My Cories Won't Play Together!

[cj1980]

Hi guys, quick question.

I had a single albino cory, after losing it's playmates, it looked kind of lonely in my tank, so I went along to my LFS to get it some new pals. My existing cory is fairly large now, most likely full size, so I queryed whether he'd school around with the "youngsters" for sale. I was assured he'd be fine.

I also asked about Cory varieties, whether I'd be best off getting albinos for him, I was told it didn't matter, so I bought 2 peppered and 2 albinos.

However, since introducing them to my set up, the 2 peppered play themselves, and the two younger albinos play, while the grumpy old man lazes around waiting to be fed!! Anyone know if they'll eventually all school together??

 

[MHunt]

Fish that school only really do that when they feel threatened. Also, while they are similar in species (they are all a variety of aenus) the different colours do matter so they tend to stick together.

How long is it since you added the extra cory's? I would just give them time, and only really worry if on appears to be separate from the group, or sulks in the same place all the time and doesn't come out to feed.

 

[Chuka1212]

I had a loner trilineatus cory for a while and introduced three buddies for him and he didn't hang out with them either. He was always by himself but after a few weeks he would scoot around right along with them, so I would'nt worry, he just needs some time probably. And as MHunt said, species does matter when it comes to cory schooling, I was hoping to mix species at one point but it never happened, though people tell me they've seen it done.

 

[cj1980]

Thanks for the info guys.

It was Friday I added them, so they're still strangers I suppose, hopefully they'll be playmates soon enough.

 

[jollysue]

I'm sorry, MHunt, that is not strickly true of Cories.

First: Albinos are not all aeneus. They may be peppers/C. Paleatus, bronze/C. aeneus, or C. sterbai. Cories do stay together and sit and swim together whether they are threatened or not. If they are threatened they bunch tighter and hide. They are different than Tetras and Rasaboras and other mid level schoaling fish.

I think eventually your fish will come together more, but there are some factors that enter in. Are the albinos peppers? As the young peppers get older they will probably join up with the old man. The two young pairs will probably always be buddies. The two pair are each siblings that came from two different nurseries. They will stick together especially while they are acclimating. Eventually it will be home, and their behavior will relax.

 

[MHunt]

I'm sorry, MHunt, that is not strickly true of Cories.

First: Albinos are not all aeneus. They may be peppers/C. Paleatus, bronze/C. aeneus, or C. sterbai. Cories do stay together and sit and swim together whether they are threatened or not. If they are threatened they bunch tighter and hide. They are different than Tetras and Rasaboras and other mid level schoaling fish.

I think eventually your fish will come together more, but there are some factors that enter in. Are the albinos peppers? As the young peppers get older they will probably join up with the old man. The two young pairs will probably always be buddies. The two pair are each siblings that came from two different nurseries. They will stick together especially while they are acclimating. Eventually it will be home, and their behavior will relax.

Ok i stand corrected on the species bit, albino is a different colour variety that has been exploited for the fishkeeping hobby. But am i right in thinking that most albino cory's you get in the shops, (in the uk anyway) are aenus?

The schooling bit though, I often see lone cory's venturing around my community tank quite happily foraging for food. But they sharp dart together if I approach the tank a bit quickly.

 

[Maxta]

My peppers and albinos rarely hand round together. Sometimes i spot them lying together behind the cave, but most the time they aint together when swimming. My albinos stick together and swim around the tank like nutters, whilst the peppers play in the sand or lie about (lazy bar stewards).

 

[jollysue]

I guess I can't answer what are in the shops in the UK or even NY or Chicago . But you will find that on this forum there is variety in the tanks. Myself, I have long fin albino peppers. They are in a tank recently joined by long fin regular peppers. They couldn't care less about color--esp. at spawning time!

I have several (7) tanks of cories only. All of them have several different species. Many of the species do intermingle a lot. Other species don't take to each other. Their resting together and sitting together when there is no threat is what I am refering to. I do find Cory behavior different than Tetra behavior. And my Rasaboras, although about four different variants, can hardly be separated for a minute, but hang together in a bunch nearly all the time, although I am certainly not a harlequin expert. When there is no percieved threat and there is food to be foraged for, the Cories do certainly forage. Still they line up at the glass in species and mixed groups when they see me and think I may have food.

I have some panda adults with some gossei and a suessi. The pandas do show some difference, but they all group up together and sit in a line at the glass. I have Brochis splenden and sterbai together with some long fin aeneus. The sterbai, when not spawning, mix in play lots with the brochis, but when I come in and sit down the brochis line up at the glass and watch me, I assume, waiting to be fed. One sterbai was in quarantine with some brochis and has been a little confused as to who she is.

One tank is mixed with about five different species. While they often line up en species, certain species also mix it up when they come to stare, plopping themselves down like dominos.

Of course, if your albinos and regulars are different species, then they will hang apart more and species do tend to group together regardless. One Pulcher variant escaped one tank through the syphon into the community tank where there are regular peppers and loaches. Poor thing has tried to find a buddy, but just does not fit in and has given up to live solatary, until I have some time and interest to tear the tank apart to catch him and return him to his tribe. Making blanket statements is always iffy. Different species do respond differently often from other species.

And honestly my albinos and long fins know nothing of exploitation. They are happy little fellows living their little tank lives with no thought of our politics.