# Pygmy Cories hiding



## Halley (7 Feb 2017)

Hi - I have some Pygmy cories in a planted 180l but they are always hiding - I can never see them. I have rummynose, guppies, platies and 2 GBRs. Is there any tricks to get them to come out of hiding?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## RossMartin (7 Feb 2017)

How many Pygmy Cories do you have?


----------



## Halley (7 Feb 2017)

I bought 27 - not sure how many left - still a good few


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## alto (8 Feb 2017)

Not sure but awesome Pygmy cory's in this tank 
- rummynose can be a little intense in their interest for some fish, can you move them temporarily?

*Just Aquascaping - "Next"*


----------



## RossMartin (8 Feb 2017)

I agree with Alto, Corys are a shoaling fish but also in my experience like a slower tank hence why i think Alto's suggestion of moving the Rummy Noses is a good one.


----------



## zozo (8 Feb 2017)

It's in their nature  love to dwell in densly planted and shaded spots, they are also very lazy little buggers laying around most of the time. Mine do as well.. The first year i could only see them in the back corner of the tank under the echinodorus via the side panel. That was their home and rarely came out of that corner. Usualy they get more active when the lights slowely dimmed. While the tank slowly matured and the vegitation over all got denser through the tank they also migrate more often now and move from one spot to the other. But still after 2 years i more oftenly have to search to see them.

That's the big + with having a light controller able to simulate dawn, twillight and or full moon periodes at night. For the plants this isn't doing anything much i guess. But the fish will show much more natural display and more of themselfs during the day and night.


----------



## Halley (8 Feb 2017)

alto said:


> Not sure but awesome Pygmy cory's in this tank
> - rummynose can be a little intense in their interest for some fish, can you move them temporarily?
> 
> *Just Aquascaping - "Next"*



They were initially more active when the rummynose were shoaling. Also the rummynose have been a more recent addition and the Pygmy shyness pre-dates them. But thanks for the suggestion - it is something to bear in mind


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Halley (8 Feb 2017)

zozo said:


> It's in their nature  love to dwell in densly planted and shaded spots, they are also very lazy little buggers laying around most of the time. Mine do as well.. The first year i could only see them in the back corner of the tank under the echinodorus via the side panel. That was their home and rarely came out of that corner. Usualy they get more active when the lights slowely dimmed. While the tank slowly matured and the vegitation over all got denser through the tank they also migrate more often now and move from one spot to the other. But still after 2 years i more oftenly have to search to see them.
> 
> That's the big + with having a light controller able to simulate dawn, twillight and or full moon periodes at night. For the plants this isn't doing anything much i guess. But the fish will show much more natural display and more of themselfs during the day and night.



Thanks that makes sense - I ordered a controller and a Juwel helialux led light which would provide twilight settings.  However, the company I bought them from (Zoo Dreams) has not sent the items (I bought them on 22 Jan) as of yet.  Hopefully the will deliver someday but at the moment I'm €223 down 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## LondonDragon (8 Feb 2017)

Had them in the past and they do tend to hide if you are close to the tank!


----------



## alto (8 Feb 2017)

FWIW local shop had brought in large shipment from Brazil, pygmy's very quiet (by day whenever I chanced by) though appeared fine.
Nest visit, shop had added large school of some microrasbora - those pygmy's were flying & obviously very pleased with life.
Now both shoals are down to just a few (relatively - I didn't count) & both rasbora & pygmy's are morose again  

just typing this, I should go back & rescue some 
(they were a bit spendy to buy a proper shoal ... I think _*Next*_ added 50, then 50 again)


----------



## alto (8 Feb 2017)

missed my edit time again 

Next was  IAPLC 2016 rank #234
- you can see the final shot on the facebook page

(can you tell how much I like this tank  )




Halley said:


> They were initially more active when the rummynose were shoaling.


this makes me wonder again, if the pygmy's came out in response to the shoaling activity, then retreated again as rummy interest was a bit toooooo ...


----------



## Swordplay (8 Feb 2017)

In my experience the pygmys will come out,if the light is on in the tank but the room is dark. I find with all my corys if they can't see you they will happily come out.  Although saying that all are fine when they are eating Bloodworm or Prima.
You could try adding some larger corys in the mix maybe Aenus, peppered or Albino ones, i find these to be the least shy and jumpy,and my pygmys do tend to follow them about.


----------



## Halley (9 Feb 2017)

Swordplay said:


> In my experience the pygmys will come out,if the light is on in the tank but the room is dark. I find with all my corys if they can't see you they will happily come out.  Although saying that all are fine when they are eating Bloodworm or Prima.
> You could try adding some larger corys in the mix maybe Aenus, peppered or Albino ones, i find these to be the least shy and jumpy,and my pygmys do tend to follow them about.



That's interesting - has anyone else found that adding other types of cories increases pygmies activity levels?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## zozo (9 Feb 2017)

Sometimes i see a few together laying on the substrate in front of the glass just doing nothing, not even reacting to me in front of the tank as long as do not touch the glass near them. Till i throw in some snacks in and when it hits the bottom, 5 seconds later they smell it, wake up and start very actively foraging around. Also very oftenly i sit in front of the tank and it takes me some time to spot one, in the bolbitis for example laying on a leaf. And it was in front of my nose all the time. I do not particularly experience them as shy fish.. In my tank they realy have favorite places they like to gather and hang around. almost always accompanied with some oto's. And sometimes a pair desides to go for a swim and i suddenly see them school around with the tetras, do some gulping and go back to the others again.. They always kinda pair up, if i see one, there always is another very close. But now since the tank is much denser with plantgrowth it becomes harder to spot them.

They are just very tiny fish and realy like to stay in groups and if they find a spot outside your view appealing to stay in. It's not hidding for them it just a part of their living space they like to be in. Bad luck for the viewer in front of the tank, all you can do is wait for the tank to grow and it might trigger them to find another favorite spot in your line of sight.


----------



## Swordplay (9 Feb 2017)

I did also find when I had lots of wood that formed caves it resulted in all of my corys hiding away even more and when they did venture out they were very jumpy.
I do agree that once you have plants that have grown in and they are able to be out of "line of sight" they become braver and start to act more naturally. 
Mine don't seem bothered by any of my Rummy noses or cardinals and are even indifferent to a large Ram that is in with them.
I am also tempted in changing my lighting as I agree with an earlier post that Dawn to Dusk gradual lighting is the way forward in keeping Cories happy and behaving more naturally.
Having said all that I don't think that any tank is as much fun without Cories in them


----------



## Swordplay (9 Feb 2017)

Just came across this pic and thought I would share it


----------

