cory questions

[markbob]

I've had my corys for a couple of days now and have a few questions. I've got 6 of 'em and have been feeding them once a day usually 2 sinking pellets (corys are only 1.25in right now) is this enough or do they need more or more frequent feeding? Second question, really more of an observation I guess. When I first put the little guys in the tank they would occasionally swim up to the surface and back down so I thought maybe I wasn't getting enough O2 into the water so I added an air pump. Now its kinda funny to watch but they really seem to enjoy playing in the bubble trail. They swim up to the stone in the bottom of the tank and get in the stream and ride it up then swim back down and do it again. I'm not really concerned about it but are corys always that playful? I just figured that when I got them they would just wander around the bottom.

[SkarloeysMom]

They are playful and going up to the surface for a gulp of air is normal for them. It doesn't mean your tank is low on O2 they just do that. I think the playful nature of corys is one of the reasons people love having them.

I think 2 wafers if fine as long as they are getting all eaten up fairly quickly. Remind me what size tank you have and how long you've had it set up. I have 5 corys in a 20g long that has been set up since July and they seem to be getting plenty to eat. I feed flake for top feeders and NLS pellets that I throw in so most will sink immediately for the corys. They love the NLS pellets. Also whatever they don't eat gets snarfled by the guppy and zebras. I would worry less about not feeding enough than of overfeeding. You will have more problems with overfeeding than the other way.

[CAF]

What size pellets are you feeding? Everything else sounds normal. Cories will go to the top and get air like most livebearers, anabantoids, etc.

[markbob]

Pellet size is probably comparable to the head on a thumb tack. I don't remember the brand, its an orange bag with a pic of a cory on it. Its a 25g tank. Its good to know that them going to the surface is normal but I think that I may leave the air in there anyways since they seem to like playing with it.

[CAF]

Its probably hikari.... Go ahead and feed 1.5 pellets twice per day.

[Piscaholic]

when i kept cories it always seemed that the more i had the more they played and were active. they're very gregarious and seem to feed off each other's energy. speaking of feeding, mine liked a treat of shrimp pellets and the occasional cut up earthworm

[smaug]

I use hikari mico pellet food and if you use a pinch of it and release it underwater it sinks straight down.My corys go nuts getting fed like this,the small size of this food is very easy for them to eat and competing for with the angel or my raphs is not such a problem.I also drop wafers in from time time,as well as shrimp pellets.My corys also like to rush to the surface and back,my wife calls them crazy cats.

[Gawd_oOo]

Corys have a secondary breathing organ to help them survive in warmer water. That is hy they come to the surface for air.

In the wild they live in cool streams that dry up into small warm pools. The secondary organ helps they survive in those pools, which more closely resemble average tank conditions.