# Pygmy Cory (Corydoras pygmaeus)



## Fdsh5 (Jan 3, 2012)

Cory cats always swim around like crazy when you first put them in a tank. Once they calm down they hang out in their comfortable spot. Mine swim around but nowhere near like they did the day I got them. Enjoy them, they're fun to watch. Hopefully they did lay eggs for you.


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Boo mine never swam around for me. They got to the bottom, 25 huddled up, that was it.


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## Fdsh5 (Jan 3, 2012)

1 of mine doesn't swim anymore. I think he has a social disorder. Lol the other ones lazily go back and forth. They have to swim around to get to all the sand because their are so many plants and logs in the tank the can't go straight along the bottom. That may have something to do with it. Or maybe the like to chase the endlers and/or cherry shrimp in there.


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

Pygmaeus are probably the least outgoing, the Habrosus I have actively swim in front of the tank and go for food right away. I have maybe 2 Pygmaeus that come out sometime and school / feed with the Habrosus and Otos, the other 9 usually hang out in the densely planted back, though more have been coming out. Give them more time


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## thechibi (Jan 20, 2012)

The habrosus bros are definitely pretty awesome.  They zip and waggle and wink at me. One even 'surfs' along leaves.


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Mine don't do anything! They just.. Sit there. I assume they feed at night. They don't even hide, I can see them! They just don't move.


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

I've kept pygmy cories, and I too find that my pygmies are very shy and barely swim out into the open. I now have have dwarf cories(same size as pygmies), and they are very outgoing in the tank, a couple of them always swim against the current. I do find the appearance of pygmies to be cuter though.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

I have five of these guys (for about a year and a half now) and they are constantly busy, swimming around ande foraging all day long. They do spend some time taking it easy, but are much busier than what I am reading in other posts. My tank is well planted throughout the whole tank, which I think motivates them to explore. Four of them hang out as a group, and one, the biggest one, is a loner, but all are active, and most of them come out with the other fish at feeding time.


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## AirstoND (Jun 17, 2011)

They prefer low light tanks with floating foliage and submerged decor, in addition they're very active at night.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Funny you mentioned that. Just saw 2 swimming around. The lights are out.


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## PhillCA (Jan 26, 2012)

I Got 15 pygmaeus in a 10 gallon. The only time they come out is to look for food and that's after the light are off. Once in a while i try to sneak up on them, just to see them schoaling together. They interesting fish but seriously way too shy.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I just did a water change. They're out swimming until they saw me coming!


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

you big scary human!

I find them to be extremely outgoign in very large groups and with fish that swim mainly midwater and are of comparable size. They will school with some tetra species (which is really fun to see).

It is not at all uncommon for them to the scatter when you get near. I pull up a chair and wait it out until they all come flying back around the tank.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

> find them to be extremely outgoign in very large groups and with fish that swim mainly midwater and are of comparable size.


that could explain why mine are so active all the time - they share the tank with CPD's and spotted rasbora the same size as themselves. The biggest fish in the tank is the kuhlis and next in line the Otos and sparkling gouramis.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

msjinkzd said:


> you big scary human!
> 
> I find them to be extremely outgoign in very large groups and with fish that swim mainly midwater and are of comparable size. They will school with some tetra species (which is really fun to see).
> 
> It is not at all uncommon for them to the scatter when you get near. I pull up a chair and wait it out until they all come flying back around the tank.


How large is a "very large" group. 

Being the awesomest fish keeper and distributor that you are, which sp of dwarf cories do you find to be the most outgoing?


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## Hmoobthor (Aug 15, 2011)

when i first introduce about 7 into my mature tank, they swim like crazy..( i already have 10 or so in there already .)

after a week or days, they stop swimming and just hide in the back and under the drfitwood........very shy fish


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

well, obviously my consideration of a large group is not practical for most tanks. In groups of 50 or more, they are extremely outgoing. They do best in groups of at least 10+.

As for the dawf cories, habrosus are more outgoing.

Those little aspidoras pauciradiauts (cousin to the cories, also about 1.25" in size) are even more outgoing.


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## atom (Sep 28, 2011)

I have hasbrosus and they definitely enjoy their "alone time" and chill at the back in the plants. I wouldn't consider them shy though. Mine always come out to feed and enjoy swimming up and down the tank. They don't swim away when I approach. I love it when they cuddle.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Hmm, I wonder if adding a group of habrosus would make the pygmeus more out going. I know a lot of shy fish just need 'dither' fish to make them feel safe.


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

I think you should try it out. Even if the pygmys don't come out, you'll still have the cool hasbrosus that do.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

Even something as innocuous as endlers or microrasboras can help with their sense of security. I can honestly say, I have never tried mixing dwarf cory species to know if it works or not.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

Favorite fish ever. So cute and fun to watch.  Very lax little buggers too....they'll lounge on pretty much any plant that doesn't move too much.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

Does anyone elses lounge in open water? It's funny to occasionally sometimes see the whole group just hovering together.


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## NeonRob (May 1, 2008)

I have a dozen in a bare bottom 5.5G w/ a sponge filter, no heater, & use RO water. They mostly hide behind the filter, but they are not too shy to come out to spawn! Over the past few weeks, they have spawned for me 3 or 4 times. Each time the number of eggs keep increasing. This weekend they laid ~40 eggs for me. They have been spawning when a weather front comes into town and I always notice the newly laid eggs first thing in the AM. I probably water change the tank once or twice a month and feed microworms, day old BBS, & ground flake.

A few years back, I kept a small group of these in 75 w/ tons of java moss, CRS, & albino ancistrus. Sometimes they would hover in a school in the middle of the water column like hummingbirds or they would chill out on top of the moss clumps and look pretty attractive just sitting there.


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## cccollins (Jan 23, 2013)

Has anyone ever had a "colorless" Pygmy Cory? He's not truly albino since he has black eyes and a small, grayish spot at the base of his tail. He's also far too big to be truly juvenile - he's almost as big as the biggest couple I have. Also, he's super active and healthy. Just curious.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Please do not necro a 2 year+ dead thread. Make your own new thread.


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## KrypleBerry (May 23, 2017)

I have 6 pygmy corys and they are all active throughout the tank most of the day. They do occasionally rest together on a leaf or the sand. Awesome catfish.


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## doylecolmdoyle (Sep 22, 2015)

I have 5 in a small 30cm cube with 10 CPDs and shrimp, the Pygmy Corys are very active and constantly at the front of the tank swimming up and down, rummaging around, not shy at all, the CPDs on the other hand spend most of the day hiding until the food comes out. Here is a photo of the tank and the fish when I first got them.

IMG_8741 by Colm Doyle, on Flickr

IMG_9173 by Colm Doyle, on Flickr


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