cories are stupid, right?

[Tostada]

Or is it just mine?

My pandas are my favorite fish, but they're seem to be my stupidest fish, too. Their activity is more random than anything I've seen. Even my snails and shrimp give me the impression that they have a reasonable awareness of their surroundings, but the cories definitely don't. They're spastic and clueless. If I look at a cory for a minute, one second he'll be rooting around the gravel, a couple seconds later he'll be cleaning the leaves of a plant, then he'll shoot up to the surface, then he'll go hide somewhere ... or maybe he'll just play dead in some random spot, totally oblivious to a shrimp poking at him or some other cory rooting around and running right into him. They're the only fish who have no concept of feeding time, and food pretty much has to land within a half inch of them before they pay any attention to it --- and it's certainly not out of the ordinary for them to run their noses directly over a Hikari sinking wafer and instead start poking at some tasty gourami turd instead.

Maybe it's just their appearance. Most of my fish I can look at them and I kind of get the impression that they see me ... well, I can prove they see me ... what I mean is it looks like they're looking at me. And if I look at a shrimp and its beady little eyes, I can at least imagine it's looking at me. But the cories just have a glazed-over look.

 

[Pleco]

Wanna tell us what kinda plants you have in there again hehe

I've never had cory's but that description actually sounds amusing to watch

-Pleco

 

[src]

Yeah, that pretty much describes the behaviour of my cories as well. Dumb as a box of hammers, but fun to watch.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Give them some time for knowing when feeding time is. It took awhile for mine to come out when I dropped in some pellets. Now, as soon as the shrimp pellets and algae wafers go in, they are all around the bottom looking for them.

How many do you have? My pandas just started coming out more now that the number is up to 8. They are much more social in bigger groups. Before, mine would hide any time I came near the tank. Now they stay out more and only hide if I stay in front of the tank too long (like trying to take a picture ).

 

[QTOFFER]

Corys are definitely goofballs.
No tank is complete without at least a couple of them, IMO.

 

[875mill]

Sounds like everyone else has better luck with there corys than me. I have 5 spotted corys in my 29 gallon tank, and i never ever see them. And if I get lucky and actually spot one out in the open the slightest movement or noise will send them scurrying. Mine only eat the little little algea wafers. At least I think they are eating them. I've never actually seen one chowing down. They wont eat shrimp pellets, my ghost shrimp will always snag those up pretty quick.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm not sure if mine know the difference between tank bottom and top. I'm not going to use any human terms to equate their behaviour, I just don't think it's fair to the fish. But, that is what makes them a tank must have, since no other fish are going to go from one activity to another within seconds.

 

[hc8719]

i'd have to say my kuhli loaches are stuipd, not as much as what you guys make cories sound like, but they hide constantly, and when they do come out, they dart around the tank like idiots, hitting any fish in their way.

sometimes, they swim in an oval on the left wall of the tank, over and over, sometimes for hours or even a day. i thought it was a mating dance or something, but its not, they do have perception of feeding time though...

 

[Guest]

my cories also play dead and enjoy poo more than tasty treats i give them. but they're so dern cute

 

[Pleco]

aww seems like it would be fun to have in a tank. I dont think i can add anymore fish to my tank though..

I have that 23" bubble wand which makes the water a little turbulent, do they like/dislike/could care less about water current?

-Pleco

 

[Purrbox]

I definately wouldn't call my cories stupid. They do have a bit of a short attension span, but they're definately aware of their surroundings and eachother. There are also times when it's quite evident that they are keeping a close eye on me. While mine forage most of the time they're quite willing to come investigate whatever tasty tidbit I've dropped in the tank for them. Reguardless, they're definately full of personality.

 

[verucaproduce]

Cories are the Jessica Simpsons of the fish world.

 

[joannde]

I love my panda cories - rather than "stupid" I'd rather see them as hyperactive (maybe a touch of ADHD LOLOL). Mine ALWAYS know when its feeding time - as soon as whatever I'm feeding hits the water they're out and about hunting. Granted the don't all eat the food they've located immediately (you'd think they were totally ignoring it !) but they go back to it later - esp the Hikari Sinking Wafers and Hikari Algae Wafers - they like those super soft. Mine aren't skitish at all - they're always out and about, unless its rest time in which case they sit there just gathering up enough energy to have another bout of hyperactivity.
JChillin - mine aren't always at the bottom either - 30% of the time they're synchronized swimming along the front wall of the tank, low middle high - it doesn't seem to matter to them, they're just having cory fun !

 

[JeffreyL]

cories

Hmmmmmmm. Cories have ADHD. THAT would explain a lot!!!!!!! LOL But stupid? Afraid I can't agree with that one. I think that little wink they give us means they know something we don't. Perhaps they are really cory philosophers. When they are not being little spazoids, that is. :? I think I will simply open a ginger beer and go watch the little darlings before I get a headache thinking about it.

 

[SCFatz]

Stupid is not the word I would choose either,but I get the point of the original post.

They are indeed spastic,busy,curious explorers....a great addition to a FW tank imo.

Although ADHD is pretty discriptive I must admit lol...

 

[coldmachineUK]

:O You're all mean lol. I don't think cories are stupid! :O A friend has about 6, and they all line up in one corner, looking out (definitely at the Big People Outside). They mainly sit there, watching (in Catfish Corner we call it), but when it's feeding time they do scurry about. They never seemed dumb to me!
The only dumb thing I've seen them do is sit underneath a large gib. plec for too long Needless to say it got a face full of pleco belly that made it scarper pronto lol.