# what is typical cory behavior? mine have me worried



## pompeyjohn (Mar 10, 2010)

Hi all,

I have a 12 gallon tank that has three cory's and a few tetras. Two of the cory's are emerald green, and the other one is peppered.

They spend all their time laying on the bottom or hiding. The tank is well planted so there are plenty of hiding spaces, and the tetras don't seem to be bothering them. I rarely see them, even when the lights are off. More worryingly they seem to hang out on their own, and not together. They have been like this for about two weeks now.

I was advised by my LFS that cory's would be happy in a group of 3. Obviously more would be better, but due to my tank size I can get any more.

Perhaps I'd be better getting a greater number of pygmy cory's instead? Or maybe some Ghost Shrimp. 

I'd rather not give up on these guys though.... and I am hoping you guys can advise something. I keep hearing about how playful these guys are.... and I am scratching my head here.

Should just add I have been checking the water chemistry and it is great. Also their barbels look fine to me.

Thanks in advance


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## eileen (Feb 24, 2009)

That is so strange as I bought a albino cory for my 6 gal. and it is very active in my tank. Your group seems to be a nice one. I would contact the place where you bought it and see if you can exchange them as something might be wrong with them health wise. Most fish stores have a return poilcy but you need to bring a sample of your water in a seperate bag for them to check.I know that sometimes new fish take awhile to adjust to a new enviroment.I have a little dwarf cory in my 10 gal. and I bought 2 but one died and this one is very active and is fine by it's self. Sorry I could not be of more help. Maybe if you get a group that is the same speices they will be more active together. Sometimes different kinds of cory do not want to hang out together.


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## Promelas (Feb 5, 2010)

They may just be adjusting to your tank, and as a result can be skittish. As Eileen said most cories would prefer to be with others of the same species so that may be a reason you aren't seeing any shoaling behavior. I have 6 sterbai cories and they don't always shoal together and it is often difficult to find all 6. Some days they're very active, and some days they aren't it just depends on their mood I suppose. Mine are generally most active shortly before the lights go off for the night. Just out of curiosity how are you looking to see if they're active when the lights are off? Do you see them feeding at all?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Different fish act differently, even with the same species sometimes. But there also may be something wrong in the tank, esp if this current behaviour is a dramatic change. Corydoras are one of the first fish to let you know this. Some more info would help sort this out.

How long has the tank been set up?
When did you add the three corys?
When you say your water is fine, do you know the specifics? Have you tested recently for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and if so, what were the numbers?
What is the pH?
What is the water temperature?

Byron.


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## pompeyjohn (Mar 10, 2010)

Byron said:


> Different fish act differently, even with the same species sometimes. But there also may be something wrong in the tank, esp if this current behaviour is a dramatic change. Corydoras are one of the first fish to let you know this. Some more info would help sort this out.
> 
> How long has the tank been set up?
> When did you add the three corys?
> ...


They have been in the tank for about three weeks now. It is a cycled tank. I keep a spreadsheet on the home computer of the water chemistry. If I remember rightly there was a tiny amount of ammonia; less than 0.25ppm and both the nitrates and nitrites were flat. Perhaps during a water change I restarted the cycle. PH fluctuates between 7.4 and 7.6 where I am. I keep the temp at 74.

I can see them with the lights off as my tank has led moon lights, and also there is just enough ambient light in the room to make them out.

I have only witnessed them feeding once in the last week. It was a broken up aqueon bottom feeder tablet that was sprinkled in. Some tiny bits of tetra flake food gets past them and sits on the substrate. They seem oblivious to that.

I'll have a word with the LFS, maybe they can swap the two emerald for a peppered or vice-versa.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Did you look into the ammonia? This could come from the aquarium, or there can be ammonia in tap water--do you know about the tap water? And which water conditioner are you using?

You didn't say how long the tank has been running; being cycled is fine, but established is quite a different thing.

Are there live plants, and if yes how many? This question because of the zero nitrate.

They are eating the tablet which is good; flake food often gets ignored by corys I find, the snails are better at this.

Are those moon lights on all night?

Sorry for so many questions, but there are many things involved in aquaria and one little thing can sometimes impact this or that fish.


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## Bacchus (Mar 8, 2010)

if you are showing any ammonia at all then your tank is not fully cycled...


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