What is Typical Cory Cat Behavior?

[KC]

I have three panda cory cats in a 20 gallon tank with two platys and one
molly. I have the cory cats for about a year.

About three months ago I noticed that the cory cats were spending nearly
100% of their time resting on the bottom of the tank amongst the plants. If
you didn't know to look for them, you would never know they are in the
tank - they are pretty much motionless. It seems as though the only time
they move is when I happen to disturb them while cleaning the tank..

Is it normal behavior for these fish to so sedentary?

Kenn

[NetMax]

"KC" > wrote in message
...
> I have three panda cory cats in a 20 gallon tank with two platys and
one
> molly. I have the cory cats for about a year.
>
> About three months ago I noticed that the cory cats were spending
nearly
> 100% of their time resting on the bottom of the tank amongst the
plants. If
> you didn't know to look for them, you would never know they are in the
> tank - they are pretty much motionless. It seems as though the only
time
> they move is when I happen to disturb them while cleaning the tank..
>
> Is it normal behavior for these fish to so sedentary?
>
> Kenn


It is part of their allure ;~) Sometimes I walk by my Cory tank and
there are 4 or 5 of them lined up at the front of the tank. All
motionless, in a row, almost perpendicular to the glass. It's like they
decided to spend their afternoon people watching. Other times they are
in constant motion digging around for food, but they tend to concentrate
on one or the other, either searching or just parking (with the
occasional wink ;~). Only rarely do they mix the two activities by doing
a leisurely search.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Vicki S]

I have found that the more cory's I have, the more active they are. Try
adding a few more and see how much more active they will get. YMMV.

Vicki


>About three months ago I noticed that the
>cory cats were spending nearly 100% of
>their time resting on the bottom of the
>tank amongst the plants. If you didn't
>know to look for them, you would never
>know they are in the tank - they are pretty
>much motionless. It seems as though the
>only time they move is when I happen to
>disturb them while cleaning the tank..

"It is well that war is so terrible, else we would grow fond of it."
~ Robert E. Lee~

http://shamrock4u.250free.com

[KC]

Thanks for the replies

As NetMax mentioned, cory cats can sometimes be in constant motion. It's
just that mine never seem to be that way. I would add more cory cats as
Vicki suggested, but I had an outbreak of ich within the past 3 - 4 weeks,
and really don't feel comfortable adding new fish to the tank right now.

I did treat the tank for 6 days with malachite green hydrochloride, but from
what I was told and read, I need to maintain the treatment for 30
consecutive days to resolve the problem. Due to travel, I won't be able to
begin the 30 consecutive days until the third week in July. After that, I'll
look into adding additional cory cats to see if that gets the cory cats
moving.

Thanks again

Kenn


"Vicki S" > wrote in message
...
> I have found that the more cory's I have, the more active they are. Try
> adding a few more and see how much more active they will get. YMMV.
>
> Vicki
>
>
> >About three months ago I noticed that the
> >cory cats were spending nearly 100% of
> >their time resting on the bottom of the
> >tank amongst the plants. If you didn't
> >know to look for them, you would never
> >know they are in the tank - they are pretty
> >much motionless. It seems as though the
> >only time they move is when I happen to
> >disturb them while cleaning the tank..
>
> "It is well that war is so terrible, else we would grow fond of it."
> ~ Robert E. Lee~
>
> http://shamrock4u.250free.com
>

[Lady Samsara]

(Vicki S) wrote in message >...
> I have found that the more cory's I have, the more active they are. Try
> adding a few more and see how much more active they will get. YMMV.
>
> Vicki
>
>
I have been thinking of getting pygmy cories...what would be the
minimum number you would suggest? Thanks!

[Gail Futoran]

"Lady Samsara" > wrote > I have
been thinking of getting pygmy cories...what would be the
> minimum number you would suggest? Thanks!

I found this article very helpful:
http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/Cpygmaeus.html

My experience with C. habrosus (the only
variety I could find locally, and that LFS seldom
gets them in):
1) purchased 14 about 2 months ago, divided
among 3 tanks (6G Eclipse, two 10Gs)
2) after losing a few in each tank, moved
the remaining fish from 6G into 10Gs
3) bought 9 more over a month ago
4) now down to 8 in one tank, 4 in another
The tank with 8 is the oldest tank I have with
well established plants (taking over my tank...)
and the lowest nitrates of any tank I have.

Both tanks have similar setups (gravel, sand
"beaches", plants, driftwood) and community
fish: 3 Skunk botia, 3-5 Otocinclus, & the
C. habrosus. Both get weekly water changes
and nitrates are never above 10. pH ranges
from 7.0 to 7.4 with kh in the low range (2-4).
Nitrates are lower in the older tank, never
getting above 5, so maybe that's the key variable?

I cannot figure out what is slowly killing off the
fish in the newer (about 8 months established)
tank but I'm monitoring them closely.

So - if you have room, I'd get extra, put some
in different tanks, and then monitor water
quality really carefully.

HTH - Gail

[NetMax]

"Gail Futoran" > wrote in message
...
> "Lady Samsara" > wrote > I have
> been thinking of getting pygmy cories...what would be the
> > minimum number you would suggest? Thanks!


Six to 8 in a 20g or bigger. Pygmy corys are not really comparable to
regular corys. Miniature versions; as well as parking on the substrate,
they can hover in little groups and park themselves in leaves.
--
www.NetMax.tk