Problem with a couple of my cories

[WindyCityFlyer]

I have 5 emerald cories in my tank (36 gallon bowfront). I used to have three and about 1 week ago I added two more. The two new ones are very active and always exploring the tank. One of the older ones (smaller of the old three) kinda jumps in every now and then and "plays" with the other two. Problem is my two big cories always sit in the shadows and are pretty much boring. Anyone know what the problem may be?

[madagascariensis]

I guess its like complaining about dogs liking to bark. That's just the way things are.
Cories will not behave like zebra danios. there wee little brains haven't been wired to do that.
You could try to increase the numbers of cories, to get them more playmates and new faces and try to decrease feeding. when I cut feedings in half to fight algae in my tank, my cories suddenly were all over the place searching for food...

[C-Dub]

You could try to increase the numbers of cories, to get them more playmates and new faces and try to decrease feeding. when I cut feedings in half to fight algae in my tank, my cories suddenly were all over the place searching for food...

Both are great suggestions, thats really good advice madagascariensis.
I would without a doubt try adding more seeing you have the room in the tank, schooling fish become way more brave in numbers.

[mizzoutank]

strong possibility you don't have the cory species all together.

generally, most emerald cory's sold in stores are actually not cory's...so the behavior that you expect wont be visible.

could even have a mix, the non-cory species and then a color variant of a cory and someone labeled it an "emerald cory"

thats why i kept away from the emeralds b/c of the uncertainty

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

might just be the grumpy old guys...

[steeler58]

I'd go with mizzoutank theory.