# cory mating habits?



## ragnahr (Sep 25, 2008)

2 of my bronze corries are acting really unusual from there normal habits. they never seem to leave eachother alone. they chase eachother and like circle around ontop of one another. could this be them mating? i know that they are egg bearers but has anyone got any insight into how it happens and there habits? cheers


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Is it raining in your area? That tends to make them do this. However, raining also makes them spawn, and they do a lot of this stuff while courting, so it could go either way. They prefer to spawn in groups. The female gets really fat and her belly turns rosy pink. They lay eggs on upright surfaces mostly, like plant leaves or the glass sides of the tank. The female usually carries a bunch of eggs between her pelvic fins for awhile before finding a good spot to put them.


----------



## ragnahr (Sep 25, 2008)

its actually really sunny here. i recently got rid of gravel and put sand in the tank instead. someone told me that adding cold water will make them spawn quicker, is that true??


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes. It simulates rain, and that is a common spawning cue for many fish. It works especially well if you use distilled water, as it drops the hardness like rain does.
The fish still need to be conditioned and ready to spawn, though; all the cues in the world won't help if they aren't waiting for them.


----------



## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

ragnahr said:


> 2 of my bronze corries are acting really unusual from there normal habits. they never seem to leave eachother alone. they chase eachother and like circle around ontop of one another.





TheOldSalt said:


> ... they do a lot of this stuff while courting, so it could go either way. They prefer to spawn in groups.


Yes: this "twirling around" is typically in groups of 3 or 4 (or at least with 6 or 7 in a tank. This value might be hundreds in the wild).




ragnahr said:


> ... someone told me that adding cold water will make them spawn quicker, is that true??


Absolutely.

TOS: never thought about the hardness issue! Thanks.

*rg: you will know for sure when they are spawning if you observe the classic TEE position where a male clamps a barbel of the female.*

TR


----------



## Fishnut2 (Jan 18, 2005)

Ragnahr,
Here's a short video clip that shows courting activity, the "T" position (actual spawning), and a female carrying eggs and depositing them. This should help!

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/fish-videos/22653-how-breed-barbatus.html

Rich


----------

