# Pygmy cory question



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I have one pygmy cory in a 36 gallon bowfront with 8 rasboras and 2 Bolivian rams. 

The pygmy cory is very tiny. He also seems to be swimming constantly, zooming around in the fairly rapid current.

I am looking for other pygmy corydoras to keep him company as I know that he's a schooling fish. He was the last pygmy cory at Aquariums West when I bought him.

I'm worried about two things. The first is, can pygmy corydoras handle a current? I can't tell whether he's fighting the current or playing in it. He never sits. Maybe he thinks he'll be blown away?

The second is, the rasboras in the tank act like they are ravenous. They eat everything the instant that I put it into the tank and even the Bolivian rams, which are much bigger, have to pay attention in order to get anything.

I don't know whether the pygmy cory is getting enough food. I do put some bottom feeder pellets or wafers into the tank but he's not really the kind of fish that hangs around the bottom much. He also seems unable to catch micropellets that are rushing past him in a stream of water.

If you have experience with pygmy corydoras, I'd love to have your thoughts about how I can look after mine. I do have smaller, quieter tanks that I could move him to. But they are quite a bit smaller and, as I said, he's not a guy to sit around. He does like swimming room.


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## platydoras3474 (Apr 23, 2010)

Hey!
I used to have an Emerald Green Cory, And he used to have 3 buds, all of them died, they all sat on the bottom scavenging, But then the survivor did the same thing, I think it's a thing of loneliness he used to swim at the top and go back and forth back and forth, So all i think you need is another one! GL


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Don't be surprised.... I hardly ever see my pygmies eat. They don't seem to like wafers, they just scavenge the pellets on the bottom. Also, if you put him in a group you will see the group exhibiting much more natural behavior, ie foraging for food together.

Also be aware that pygmy cories, unlike their larger cousins, need a bigger school as in a minimum of 6 (as opposed to the usual minimum of 3 recommended for other cories). I myself have only seen natural behavior in a school of at least 8-10, any less than that and they get stressed and start to die off.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Hello Maureen.

My pygmies are very shy. I have alot of current in my tanks. The will also eat biofilm on the substrate and plants. You could try turning of your filter and feeding blood worms using a turkey baster. You will be able to target feed better that way. I would definitely get more pygmies. I forgot what species you have, but try getting the same species if possilble, Does it have a black line running horizontal or black blotched along the body at random?

Best Regards,

Stuart


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, Platy, Kelly & Stuart.
Stuart, my cory is a pygmaeus. I will buy friends for him as soon as I can find some. I wouldn't have bought this one except that he was the only one in the tank at the store for a very long time and the store doesn't know when they'll get more in. I thought I'd take him home and find buddies somewhere else.

Turning off the filter is a good idea. I feed my fish bloodworms every second day but seeing the pygmy try to catch bloodworms from a swirling cloud in that tank is like watching Toto soar through dust and whirling houses in an Oz tornado.

My pygmy has a line.

So -- best advice is to leave him in this tank but find friends?



CRS Fan said:


> Hello Maureen.
> 
> My pygmies are very shy. I have alot of current in my tanks. The will also eat biofilm on the substrate and plants. You could try turning of your filter and feeding blood worms using a turkey baster. You will be able to target feed better that way. I would definitely get more pygmies. I forgot what species you have, but try getting the same species if possilble, Does it have a black line running horizontal or black blotched along the body at random?
> 
> ...


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

My pygmies were more mid water swimmers than bottom dwellers like other corys. If you have the room in your tank, I'd leave him in there and definitely get more buddies. April is expecting some new stock, both pygmaeus and habrosus.


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## trailheadache (Apr 21, 2010)

pygmy cories are my favorite fish. hard to find pygmaeus on the island right now. definitely more the merrier with pymies.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Okay, thank you everybody. I've decided to keep my little pygmy cory in the 36 gallon and get him some buddies rather than moving him into the 12 gallon with the otos. 

Thanks!


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Oh and also they're nuts for daphnia... my guys love the stuff!


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hmm. I don't know anything about daphnia. Do you grow those yourself? Do you keep a separate tank for them? Is it hard?



kelly528 said:


> Oh and also they're nuts for daphnia... my guys love the stuff!


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

I believe there are Hastatus cory cats at both locations right now. Dwarf Cory cats are wild caught so not easy to find in your average LFS. They do tend to be mid swimming and appreciate current. 
If you are interested give the closest location a call to check their individual stock.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks, Rastapus!


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

You're welcome!


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

Some dwarf cories are mid swimmers and will school will schooling fish. My Hastatus school with my Celestial Pearl Danios ( Galaxy Rasboras). It is my experience with dwarf cories ( any cory for that matter) that they love to be in large numbers. I would buy friends for him, same species if possible. Best to ask an independant LFS. They can sometime get them for you.

Grant - I didn't see the Hastatus when I was in your Richmond store yesterday.


Steve


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, Rescupenguin. As it happens, my tiny pygmy cory does swim with the rasboras. The rasboras usually hang around in a group and he seems to like to kick around with them. He is not shy.


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

Our Pygmaeous and Hastatus do school with other fish. Our Hasbrosus, while they hang around each other, do school. They just hangout on the substrate. For some reason the Pygmaeous, and Hastatus don't school with each other as much as they do with other mid schooling fish.

Steve


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## jkcichlid (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks like April has your pygmies on her current stock list


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

kelly528 said:


> Oh and also they're nuts for daphnia... my guys love the stuff!


taste treats! 
Pygmies swim more than the other 2 tiny corydoras.


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

I find that the Hastatus swim more. It is rare for them to "land" on the substrate unless they find food down there. Pygmaeous does "land" from time to time. Hasbrosus on the other seam to swim only when they want to move around. 

The Hastatus at IPU were actually Hasbrosus. This is the second time this year I have seen dwarf corys misidentified. The misidentification happens either at the supplier or earlier in the supply chain. I have never seen Hastatus at an LFS. Hasbrosus are becoming more common than the pygmaeous.

Steve


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

That is very interesting, Steve! I am going to look up hastatus and habrosus and figure out the difference between them. My little guy is pygmaeus and that's the only dwarf cory I've met in person, so to speak.



rescuepenguin said:


> Our Pygmaeous and Hastatus do school with other fish. Our Hasbrosus, while they hang around each other, do school. They just hangout on the substrate. For some reason the Pygmaeous, and Hastatus don't school with each other as much as they do with other mid schooling fish.
> 
> Steve


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, jkcichlid. I did notice that! Pygmy corydoras & a party -- who could resist?



jkcichlid said:


> Looks like April has your pygmies on her current stock list


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