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Hello, this is my first post on the forums. I am rather new to the fish hobby and really enjoy my peppers. Now my question is do they like to sit on powerheads. I have 4 pepper cories in my tank and one seems to be acting alittle different the last couple day. I added this one and another over this last weekend. His top fin is kinda missing some of it and he isn't as active as the other 3. He doesn't have any weird marks on his body. Yesterday when I turned on the lights he was floating to the top alot and would end up on his side. After awhile he was able to swim back to the bottom and he seemed fine the rest of the day. Now today I noticed he has been sitting on top of my powerhed. When he does move it is normal movement, not like he is still of ill. I beleive he is getting enough to eat as I add shrimp pellets to the tank every night for the 4 cories. Is this normal for cories to sit in the upper areas of the tank that may be dim light. It is not like he can't go to the bootom it is more like he doesn't want to. I have an air rock that is about 6" long that I put about 3" under the water surface right under my HOB filter. Now I have just noticed that 1 of the cories are sitting on it and the other on the powerhead. There is no air coming out of it as my pump is off. There breathing is not rapid but rather calm like. Is there something wrong or are they just weird. I do have a RUGF system with 2 Penguin 660R units running along with the HOB system. Is there mabye to much current at the bottom on the tank for them as the other 2 seem to stay down at the bottom. Below are my water levels. They are higher then normal but they have been here for about 4 months stable.

Temp - 76d F
Nitrate - 20
Nitrite - 0
Hardness - 300
Alkalinity - 300
pH - 8
Ammonia - .25

Now I can't seem to get these levels to go down but have been told that the fish will adapt to the water. The other fish in my tank are all fine. I added the 2 cories and 6 Rasboras this weekend the other fish have been in for a month or longer. If you eed any other info I will try to give it. I am just worried. Thanks

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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First of all, the fact that you have a nonzero ammonia reading tells me (and anyone else for that matter) that your aquarum isn't fully cycled, so you'd better hold off adding any more fish until it is.

Second, if your fishes are otherwise healthy (despite the aquarium still only being part way through cycling), then be advised that Corydoras catfishes in particular are noted for little behavioural idiosyncrasies - which is one reason they are so popular! To give you an example of the fun and games that can arise for these fishes, my Panda Corys are a hyperactive bunch of non-stop visual slapstick comedians that provide endless entertainment! Among the fun and games they have provided include:

[1] At least one, and probably two, different individuals that perform Synodontis impersonations swimming upside down under my bogwood arch;

[2] One individual (different from the above) that sleeps buried in Java Moss, performing a convincing impersonation of a very dead catfish, until I lift the lid and introduce food, whereupon it wakes up instantly and says "Daddy's serving breakfast!" (in fish language of course) before darting to the 'dinner table';

[3] At least two individuals (again different from the above) that sit upon my Amazon Swordplant leaves swaying in the current simply for the fun of it, for all the world like an underwater version of budgies on swings;

[4] Most of the Pandas in my aquarium (which has long since acquired a reputation as the Panda Fun Palace) will use my Bacopa as kiddie climbing frames in order to reach choice morsels of food, and sometimes go climbing simply for the fun of it;

[5] When spawning (and they've now spawned something like 103 times in the 3 years I've had them) they engage in truly madcap Keystone Kops style chases about the aquarium, and look as though someone has filmed them and then played back the film at four times normal speed;

[6] My males, when out of their heads on testosterone during spawning, will, if they are sufficiently spaced out, try to forge T positions with my Cardinals, who in turn end up looking very confused by the whole process;

[7] When they are gearing up for a spawning, they will surf the powerhead bubbles like three year olds on a theme park waterslide.

Be advised that happy Corys, depending upon species, occupy a behavioural spectrum that ranges from 'amusing' to 'completely loopy'. If they have an aquarium that is furnished so as to provide them with a mixture of plant thickets, open spaces, and bogwood features that give them caves to explore, then this will provide their happy little minds with masses of interesting nooks and crannies to explore, which they will set out to explore with gusto. Some species are more nutty than others - Peppered Corys are usually considered fairly 'sane', but are still capable of doing things that leave their owners shaking their heads in amazement. If you ever acquire a shoal of 12 Pandas like I have, then your eyes will be out on stalks at their antics on a regular basis.

One of the mistakes that so many people make is to think that fishes have identikit personalities and always behave 'by the book'. This is a view that you should toss out into the garbage as soon as possible, and replace it with embracing their manifestly individual personalities. Even supposedly 'identikit' shoaling fishes such as Cardinal Tetras will manifest individual personalities if you watch them closely and over sufficient time - I had one that took up 'cave dwelling' for all the world like a Cichlid - and as for Corys, well, those fishes will pretty soon teach you an awful lot about individuality in fishes, as your 'powerhead squatting' specimen is doing already!

I'd institute some careful partial water changes (don't forget the dechlorinator!), settle the aquarium cycling wise, then sit back and enjoy your motley crew of slapstick comedians for what they are - delightful little guys brim full of personality and fun.

Oh, and to correct my remiss manners, welcome to FishProfiles. Enjoy your stay and be prepared to learn a LOT about how wacky some of our favourite fish species can be. I've written enough words about comedy fish antics on this Board to keep me in free lunches on the after dinner speech circuit for decades.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I am a cory addict as well, I currently own

Albino Cory - 6
Peppered Cory - 14
leucomelas - 6
Melini - 9
Panda - 5
trilinius - 1

My peppered cory are mostly in one 90 gallon tank and they are relatively sane, THOUGH they have been noted to reproduce the actions of the famed Thunder-birds or Blue Angel (aerobatic jet teams) swimming thru the tank in tight formations, they have also been known to bully my Male Blue Gourami whom runs from them even though he is the biggest bully in the tank.

The Leucomelas, melini, pandas, and the one surviving hestatus are all in one big shoal and they tend to do a bunch of amusing things. Unfortunately there not were they are going to be, I have been re arranging all my tanks lately after the move. But the group of them will follow my panduro and nijinssini apistogramma all over the tank... they think there the leaders of the black-n-white squad.

I have seen my pandas stick themselves to the walls of my tanks in the corners NEXT to my Albino BN pleco and by herself she has swam up to the power head intake for my CO2 Diffuser and let herself sit up there with a chunk of meat she was eating as to hid from the others (it was a dead fish I didn't get to... they ate it all!

All in all they are some of the greatest fish in the world IMHO and I have lots of fish. I am going to have a 90g devoted to just cory... it should be a riot. But do remember that cory like to be in large groups, the peppereds tend to not care to stay schooled in the tank as much as my others but then again they may not stick to the status quo.

Hello and thanks for the reply. The ammonia level is also what comes out of my tap. I am not sure as to why it is in my tap. I have had the tank going for alittle over 4 months so I am pretty sure it has cycled. I do water changes every wekk on Sunday. I don't plan to add anymore fish to this tank as I am not sure if I already have it overstocked. I was just worried about the one cory that is on the Powerhead. It has been there pretty much most of the day. It does move around alittle but only on top of the Powerhead. It doesn't seem to be ill but I am just worried as to why it has been sitting there all day. The other cories are pretty much on the bottom doing there digging. So what your saying is I really don't need to be conerned at the moment. Thanks agi for the help.

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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You're getting a 0.25 ammonia reading from your TAP????

NOT good.

I'd find out why FAST. And if it's the water company supplying you with ammonia laden water, I'd sue.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

yes SUE! or buy a new test yours may be old or broken (in the sense it doesn't work) Because ammonia is a poison and if it is in your water your being poisoned. I had an old, very old ammonia test from Red Sea and it no longer functioned.

What is the brand of your ammonia kit? Red Sea seems to be the best of them, the Apharm is ok, but isn't very accurate at the low end IME.

cheers, and I hope your not being poisoned !!!

Hello, I rent an old house out in the country so the well is pretty old. My landlord is pretty lazy and doesn't like to take care of alot of things. I know this might sound sick but our septice system has not been drained out for over 3 years and it overflows on the side of the hill. Could this be getting in the well and causing the above effect. I use Jungle Quick Dip 5 in 1 test strips from Wal-Mart. I have been told there are better ones to get but have not had the money to get them yet. Would using a filter on the tap help? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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You should have a carbon filter on your well water, plus your drinking water should be RO if your getting ammonia in your water, yes your septic can EASILY be seeping waste water into the ground supply, nitrites nitrates H2S any number of things can come from decaying human wastes. I suggest that you tell your landlord that there is ammonia coming from your tap. Even still your biological filter should be able to clean up the ammonia, you may want to start changing water with RO water from one of the dispensers near or in the grocery stores. And in the mean time ammo lock will help keep the ammonia non toxic in your tank.

Hello, what do you mean by "Carbon filter on my well"? My landlord is a real bum. He most likely will not do anything about the problem. I am planning on moving by the end of the sumer also. I have checked into the RO water and will start using a 50/50 mix of RO & Tap when I do my water changes. Would a Tap filter help for the time being?

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Live life to it's fullest
Who knows what tomorrow holds

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well, some tap water isnt fit to drink from the well and require some sort of filter. If your getting ammonia in your water you need to get a better test to check it. because that is dangerous. the tap filter will help with some things but I am not sure about the ammonia, you may need an ro or a di for that. You can get those for fairly cheap on aquabid, I got mine for 130 or something.