Is my Corydoras mad?

[pwright414]

Introduced a tiny pleco to my tank today. Once he started sucking on the glass in a back corner, my bronze corydoras strted swimming all around him and head butted him a few times. The pleco didn't seem to care, but the cory would swim away, then swim right at him, darting away at the last second. I don't know if he wants to play or he if he's just being mean. The pleco eventually wandered into the little stone pipe I put in for him, but my cory is still darting all over the place.

The only other time my cory acted all crazy was when he was first introduced to the tank with a small school of tetras. He played in the bubbles, gulped lots of air, and darted in and out of all the plants. But he never harrassed any of the other fish or shrimp until this pleco came.

Do you think my cory is just excited to have another catfish to hang out with, or is he being territorial?

[joephys]

They usually arent territorial, and are usually friendly. Its probably a little stressed since an unfamiliar new fish is around. It will probaly calm down after a while. Do you have just the one cory? If so that is most definatly the problem. They are schooling fish and need to be in a small group of atleaset four (all of the same type of cory).

[dorkfish]

I thought 6 was the general minimum for schooling fish?

[PurePerfection]

I thought 6 was the general minimum for schooling fish?Corys really don't school per say they just hang kinda in the same area. For Cory Catfish a pair would be minnium.

[pwright414]

Thanks for the info. I will get at least one more corydoras. Shortly after I bought him, I found out they needed companions. I felt terrible. I know that I should read up on fish before I buy them, but living in Japan, I had a difficult time communicating what fish I wanted. At that time, I had wanted a small algae-eater, and that's what the fish man gave me. When I got home, I realized what a mistake I had made. I call him "Hank" (even though I don't know the sex), and I think he needs a friend.

[shaunakadub]

All of my corys do the same thing. I'd say there just trying to play around, but my clown pleco doesn't put up with thier shinanigans =p

[humerjeep]

Hi I believe Corys are the jokers of the pack they do seem to display mad antics, I have a trio and their always clowing around it really a fun sight to see. As PurePerfection stated they don't really school but the majority of the time they do seem to be in close proximity of each other, I'm also looking to introduce aleast another two.

[Gumby131]

OMG a phyco cory... SELL ME IT!!!!!!!

[Hypatia]

I have six corys in my 37 (and they definatly "school".. or I mean are very aware and concerned about where the others are and staying in pretty tight groups) and 1 in my 5.5. They are definatly little characters. I tried to introduce another cory in the 5.5 to befriend the lone cory (thinking I would just move them both over to the 37 when they got bigger), but he didn't like that idea at all. He had been very social, eaten well, and came out often to prowl around and look cute, but when the other cory was introduced he began to hide all the time, stopped comming out even at feeding time, and even started to sort of defend a territory. They were both still babies, so space shouldn't have really been an issue. I took the other out and he has been healthy and active ever since... go figure?