Cory catfish are the most common bottom-dweller fish aquarists prefer to add to their community tank because of their peaceful and hardy nature. They are easy to take care of, which makes them the best fish for beginners.
However, sometimes they show strange behaviors like hiding and staying in one spot, which makes us worry. So, Why are my cory catfish hiding? Let us find out.
Cory catfish generally hide in a new tank until they get comfortable. Other reasons include aggressive mates, stress, and poor water conditions. Avoid overcrowding and adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank, and ensure good water conditions to prevent such issues.
This article will discuss why cory catfish hide and how we can prevent such issues. Also, we will discuss the natural behavior of a cory catfish and will know whether they are shy or not. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Why are my corydoras hiding?
There can be numerous reasons behind your cory catfish hiding, of which the primary reasons are the presence of aggressive fish and being newly introduced to the tank.
Poor water conditions, unstable water temperature, and stress can also make your cory catfish show such hiding behavior.
If you have newly added cory catfish to your tank, they will take some time to be comfortable in the environment, and by that time, they will show hiding behavior, and it’s completely normal.
If there are other reasons behind your cory catfish hiding, it is not normal and needs immediate action.
Other reasons can make your cory catfish come under constant stress.
And you must know that fish under constant stress will become to various diseases and parasites.
The natural behavior of cory catfish.
Cory catfish are bottom dwellers and spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom in search of food.
They are peaceful fish and love to live and interact with other non-aggressive fish in a community tank.
Being schooling fish, they prefer to live in a large group of at least 5-6 of their species.
They are so peaceful that they will not even fight back when being bullied or chased by the aggressive fish and keep running and hiding from them.
Also, they are social fish and will thrive in a community tank with other peaceful fishes like a guppy, neon tetras, and platies.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Aggressive?
Are cory catfish shy in nature?
All cory catfish are shy when they are newly introduced to the tank.
Once they get familiar with the environment and other mates, they will love to swim and interact with them.
Add some peaceful fish in your cory catfish tank and give your cory catfish some time to get familiar.
They will start coming out from their place and will swim all over the tank.
They just need to feel secure and comfortable. Once they adapt to the environment, they will no longer be shy.
What are the reasons behind my cory catfish hiding?
These are all the reasons behind your cory catfish hiding:
- They are new to the tank’s environment.
- There is a presence of aggressive mates in your cory catfish tank.
- Your cory catfish is under stress.
- The placement of your tank is not proper.
New to tanks environment
When you add new fish to the tank, they take time to adjust themselves, and by that time, they will spend mostly hiding.
So, it may be possible that your cory catfish is newly being added to the tank, and they are making themselves comfortably, and by that time, they will show hiding behavior.
It is quite normal, and there is nothing to worry about as every fish will show hiding behavior when newly added to the tank.
Give your cory catfish some time to adapt to the environment, and they will thrive.
Aggressive mates
Cory catfish are non-aggressive fish and prefer to live with other non-aggressive fish in a community tank.
When you add aggressive fish in a tank, they will constantly chase and bully your cory catfish.
Your cory catfish will not fight with the aggressive mate. Instead, they will keep running and hiding from them.
In such a situation, your cory catfish will be under constant stress and prone to various diseases.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Neon Tetras?
Stress
Stress can be the reason behind your cory catfish showing hiding behavior.
Your cory catfish can come under stress by:
- Living in a poor water condition
- Living with aggressive fish
- Living in unstable and inadequate water parameters
- Getting an irregular supply of food
- Suffering from injury or parasites
- Living in an overcrowded tank
All these reasons can result in your cory catfish coming under stress, and they will show hiding behavior.
Improper placement of the tank
Improper placement of the tank can also make your cory catfish hide.
If you keep your tank in a place with heavy traffic, they will scare off and show hiding behavior.
Also, if your tank is in a place with a source of direct sunlight, it will spend most time hiding.
Direct sunlight will also result in algae bloom in your tank, making it look dirty.
So, consider placing your tank somewhere quiet where there is no heavy traffic around and neither source of direct sunlight.
How to prevent such behavior in my cory catfish?
Ensure these things to prevent your cory catfish from such issues:
- Provide good water conditions for your cory catfish tank.
- Ensure adequate and stable water parameters
- Avoid adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank.
- Avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank.
Good water conditions
Providing your cory catfish with their ideal water conditions will prevent issues like stress, diseases, and weakness, and your cory catfish will not show such hiding behavior.
Ensure a weekly water change of at least 35% to keep the water clean.
Add a good filtration system to protect the water from harmful toxins like ammonia.
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | Clean water condition |
| Water Hardness | 5 and 19 dGH |
| Ammonia | 0ppm |
| Nitrite | 0ppm |
| Nitrate | Below 20ppm |
Ensure that the ammonia and nitrite levels are at 0ppm, whereas nitrate remains below 20ppm.
We recommend using the API master kit to regularly check all these, as the master kit will show you an accurate result.
You can buy it from amazon: API FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT.
You can check your cory catfish tank’s ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH level using the API master kit.
Also, consider adding an air pump and aquatic plants to ensure enough oxygen in your cory catfish tank.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
Adequate and stable water parameters
Maintaining adequate and stable water parameters will prevent stress, weakness, diseases, and parasites, and they will not show such hiding behavior.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | Between 72-82 °F |
| Water pH level | Between 7-8 |
| Water TDS level | between 400-600ppm |
Provide your cory catfish with a water temperature between 70-82 °F.
Ensure to maintain the water pH level is between 7 and 8.
Keep the water TDS level between 400-600ppm.
Also, consider adding a heater to your cory catfish tank to keep the water temperature stable.
Unstable water temperature will make your cory catfish come under stress and become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Also read: Ideal Water Temperature For Cory Catfish?
Aggressive tankmates
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and will not prefer to live with aggressive fish.
Aggressive fish will chase and bully your cory catfish, making them keep running and hiding from the aggressive mates.
So, avoid adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank.
These are some best tankmates for your cory catfish:
- Neon tetra
- Gourami
- Guppy
- Mollies
- Platies
- Zebra danios
- Shrimp
- Snails
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Guppies?
Avoid overcrowding your tank.
Overcrowding your tank will come with all these issues:
- Cory catfish will not be able to swim and live comfortably, resulting in coming under stress.
- The tank will get polluted by waste faster than usual.
- There will be an oxygen deficiency in a crowded tank.
- The requirement for water change will be more regular than usual.
All these things will make your cory catfish under stress and lose their appetite.
Weak cory catfish prefer to hide most of the time rather than swim happily.
So, to ensure you are not overcrowding your cory catfish tank, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule.
Keep one inch of fish per gallon of water to avoid overcrowding.
Cory catfish are schooling fish and prefer to live in a group of at least 6 of their species.
So, the ideal tank size to keep a cory catfish is a 20-gallon tank, as they can be as long as 4 inches, with an average of 2-2.5 inches.Â
Also read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 10-Gallon Tank?
Conclusion:
There can be various reasons behind your cory catfish hiding, of which the presence of an aggressive mate and being newly introduced in a tank is the primary reason.
Cory catfish will take some time to get familiar with the tank’s environment and other mates; by that time, they will hide.
Other reasons include stress, poor water conditions, and inadequate water parameters.
To prevent such issues, ensure good water conditions and adequate water parameters, and avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank.
Reference: ScienceDirect, Wikipedia