# Do Certain Corydoras Species School Better?



## Harry Muscle (Oct 17, 2007)

I know with Tetras certain species definitely school better than others. Wondering if the same is true for Corydoras? If so, which species are known to school best?

Thanks,
Harry


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

Easily i could lay down a 100$ bill and say pygmy cories are the best schoolers.

i personally think out of experience that larger cories have a more loose school.


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## Harry Muscle (Oct 17, 2007)

DutchMuch said:


> Easily i could lay down a 100$ bill and say pygmy cories are the best schoolers.
> 
> i personally think out of experience that larger cories have a more loose school.


Which of the three pygmy cory species are you referring to? Corydoras habrosus, Corydoras pygmaeus, or Corydoras hastatus?

Thanks,
Harry


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

All of them.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

They all school pretty well. It depends on the number of cory and tank size. The dwarf cory allow you to have a lot which makes an impressive school. Pygmaeus & hastatus do swim in the mid water column more often which is odd for cories.


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## smatos69 (May 18, 2018)

Hi, all.


mistergreen said:


> It depends on the number of cory and tank size..


@MrGreen - could you please elaborate a little on that. How does number of cories and fish size infuence schooling?
More fish give a loose shoal or break up schooling, or does it enhance the behaviour?
And tank size... How do you think it changes schooling?

It's not a trick question - I'm planning a big tank and plan to have cories (C. sterbai) - so it's genuine 'need to know'...
Thx in advance .


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

smatos69 said:


> Hi, all.
> 
> @MrGreen - could you please elaborate a little on that. How does number of cories and fish size infuence schooling?
> More fish give a loose shoal or break up schooling, or does it enhance the behaviour?
> ...


Larger tank: less fish -> closer school
Larger tank: more fish -> Loose school *unless predatory fish is in there*

Small tank: less fish -> loose school
Small tank: more fish -> closer school.


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## smatos69 (May 18, 2018)

Neat!

Thx, @DutchMuch
👍


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Actually for cories, More fish better school. The more fish you have, you should have a bigger tank so they can swim around. I find cories in small tanks like to sit around. Also have A LOT of water movement. They like to swim against the current.


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## Dude (Nov 14, 2018)

I've got a 29 gallon tank with a mix of about 9 peppered cories and I think 6 bronze cories. The peppered are far more active. Although occasionally a specific one of the bronze will join the peppered. It was raised with them and not others of its own type. Sometimes it also looks like it's attempting to mate with one of the peppered. I'm kinda curious how a mix like that would look.


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## shrimpgal (Feb 27, 2014)

my pygmy cories look cool in a school


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## safina (Jan 20, 2014)

Corydoras aren't schooling fish, they are loose schoalers- a gregarious species. 
The best way to see them demonstrate this behavior is comfort, not stress. 

Actually, their tendency is to freeze when threatened or hide in the cover of plants. 
This is the opposite of true schoolers, like most ( but, not all) characins, who find safety in numbers the best way to handle stress and predation.


In the aquarium, comfort and the display of natural schoaling behavoir with con-specifics comes from various aspects: cover, size of tank, health(environment and fish), compatibility with other fish. 

The smaller corydoras are the tightest shoalers of the group. This may be because of their diminutive size.


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