Cory Species Activity?

[Amelia]

I am just wondering if anyone has any experience with some species of cory being more active than others? I ask because I had Pandas once and they were all over the tank darting around playing and scooting up the glass all the time. I had Three Lines (false Juliis) another time and they were just as active but very timid and hid whenever someone was near the tank. When I kept Sterbais and Peppers on different occasions I found that both schools just sat under a bit of drift wood all day and didn't move unless there was food. Very boring. All the cories were kept in groups of 8+.

So which species have you found most or least active? And most or least timid too! I have read that albinos are very active and not shy at all but I hate the look of them. Any experience would help in me deciding which species of Cory to go with in my latest set up. :)

Thanks in advance.

[Gesp56]

In my experience I've found Pandas to be very active as you've said. I owned False Juliis in the past and although they were very active they scare very easy. My Pandas were very active and always out and about. It took them a couple months to get used to my presence but once they did they always swam to the front of the glass when I was around. I unfortunately had to rehome them after I bought my GBR as he was being very aggressive with them. Be careful when you decide on which cory to buy for your tank. The majority of species prefer cooler waters and can't handle anything over 78F for long term. Any hotter than that, for most species, and their life span will be considerably reduced. I've heard Sterbais can be very active in larger schools and prefer warmer waters, were you keeping them in cooler water? For fish that prefer temps of 76-84F, as sterbais do, they tend to get groggy and inactive as the temperature drops.

When I first got my GBR the tank was set at around 76F and he was very groggy and inactive until I got rid of my Panda Cories and raised the temp to 82F. Now he's very active and gets very excited to see me. Every time I get near the tank, if he hasn't been fed, he'll swim to the front of the glass and pace back and forth. He's like a dog begging to be fed!

[SueD]

I have sterbai in one tank (only 3) and I only see them when feeding. They run and hide behind the DW whenever I'm near the tank. In another tank I have 5 pandas and they are everywhere and don't even seem to notice if I'm near. I love the look of the sterbai but prefer the pandas for their activity.

I'm currently looking for another type of cory for a 3rd tank but not sure yet what I want. I don't think it would be sterbai as I almost never see them.

[KevinVA]

I have 12 Sterbai. I would agree that at first they were a very boring fish. I housed them in a 20gal Long, for breeding purposes. The tank had light play sand, a big piece of driftwood and a ton of Java moss. I hung up the breeding thing and re-homed them to my 40B, which has black sand, obviously more room for them to swim, but heavily planted with Crypts. Now they're out and about all over the tank and actually very active.

I'm not sure if the sand made them feel more secure, or if it was the presence of other fish, or how the tank was setup... but I think they're a picky bunch. If you have the right setup, they'll be very active... if not, they'll hide a majority of the time.

[madagascariensis]

I have kept melanotaenia, trilineatus, panda and zygatus cories.
The melanotaenia are a bit bipolar. They were either sitting around doing nothing or frantically zipping around in groups, especially at feeding time. The zygatus are not particularly active. They spend a lot of the time sitting around. Both are very shy but I attribute that to them likely being wild caught, not to any species characteristic. I have to agree with everyone else for the pandas. Not active in crazy bursts like the melanotaenia, but still constantly on the move in a sedate manner and not shy at all. When I had them groups would often cruise the tank and swim up and down the glass for hours for no apparent reason. The trilineatus were somewhat like The pandas in not being shy, but were much less active and spent a lot of time sitting around. I've also noticed different degrees of social ness in my cories. The trilineatus and zygatus cories followed each other in small, loose groups and didn't bunch when resting. The melanotaenia and pandas were very responsive to the movements of other conspecifics and would try to pile up on each other when resting.

[Slaphppy7]

I have Sterbai too, they are very active but scare easily and scoot away to hide when you approach the tank. If you sit quietly for a few minutes by the tank, they are back out and about.

Feeding time and nighttime are different, they are all over the tank regardless of who's watching

[DoubleDutch]

Depends on several things as suggested and even think the straign / ancistors could be of influence. My Pepper-herd are hoovering my tank constantly, so do my small bronze and albinos A bigger Aeneus and Leucomelas are skittish and always hidden under the bogwood. But when the lights are out, they come out. Corys are believed to be more nocturnal feeders, so these are more "real" Corys hahaha.

[steeler58]

My Weitzmani and Adolfi are always out front. Metae, Arcuatus, Aeneus and Melanotaenia all have shown the same behavior in the past.

I love my Similis but they like to hide unless the room is perfectly still. Trilineatus and Melini were hider's also.

[Amelia]

Thanks for the input everyone!

Does anyone else have any experience with Bronze Cories? I am curious because they are techically the same species as Albinos, I am hoping they have the same activity level?

[DoubleDutch]

Thanks for the input everyone!

Does anyone else have any experience with Bronze Cories? I am curious because they are techically the same species as Albinos, I am hoping they have the same activity level?

There are about 14 Aeneus-species. I am keeping a small type (chill and active) albino's (chill and active), green / red type (skittish), Venezuelas (in between).

[steeler58]

Mine, I don't know what locality they are from, have always been "out front".