Cory catfish are among the most common fish aquarist loves to add to their community tanks. They look fantastic, swimming at the bottom of the tank, searching for food all the time. Cory catfish are peaceful fish and do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
You will get into worry when you walk by your aquarium and see one of your cory catfish not moving and staying still, and you will try to know the reason behind that. So, Why is my cory catfish not moving? Let us find out.
Resting is the primary reason for your cory catfish not moving. Other causes include stress, inadequate water parameters, poor water conditions, and illness. To prevent such issues, perform a regular water change and avoid adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank.
This article will discuss why cory catfish are not moving and how to prevent such issues. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Why is my cory catfish not moving and staying still?
There are various reasons behind your cory catfish not moving, of which the primary reasons are resting and poor water conditions.
Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish and spend most of the time dwelling on the gravel in search of food.
Scavenging the bottom of the tank in search of food is tiring, and they will require some rest while performing their regular schedule.
So, they can rest for like 5-10 minutes whenever needed.
However, if your cory catfish is showing such behavior most of the time during the day, it is a matter of concern and requires immediate action.
There are other reasons also like inadequate water parameters, aggressive tankmates, stress, illness, and physical injury.
Is it normal for cory catfish not to move?
Cory catfish are active fish, and you will find them dwelling at the bottom of the tank in search of food.
However, cory catfish will need rest at some time, and there is no fixed time for cory catfish to take a rest.
They will rest for 5-10 minutes whenever needed during daytime or nighttime.
So, if your cory catfish is not moving for some minutes and then start moving and following its normal routine, they are resting, and it’s completely normal.
But, if your cory catfish is showing such behavior of not moving most of the time, it is a matter of concern.
Inadequate water parameters, bad water conditions, stress, aggressive mate, and fluctuating water temperatures can be the reason behind your cory catfish not moving.
What are the reasons behind my cory catfish not moving?
These all are the reasons behind your cory catfish not moving:
- Your cory catfish is having a rest.
- Your cory catfish is being chased and bullied by aggressive mates.
- Your cory catfish is under stress.
- The water parameters of your cory catfish tank are not adequate.
- The water condition of your cory catfish tank is poor.
- Your cory catfish is suffering from illness.
- Your cory catfish has been injured.
Having rest
If your cory catfish stays still for 10-20 minutes and then starts moving, your cory catfish is just having a rest.
Corry catfish are bottom dwellers and spend most of their time feeding on the bottoms.
Scavenging the bottom of the tank for feeding seems to be a tiring and challenging job, for which they will require some rest time.
So, it’s completely normal if your cory catfish is not moving and laying at the bottom of the tank for some time during the day as they are taking a rest.
Presence of aggressive tankmates
Cory catfish are among the most peaceful species of bottom dwellers.
If you keep cory catfish with aggressive fish like angelfish or with a big size fish, they will chase your cory catfish and will try to hunt them down.
By being constantly chased by aggressive mates, cory catfish will remain at one spot most of the time, away from the vision of other fishes.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Nocturnal?
Stress
Stress can also be the factor behind your cory catfish not moving and staying still at one spot.
All these things can make your cory catfish come under stress:
- Inadequate water parameters
- Unstable water temperature
- Poor water conditions
- Presence of aggressive fish.
- Physical injury
- Illness
Also read: Why Are My Cory Catfish Hiding?
Inadequate water parameters
Cory catfish are hardy fish, but when it comes to water parameters, they can come into critical condition if provided with inadequate parameters.
Inadequate water parameters can make your cory catfish come under stress and become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Your cory catfish will lose its appetite and will become weak, resulting in not having the energy to move much.
Also read: Ideal pH Level For Cory Catfish?
Poor tank conditions
Bad water conditions can be the reason behind your cory catfish is not moving.
If your cory catfish tank is high in ammonia, they will suffer from chemical burns and suffocations.
A high pH level results in an ammonia spike, but many other things can also result in an ammonia spike.
Not performing a water change, not cleaning the food leftovers, and not performing proper tank maintenance will result in an ammonia spike.
Lack of oxygen in the water will make your cory catfish suffer breathing and will come under stress.
So, poor water conditions can make your cory catfish suffer from various issues, and they will become weak, resulting in not moving.
Illness
Sickness can also be the reason behind your cory catfish not moving.
Various diseases and parasites can affect your cory catfish’s health and weaken them, resulting in your catfish not moving.
Keeping your cory catfish in poor water conditions or not maintaining adequate water parameters makes them prone to various diseases and parasites.
Look for white or greyish patches on the head, skin, and fin of your cory catfish.
Also, look for frayed fins and cottony-looking wounds on the mouth.
If your cory catfish is having all these or some of these symptoms, they are suffering from columnaris disease.
This bacteria enters your cory catfish body through the mouth, gills, and minor wounds.
Also read: How To Treat Swim Bladder Disease In Cory Catfish?
Injury
Any physical injury can make your cory catfish suffer from pain, and they will come under stress.
Cory catfish can harm themselves from the sharp object present in your aquarium like decors.
Also, the presence of aggressive mates can be the reason behind injury.
Aggressive fish will constantly chase your cory catfish and try nipping them, resulting in physical injury.
How to prevent such issues?
Ensure these things to prevent such issues:
- Maintain adequate water parameters for your cory catfish tank.
- Provide good water conditions to your cory catfish.
- Avoid adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish aquarium.
- Avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank.
- Provide a stress-free environment for your cory catfish.
Adequate water parameters
Provide your cory catfish with adequate and stable water parameters to prevent such issues.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 72-82 °F. |
| Water pH level | 7 and 8 |
Ensure to maintain a water temperature between 72-82 °F.
Maintain the water pH level between 7 and 8.
Consider adding a heater to your cory catfish tank to stabilize the water temperature.
Good water conditions
Providing good water conditions will help you prevent such issues from your cory catfish.
Perform weekly water changes of at least 35% regularly to keep the water clean.
Never forget to treat the water with a water conditioner to dechlorinate it, primarily if you use tap water to perform a water change.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Ammonia | 0ppm |
| Nitrite | 0ppm |
| Nitrate | Below 20ppm |
We recommend using the API water conditioner to treat the water before adding it to your cory catfish tank.
You can buy this product on amazon: API TAP WATER CONDITIONER.
The API water conditioner will not only help you to eliminate chlorine from the water but will also eliminate ammonia, nitrite, and heavy metals, which are harmful to your cory catfish.
Consider adding a good filtration system with biofilter media to protect the water from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
Also, consider adding plenty of live aquatic plants to your cory catfish tank, as it will help you keep the water well-oxygenated and clean.
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels and ensure to maintain ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm, whereas nitrate should be below 20ppm.
We recommend using the API ammonia test kit to check ammonia levels, as it shows accurate results.
You can purchase it from Amazon API TEST KIT.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
Avoid adding aggressive fish.
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
When you add aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank, they will constantly chase your cory catfish and try to hunt them down.
Your cory catfish will come under stress because of being constantly chased by the aggressive mate and will become prone to various diseases and parasites.
You must know that fish being under stress for a long time will become prone to various diseases and parasites.
These are some of the best tankmates you can consider adding to your cory catfish tank:
- Neon tetra
- Gourami
- Guppy
- Mollies
- Platies
- Shrimps
- Snails
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Neon Tetras?
Avoid overcrowding
Overcrowding your cory catfish tank comes with all these issues:
- An overcrowded tank will lack oxygen.
- An overcrowded tank will not let your cory catfish live comfortably.
- An overcrowded tank will be dirty faster than a regular one.
- There will be a high risk of ammonia spikes in a crowded tank.
Follow the one-inch one-gallon rule to ensure that you are not overcrowding your tank.
The one-inch one-gallon rule means one inch of fish per gallon of water.
This rule will help prevent your cory catfish tank from getting overcrowded.
Also read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 10 Gallon Tank?
Provide a stress-free environment
A stress-free environment for your cory catfish will help you prevent such issues.
Ensure these things to provide a stress-free environment to your cory catfish:
- Perform a weekly water change of 35% regularly.
- Maintain the water temperature between 72-82 °F.
- Keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0ppm.
- Avoid adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank.
- Avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank by following the one-inch one-gallon rule.
- Feed your cory catfish nutritional food regularly.
- Add plenty of live aquatic plants to provide shelter and a hiding spot for your cory catfish.
- Keep the tank well oxygenated by adding an air pump.
- Add a heater to your cory catfish tank to stabilize the water temperature.
- Do proper maintenance of your cory catfish tank on a monthly basis.
Also read: How To Tell If A Cory Catfish Is Stressed?
Conclusion:
There can be various reasons behind your cory catfish not moving, which is the primary reason resting.
Cory catfish take a nap whenever needed as they don’t have fixed time to sleep.
Other reasons include poor water conditions, inadequate water parameters, aggressive tankmates, illness, and physical injury.
Perform a daily water change of 35%, avoid adding aggressive mates, and ensure adequate water parameters to prevent such issues.