problem I think with cory cats.. please read...

[tmy420]

Hey,

A few months ago I bought 2 cory cats(i think they are bronze ones)...
Since then my pacu ate one and I had that one cory in there for a couple months alone, he is still really small...

I got rid of my pacu the other day and bought 3 more cory cats...
2 bandit ones(i think) and one with big spots...

I put them in the tank and the original bronze one started attacking the hell out of all 3 of them (like really really attacking)

I know cory cats arnt aggressive, so was he eating a disease off their skin or something? Because a day later he is not doing it no longer, he loves them. Also, the 3 new ones I got are REALLY slow compared to the original one...

Also, important questions...... Does it matter if the corys are mixed kinds, or should I have gotten atleast 2 of each kind?



If anyone can answer my questions I would be very greatfull.. I love these catfish!

 

[Bubble_B0y]

agressive cory - never heard that one.

are you sure they weren't playing ??
i know cories will 'friendly' NIP at other cories when they are resting/sleeping to make them "come out and play! "

anyways.
Yes, Cories of different species can be mixed
However, they are more happier and form tighter schools when kept with their own kind.
Try keeping 3 minimum of each kind.

 

[tmy420]

thanks.....

The original bronze one was acting weird for a while, because he was alone and the other got eaten.... Maybe he was just so glad to be with some corys that he was playin with uhm? I noticed he was like "head butting" them alot, and not biting....

But.... yesterday he would seriously scope one out from the other side of the tank, swim over to it and it looks like he would bite them... They would spin around and around all over the tank with the bronzes mouth on him, and the victim would just lay there and let it happen, he did this to all 3 for the whole day, it was seriously REALLY violent looking....

Also does anyone know if the bronze ones are more energetic then some of the others? The bronze one continuesly moves around really fast accross the whole tank, and bottom.. but most of the other ones just sit there... or move really slow... Maybe it was from the attacks...

 

[Bubble_B0y]

bronze/albino cories are the most hardy cory species.

but i'm not sure if they are the most active.
I guess it depends.

From experience, I kept mixed bronze cories and peppered cories.
And the bronze cories were more active

 

[tmy420]

thanks bubble boy, been a lot of help.. I think im gunna go out and get atleast one more bronze and one more spotted right now... maybe couple more later... thanks..


I been watching the cats this mornin and all the bronze is doing now is like pushing them with his head, but not violently... Do you think he was just doing this yesterday but far more strong? Now I think he was doing it because he was so exited or somethin...

 

[tmy420]

Im sorry for being such a pest but there is another problem

One of the cats that I dont see too much (i have a lot of rocks) is just in the corner of the fish tank with his head in the air and constantly swimming up... My girlfriend yesterday said that he had red on him (I think she said red, im color blind so..)
He never comes out to clean the gravel...

Any thoughts?

all the other cats are doing just fine... the tank I got them out of was pretty cloudy, but I had to get them.... let me know thanks


Edit: Hes a little bigger then the other one of the same kind (not really at all) but he seems to be a lot fatter
???

 

[Bubble_B0y]

Im sorry for being such a pest but there is another problem

Not at all - that's what we are here for !!

One of the cats that I dont see too much (i have a lot of rocks) is just in the corner of the fish tank with his head in the air and constantly swimming up...

do u mean standing on his tail ??
or
at the top of the aquarium 'constantly' hanging at the top of the aquarium

My girlfriend yesterday said that he had red on him

Red Streaks ??

it sounds like the cory may be sick.
If the cory has red streaks - I would separate him to another tank.
Cories spread disease very easily to other cories - because they share the same food, lay on one another etc...

but before you do - check your water parameters -
especially ammonia and Nitrate !!

 

[Xzap]

Can you be a lil more specific when you say:
"One of the cats that I dont see too much (i have a lot of rocks) is just in the corner of the fish tank with his head in the air and constantly swimming up"

Thx,

dave

 

[tmy420]

Well.... I dont know if its streeks... its on top of his head... I cant see him good at all because of where he is so i cant check him out... but i have a rock against the corner of the glass and he constantly has his nose on the corner of the tank, swimming upward.... I think the tank is fine because I had the other cory cats for a decent time without a problem...

One more questions... Is the regular old colored gravel okay for them? Like the stuff you usually find at pet stores and walmartS?

 

[tmy420]

I got a lil better peek, but cant really see the top of his head... But I am pretty sure that the 2 are the same species... and the "sick" one is really fat in the tummy...

He has a copper hint to him(sick one), unlike the other one im talking about...

 

[Bubble_B0y]

Well.... I dont know if its streeks... its on top of his head... I cant see him good at all because of where he is so i cant check him out... but i have a rock against the corner of the glass and he constantly has his nose on the corner of the tank, swimming upward....

hrrmm..hard to say....
is he eating ??

One more questions... Is the regular old colored gravel okay for them? Like the stuff you usually find at pet stores and walmartS

from experience cories prefer 'fine' Sand.

I've kept cories with pebbles - they didn't like it and had trouble eating the crumbs between the pebbles

i've kept cories with gravel - small and large - and they weren't interested in sifting and searching thru it for food.

 

[tmy420]

Can you be a lil more specific when you say:
"One of the cats that I dont see too much (i have a lot of rocks) is just in the corner of the fish tank with his head in the air and constantly swimming up"

Thx,

dave

Well, first I want to add that this is the cat that got the alot of the "beating up" if it was really beating up... But his nose is right in the corner of the tank, about mid ways up the tank and hes just staying there with his head up, tail down, constantly swimming upwards to keep his ballance there.

 

[tmy420]

no hes not eating.... Do you think they are okay with the gravel for a while?


Also im guessing its a pretty big job to change the gravel?

 

[Bubble_B0y]

no hes not eating.... Do you think they are okay with the gravel for a while?


Also im guessing its a pretty big job to change the gravel?

NO - don't change the gravel
keep it !!!!!
they will be fine with it.

I was just giving you an example.

 

[tmy420]

are you sure they will do fine with the gravel?


Also, I feed them shrimp pellets, the bronze one gobbles them up but the others dont seem to really eat it.... and the sick one doesnt touch the food

 

[Xzap]

Can you be a lil more specific when you say:
"One of the cats that I dont see too much (i have a lot of rocks) is just in the corner of the fish tank with his head in the air and constantly swimming up"

Thx,

dave

Well, first I want to add that this is the cat that got the alot of the "beating up" if it was really beating up... But his nose is right in the corner of the tank, about mid ways up the tank and hes just staying there with his head up, tail down, constantly swimming upwards to keep his ballance there.

Cories love to swim up and down & back and forth the length of the tank, but what you describe is unusual. How long does he stays in this one spot ?

Dave

 

[tmy420]

all day today he has been, i woke up and he was actually out laying on a rock, since then hes constantly been swimming upward, while staying totally still...

 

[Xzap]

Keep an eye on him today, but I don't think he'd be swimming at all if he was really sick.

Dave

 

[tmy420]

update.....


I came home and hes sitting on top of a rock now right along with the other one thats his kind.... I think he was just scared to death from the bronze cat...He also has a split all the way down his dorsal fin, its split into 2.... thats normal and should grow back right?


Also, its not red on top of his head, its more of a orange copperish color... The other one does not have it, I am pretty sure they are the same kind, they look the same other then that...

I will keep everyone updated cuz im sure this might help someone along the ways..

 

[tmy420]

Another update.....

I think the cat fish is just fine... He came out and was nibbling on stuff and swimmin around until the bronze catfish started attacking him again! He is NOT attacking the other 2, but did, a lot, while this one hid... I am convinced that there was something on their skin or something from that tank they were in.... The cat fish is once again in his corner but hes not in a vertical position no more. Hes just chillin on the bottom or swimming around that corner, where he is hidden by a rock.