Last week I added three Albino Corys to my tank. I had planned on adding six, but the LFS didn't have that many so I only got three. From that day until today the fish didn't act as expected. They spent all day just swimming back and forth in the middle of the tank, only going to the bottom to feed or to the top to gulp air. Their swimming wasn't just mindless back and forth with no purpose to it; not chasing or playing, just swimming by themselves.
Today I went back to the LFS and got three more. Now that I have a school sized more appropriatly for my tank, they seem much better. No more erratic behavior. At resting time, all six are together (it is rather humorous to see six fish resting together, then watch them one by one jump up top to gulp air, then settle down as if nothing happened). Up until today, I almost never saw them together. Their swimming now seems to have a purpose; it actually looks as if they're playing together rather than each keeping to themselves like they were before. As I type this, I'm watching two of them mimicking each other swimming in the outlet current of my filter. First one will swim in some pattern, and the other will follow. No more mindless behavior, now they are playing and interacting like they should.
As this newbie has just learned from experience, please create an environment to fit the needs of your creatures. Active fish need a big tank. Schooling fish need a school. By sizing the school and tank appropriatly, you'll be rewarded with wonderful behavior. And I'm sure they'll only get better as the new additions adapt to their surroundings.
Today I went back to the LFS and got three more. Now that I have a school sized more appropriatly for my tank, they seem much better. No more erratic behavior. At resting time, all six are together (it is rather humorous to see six fish resting together, then watch them one by one jump up top to gulp air, then settle down as if nothing happened). Up until today, I almost never saw them together. Their swimming now seems to have a purpose; it actually looks as if they're playing together rather than each keeping to themselves like they were before. As I type this, I'm watching two of them mimicking each other swimming in the outlet current of my filter. First one will swim in some pattern, and the other will follow. No more mindless behavior, now they are playing and interacting like they should.
As this newbie has just learned from experience, please create an environment to fit the needs of your creatures. Active fish need a big tank. Schooling fish need a school. By sizing the school and tank appropriatly, you'll be rewarded with wonderful behavior. And I'm sure they'll only get better as the new additions adapt to their surroundings.
