Two questions about my Corys.

[Socrates]

Got two Cory Elegns yesterday. Picked Elegans over tons of others at the LFS just because the Elegans were in my budget, and looked reasonably frisky and happy in their tank compared to others in the LFS who were mostly a lot lazier looking.

FIRST, these were labelled Cory Elegans, but most pictures of Elegans I've seen shoe a pretty smooth colored fish. These have two rows of striping along thee upper half of the body and then spotting belowe that. Are they really Elegans? Are there just more than one coloring of that species? I don't really care, other than just wondering about sizing, pricing, etc, and these two are a hoot anyway.

Anyway. These two are GREAT. I will be getting more.

SECOND, these two are pretty active, and the really get around the tank pretty well, they do a lot of things you could call "antics". The one thing they do that makes go HMMM though is attack the surface. Once in a while, one will just be cruising along or picking food out of a rock and then ZOOM he whips up to the surface, sticks his nose out and whips back to the bottom to go right back to what looks like normal swimming, scvenging, etc. Is this to be worried about?


PS. I'm paranoid about my fish...

 

[snowyangel]

Don't worry, cories will often dive up for a gulp of air. All of mine do it. It's funny how fast they do it too as if they wont make it before some fish eats them or something. Such silly little creatures.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Socrates

Here is a link that will show all the varieties of corydoras. If yours does not match any of the pictures of C. elegans, perhaps you will be able to find out just what it really is.

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ra/g_thumbs.htm

Corys dash to the surface to gulp mouthfuls of air which they absorb through their intestines. They are not air breathers and do not have labyrinths like bettas and gouramis, but sometimes they will do this. As long as it is only occasionally, it's normal and nothing to worry about.

 

[Socrates]

Oh man thanks!

I wish I saw this before going back to the LFS for more though!!!

I ended up with three males and one female.

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ydora/110_f.php

Is this going to be a problem later on?

 

[Inchworm]

...I ended up with three males and one female

...Is this going to be a problem later on?

Hi Socrates

Having more males than females will be no problem at all, unless you plan to breed them. But, even then, most experts recommend having a greater number of males than females, so I wouldn't worry about it.

But, if you do plan to breed them at some time, you might want to get another one or two females as insurance, in case something happens to the one you have. Being left with 3 males and no females just will not work!

But under all other circumstances, all corys get along fine together whatever their gender. The important thing is that they are healthy and happy, as yours seem to be.

 

[Socrates]

Being left with 3 males and no females just will not work!

This IS California of course.

I'm just focused on having a tank full of fish that A) don't rip each other to shreds and B) don't die because I posoined them accidentally.

Once we get past that anxiety we'll think about things like breeding... LOL