Pepper Cory behavior is odd.

Deku · Dec 2, 2007

Hi! I've been trolling this forum for a while now. Got my first 10g tank setup and going perfectly by reading a lot of tips and tricks from all over this forum, so thanks to everyone! But, my first post is in the Catfish section for a reason. I stocked my 10g with Rummynose tetras, Bloodfin tetras and a Julii Cory. I <3 my Julii cory! I like all my fish, but I unexpectedly fell in love with these corydoras!

Anyway, onto the reason I'm posting. I got 4 Pepper Cory's today from my lfs for another 10g tank I set up last week. (Its like a bug, this aquarium hobby. I got my first 10g a month and a half ago for $5 at a Salvation Army store, now I have another 10g and a 30g tank which I picked up and have running for $70! I've been lucky) So I was watching these cory's in the store for a while. (Different store from where I got my Julii) and these Peppers are swimming up and down, up and down the side of the tank. They go all the way up to the surface of the water! My Julii doesn't do this. S/He stays at the bottom and goes about its business. Never have I seen my Julii go above halfway up the tank. Now I have 3 of these Peppers in the new tank and added 1 Pepper into the tank with my Julii (thought s/he was lonely; how do you sex a cory anyway

I can't name them till I know, can I?), and they're still doing this up and down business!
I guess I just want to know if this is normal behavior for them (or if I should seek counselling), since most of what I've read was that Cory's are bottom dwellers so they have me perplexed!

Thanks for reading and thanks for all the helpful information I've found here!
-MikeH.

msjinkzd · Dec 2, 2007

this is absolutely normal for cories. they are clowns. That being said, did you seed the new tank from the old? If you are experiencing a cycle (ammonia and nitrite readings on your tank) the cories could be acting more "outrageous" because of the water conditions. Do you have a test kit?

destined_love7 · Dec 2, 2007

My cories normally do that and I know they're ok. Right now they're just sitting on the bottom. Now THAT worries me.

Deku · Dec 2, 2007

Yesh miss, I do have a kit. I'm never sure on the colour of the test tube water, but as best as I can tell, 0-0-5 on the new tank which was seeded from the old one (as best I could...not sure if I did it right or anything, but I did test it the next day to have the same reading as my old tank so it cycled in a day?). So, according to my untrained hands, my tank is cycled and is within normal parameters: 0-0-5, 76-80*F, pH somewhere between 7.4 and 7.8 but not so dark to say 7.8...I guess.
I think I'm worrying for nothing, but better safe than sorry...

Thankye!
-MikeH.

msjinkzd · Dec 2, 2007

i would think you are worrying for nothing too

...better to worry than have dead fish. cories are funny characters, a constant source for enjoyment.

Aislinn · Dec 3, 2007

I have peppered corys, and they're a bunch of spazzes. Constantly active and zipping all over the place. The only time they hold still is when they're asleep. That's why I love peppered so much, because they're (in my experience, anyway) even more active than other types of corys.

leighasnana · Dec 3, 2007

Mine do this before they breed. The females swim up and down all over the tank and the males chase them. They might do this for a couple of days and then spawn.

They do this individually for fun too but if you find they're pairing off or doing it as a group they could be getting ready to spawn.

The best way to sex them is that the female is larger than the male and rounder. I think planetcatfish.com has a good page showing the male and female peppered cory. Go to their catelog and click on common names and on p then peppered cory.

Scarlett Echo · Jan 2, 2008

I got three Peppered Cory the other day and they spent the first day or two hiding a lot. I was shocked last night when I saw 2 of them zooming up and down the side of the tank, appearing to suck the sides. It seemed very rhythmic and then, my two Platies came and did the same thing, like they were copying them.

Then they just stopped and acted more normal.

OgreMkV · Jan 2, 2008

Yep, the peppered cories are nut balls... mine surf the outflow from the filter and occasionally pop up to the surface. Lately, they been more mid level fish than bottom fish.

They are a ball.


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Pepper Cory behavior is odd.

Deku

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msjinkzd

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destined_love7

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Deku

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msjinkzd

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Aislinn

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leighasnana

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Scarlett Echo

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OgreMkV

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