Very shy corys!

[becs66]

Hi,

I bought 3 corys about 4 months ago, Bandit Corys (C.Metae) I believe (black stripe running right down back??!!), in the first month or so for they were active little things swimming around picking trough the gravel etc. Now days, ie for the last couple of months however, they have adopted a large cave under a piece of bog wood and sit there all day doing nothing and won't even come out to feed. They have always been quite shy but used to come out at dinner time! I was just wondering if this was normal behaviour for these guys, are they predominantly nocturnal or would they be happier in greater numbers? I drop sinking wafers just after the lights go out which I guess they eat as they must be eating something!! Any advice would be much appreciated.

They are in a 30 gal community tank with some tetras, an angel, gouramis and a rainbow shark, all of which get on fine.

Thanks!

PS they spawned a couple of weeks ago so I guess they can't be that unhappy?!

 

[Morrgan]

Cories are mainly nocturnal, so it's not unusual for them to rest in some hideout every now and then during the day. They are also shoalers, and should be kept in a group of 6 or more to let them feel secure. My cories used to be shy and hide, but when I got more of them to have a group of 7, they started coming out during the day a lot more often than before. So, from experience I can say that a larger group does make them more active and less prone to hide.

Congrats on the spawning, by the way. Did any fry survive?

 

[MAM]

my 4 pandas are active and crazy most of the time, but they will just spend hours chilling in the cave too. they tend to scatter when i turn on the lights. i also have single reticulated cory, and unfortunately he's a lot larger than the pandas and doesn't school with them, so getting him more buddies his size soon, but he mostly spends the day sitting on top of the rock cave and only really moves about after the evening feeding.
i'd check your water, just to be on the safe side (a change in behavior can sometimes be an indicator of problems), but most likely theyve just settled in.

 

[becs66]

Bit fully stocked at the moment but will definitely think about getting a few more some time soon. Would they have to be the same species or am I right in thinking that similar sized species will shoal together?

Unfortunately the spawning wasn't exactly planned and only managed to rescue a few eggs from greedy tetras and those developed fungus. We live and learn!!

In terms of the water parameters nothing has changed much in that department (NH4 & NO2 Oppm, and NO4 5-10ppm) so I guess they're just going to be antisocial!!

Thanks for your help.

 

[becs66]

NO3 not NO4 oops, I should know better being a biochemist!!

 

[MAM]

from all my research when i first got them, they will school/shoal with other cories even if they are a different kind. i'd assume size has something to do with it more than patterns, but that could just be mine. and actually, just 3 or 4 will make a good enough grouping, though you really can never have enough cory cats (i love cory cats, can you tell??? ) they are more nocturnal (if you do research, it'll tell you to feed them at lights out time, though i've never gotten up in the middle of the night to see if theyre more active (but in the early morning,i have noticed my reticulated actually swimming about, which he never does otherwise). pandas it seems tend to be the most active even during the day of all the cories, and sometimes the albinos too. enjoy your little cory cats!!!!!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi becs66

Have you checked the water temperature recently? Is your thermometer accurate? The reason I suggest this is because corys will usually spawn after a drop in the temperature.

I've also observed that mine seem to be less active in cooler tanks (72 degrees) than in warm ones (80 degrees).

If temperature is not the problem, I would suggest keeping an eye on that shark. They are semi-aggressive and territorial and your tank is a bit on the small side for it. The corys might be afraid of it. Here is a link about them:

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...=21&pCatId=1081

 

[becs66]

Hi Inchworm

The temperature on the tank seems to be at a steady 25 degrees C (78 F?) according to two thermometers so I think thats ok. I think your right about the spawning though, the corys spawned just after a water change when there was a bit of mix up over the addition of boiling water to the tap water so it got added a bit cold! )

I am aware that sharks can get a bit aggressive but only got him a couple of weeks ago and he's only about 1" long at the moment, but I'll definitely keep an eye on him and move him if he's a nuissance to the other fish.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi becs66

IMHO, with corys, spawning is a sign of health, not happiness.

Schooling fish find safety in numbers. Three is usually enough corys for them to be happy, but having a shark in the tank is not usual. Perhaps adding a few more would help them overcome their shyness.

On the other hand, a lion cub might be cute and playful for a little while, but if you had one living in your home you would always be aware of the fact that one day it would grow up and cause you harm. Perhaps the corys think the same way about the shark.

 

[rsz]

mine lounge around alot and i have 3 (and mine are a bronze, an albino and a schwartzi or something like that, and they all get along )

 

[FanOFish]

I have four cory cats, 2 leopard and 2 peppered...they are by far the most energetic fish in the tank and almost always on the move either looking for food on the bottom or just swimming up and down the sides of the tank.

I have a feeling if yours suddenly became shy it might have something to do with their new neighbor the red tailed shark.

 

[becs66]

Good theory but only had the rainbow shark a couple of weeks and the corys have been behaving in this way for much longer!!

 

[joshua]

just got 2 more cories, 1 oto, and 2 rams to add to my previous one cory... this morning... i saw one cute cory... swimming around and... BONG!.. rammed straight into a ram.. haha... luckily the ram isnt too aggressive or it will be like... THIS LITTLE BUGGER IS GONNE GET IT..