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I've had 4 bronze cories in my 20 gallon tank since May, and ever since the day I bought them, they have been very skittish. They race around the tank, hit the glass, and generally panic anytime they see a human. I don't quite understand -why-, since no one in the tank is picking on them (other tankmates include a lyretail molly, a bristlenose pleco, and cardinal tetras), no one outside the tank is hitting the glass, and they have driftwood, as well as plants, to hide in.

In contrast, in my 10 gallon tank, my albino aeneus, bought from the same store at the same time, could care less who watches them. You could probably hit the glass and they'd still sit there and roll their eyes at you.

After over six months of this behavior with my bronze, I'm starting to get sick of it. Is there something wrong with my fish? Will they always be this way? The temptation to place them in a fish auction is strong....

Hi Taratron,
Your fish are fine! The bronze cories are more active then the albinos. Most people enjoy the activity. I like pandas because they are active...and tend to school.
Rich

My two bronzes are constantly on the move in my 10 gallon. They have many other cories to skitter around with, but the are usually seen with each other. If they aren't curiously nosing around in the gravel, they are usually darting across the glass and usually get other fish to start doing it, too. Just the other day I had 4 out of my 6 cories racing across the front of the tank and eventually had two tiger barbs and a neon following them! It was a hoot!

So what I'm trying to say is #1. Don't auction your fish off! They are doing happy dances for you! And #2. They could be completely stationary and what fun would that be?

This is just a guess. The bronxe cories might be wild captured. The albino are breed in tanks so more used to humans. I also suspect that albino cories do not have the best eye sight. Most animals with pink eyes tend to poor vision. I have noticed in the past that albino do not eat as well as the normal bronze when raised in the same tank and same age. My baby panda will jump around when I walked near the tank. They might settle down when they are older. It is normal for cories to be active playing "follow the leader." This is especially true just before spawning.

I don't know about keeping them....I'm almost worried that they will hurt themselves running around like they do. Yes, my albinos are far from stationary, but I also can get within a foot of the tank (well, I can actually be inches from them!) and they don't bolt straight into the walls.

I may just toss the bronze and settle for more pygmy cories.