave it to you to get the clown! haha

 

[soritan]

Aaaa, now I feel special.

My cories hide when they've done a good scour, too. After adding food, everyone comes out and is active for a few hours. I have caves in my tank, so they've lots of places to hide. "Count the cories" is going to be a daily activity from now on, I think.

I swear, that one albino. He must like the look on my face when I've found him 'dead', or something. He doesn't swim like his sick, he eats fine. He just sleeps motionless and on his side, I guess.

 

[jollysue]

Maybe he's a hybrid botia.