# Any tips to help my cories from being so shy?



## Doctor T (Apr 23, 2009)

Hi everyone,

I got 6 orange lasers and 3 adolfois in my 20g tall planted tank for over 2 months now. They seem to be doing well, but I hardly ever see them.  I originally only had 3 cories, and I had hoped that getting more would help them get out of theirs 'shells' - obviously, it didn't work.

They only seem to want to come out at night to feed, after the lights go out and there's no people traffic close to the tank. If I want to watch them during this time, I have to sit really still.

I tried feeding them during the day, but they stay under the driftwood, or hide in the plants and so the snails have a feast instead. (Leading to snail overpopulation of course)

I'm pretty sure they do come out even when the lights are on, but only when nobody is around. As soon as I walk to the tank they scatter and hide.

Temperature is 76 degrees F. Tank is planted with about medium density, with a piece of drifwood where you can barely some of them hiding. Other fish in the tank are 2 platies, and 6 otocinclus.

Any tips to help me get them more active and less shy (i.e. entertaining) during the day would be appreciated. If I'm being selfish and I should just let them be - please let me know as well


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Just let them be. They like to hide. Mine come out at night. if the lights are on they only swim around when I drop in food. 
The only reason they are out and about at most LFS is they dont have much to hide in.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

ya...corys hiding during the day or when people are near is inevitable. 

some of mine decided to chill at the front of the tank once in a while, but most are amongst the plants, under a rock or hiding in god knows where. The sad thing is that I see my plecos out more then my corys.


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## Doctor T (Apr 23, 2009)

I did figure that aquascaping was a big part of it. Like Jackson said, at the LFS, they have no place to hide - but the way I aquascaped my tank, it's easy for them to hide, and so they do. I'm relatively happy w/ my current aquascaping though given what I have, so I don't want to change it much... for now. Another member Jung, posted a video of his tank which had lots of cories running around in the light under a canopy of branches and plants. I suppose I'd have to do something similar.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I guess I never expected them to be so shy, but I'm fine to let them be, knowing that it's pretty normal for them to be that way.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

ya, I think its also something to do the personality of the individual fish. I use to have a large peppered cory that loves people, and would always swim around looking for food in the clearing. 

So give them time, there isnt really anything you can do force them to come out, and you never know, some might just feel safe to come out all of the time.


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## Doctor T (Apr 23, 2009)

yeah, I was kinda wondering if I changed my feeding times like during the day, they would come out more. Or leaving the TV on so they get used to noise. I thought I read somewhere that having a shoal of small mid swimming fish may coax them out. (Not sure the rationale for that) Oh well, no biggie. 

I think you're right and it depends on the fish too. I suppose tank bred cories may be less shy than the wild caught ones. (I'm guessing mine are wild caught)


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

My panda cories in the 75 alternate between hiding in one of the many crevices of the tank and swimming around foraging. Sometimes though the crevice they pick happens to be in a visible area of the tank to me but I guess for whatever reason it suits them.


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## Jung (Mar 17, 2009)

That's the nature of corydoras, they are very shy and scutter at any sudden movement, it's probably their survival instinct. I have to sit really still and make slow movements when I'm watching them. 

They are very active when feeding, so if you want to see them in action, outside of their feeding time, just drop a small amount food and they'll all go crazy searching for it.  If you want to see them go hyper crazy, try some live worms such as white or black worms haha


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## Hack02 (Jul 2, 2008)

Generally speaking my Corys (panda & Sterbai) behave the same way. However I picked up some albino cory's at the Hdas fall auction last year and these guys are very active. They actually swim to the top of the tank, even when I'm not feeding. I guess these ones just happen to have a more out going personality than the avg Cory.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Hack02 said:


> They actually swim to the top of the tank, even when I'm not feeding. I guess these ones just happen to have a more out going personality than the avg Cory.


are they just swimming against the glass? or do they actually surface to take a gulp of air. Its normal for corys to occassionally take a gulp, but if they do it very actively and frequently, its a indication of something wrong in the tank.


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## Hack02 (Jul 2, 2008)

Hitch said:


> are they just swimming against the glass? or do they actually surface to take a gulp of air. Its normal for corys to occassionally take a gulp, but if they do it very actively and frequently, its a indication of something wrong in the tank.


Pretty sure it's a gulp of air. I don't think there's anything wrong in the tank (Did a WC and chemical test on the weekend and all was good), just that the albino's do it more often than the panda's or Sterbai. (or maybe I just notice them more) and have been like that since I've had them (about a year now).


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hack02 said:


> Pretty sure it's a gulp of air. I don't think there's anything wrong in the tank (Did a WC and chemical test on the weekend and all was good), just that the albino's do it more often than the panda's or Sterbai. (or maybe I just notice them more) and have been like that since I've had them (about a year now).


I tripped out the first time I saw this and did WC's every other day. Then I realized they just do this LOL. I am not used to see bottom dwellers come to the surface like they do. Had my heart jumping for about 2 weeks.

One thing that drives me crazy about them is they find any little whole they cant fit through and get stuck in it. I had to cut 3 out of drift wood in the last 3 months. Now I too all the wood out and made sure they could fit through all the wholes LOL


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Hack02 said:


> Pretty sure it's a gulp of air. I don't think there's anything wrong in the tank (Did a WC and chemical test on the weekend and all was good), just that the albino's do it more often than the panda's or Sterbai. (or maybe I just notice them more) and have been like that since I've had them (about a year now).


ah, I see, thats good.



Jackson said:


> I tripped out the first time I saw this and did WC's every other day. Then I realized they just do this LOL. I am not used to see bottom dwellers come to the surface like they do. Had my heart jumping for about 2 weeks.


ya, I had the similar experience when I first had corys too.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Cories actually have very poor eyesight. What usually sends them hiding is vibration (from walking, dropping something, moving something, etc.).

If you keep feeding them in the day, eventually they will come out for food. Mine used to be quite shy, but they now wait out for food during the mornings when I feed them. Providing them with some subdued lighting during feeding, or during a portion of the day, may entice them to be a little more active when you can view them.

As stated, it is common for them to gulp air from the surface of the water. It isn't common for them to constantly swim around the surface however.

Just wait until they start "winking" at you


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

This is making me wonder after the previous reply above me about the vibration/drop something/etc is there a way to make or items to use to make the tank less prone to picking up vibrations? 

A thought occured to me thinking back on the Roksan audiophile turn tables (gah they are uber smexy but cost like $3000 something.  ) I've seen at a audio show before where they had I think half cut rubber balls used as a vibration tampener. Granted the turn table probably weights like 10-15lbs over a 60-300lb aquarium.


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## Doctor T (Apr 23, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I think I may try what Chris S does and feed them more during the day to try coax them out a bit more. I was also considering a foam pad under the tank to dampen any vibrations, but not a huge priority on my list.



Jung said:


> That's the nature of corydoras, they are very shy and scutter at any sudden movement, it's probably their survival instinct. I have to sit really still and make slow movements when I'm watching them.
> 
> They are very active when feeding, so if you want to see them in action, outside of their feeding time, just drop a small amount food and they'll all go crazy searching for it.  If you want to see them go hyper crazy, try some live worms such as white or black worms haha


Jung, thanks for weighing in - it was actually your video that made me wish my cories were more active like yours. Good to know you have to do the same thing as me when I want to watch them.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I like to set up caves at the front of my tanks made out of one quarter of a plastic Ikea kids drinking cup. I pile the gravel over them, and this makes a cave for my shy fish to hide in, in a place where I can observe them. The darker it is inside the cave, the more the shy fishies like it. If the edge of the cup is just far enough from the side of the aquarium and the gravel is artfully piled around it, the shy fishies seem to spend a lot of their hiding time somewhere I can still see them.


W


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