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Corydoras Corydoras.spp
Species Name: Corydoras Origin: S. American waters Size: 8cm Temperament: Peaceful Food: All aquarium food plus special catfish food Tank Areas: Bottom Notes: Egg depositing females are usually fatter than males. Breed quite well but tiny fry are usually eaten in community tank. Best kept in groups. Good scavengers picking up food that reaches the bottom of the tank. No self respecting community tank is complete without its collection of cat fish! Corydoras, or "Cory" Catfish are a large group of South American armoured catfish. There are over 70 species of Corydoras Catfish, all similar in size and all requiring the same care. They are small, ranging in size from 1-3 inches in length. Due to their tireless scavenging, Corydoras Catfish are most often used as "cleaner" fish for the aquarium. It is recommended to keep these fish in groups of four or more. Mixing species is fine. Like all Corydoras, this species is armoured with overlapping scales known as plates. Their fins possess a leading spine, which can be locked in place to make it difficult for larger fish to swallow them. This spine can make netting them difficult, and care should be taken when doing so. In the home aquarium, Corydoras aeneus are prized for being active, peaceful, charmingly expressive and easy to care for.
Tank Setup. Being the small fish that they are, Corydoras need only a small aquarium of 10-15 gallons. Polished gravel works best, as these fish are prone to injuring their mouths on sharp and jagged rocks while digging for food. A sandy substrate is appreciated. Bunched and floating plants are beneficial. Feeding. As omnivorous bottom-feeders, these Catfish should be fed foods such as blood worms, algae sinking tablets or finely-chopped beef heart. Vegetable matter such as blanched lettuce should also be supplied in their regular diet. It is not recommended to leave your Corydoras to simply eat the leftover "scraps".
Corydoras are one of the most popular, if not the most popular group of aquarium catfish. Their small size and gentle nature has made them popular with aquarists for over a hundred years. They were first introduced to the hobby in Europe during the 1880s, and their popularity has continued to grow. They won't bother the smallest, most delicate species, and have armor plates on their body and stiff spines to ward off more aggressive fishes. They can be kept with most fish, except the most aggressive ones, and those requiring brackish or extremely alkaline water. Water Chemistry. These Catfish have no special requirements when it comes to water conditions. A neutral pH and common water temperature will suffice. They are hardy fish that thrive under most conditions. Certain species can live in temperatures as low as 59 degrees F. Breeding. Females are larger than males and may have more blunt dorsal fins than those of the males. It is recommended to keep 2 males for each 1 female when attempting to spawn these Catfish. A designated aquarium works well. After a week or two in their usual water conditions, drop the temperature below 70 degrees F and soften the water. Feed the fry sinking foods such as Tetra Bits. Corydoras are egg laying species, they lay sticky eggs which the female will deposit onto leaves, rocks or what else seems suitable. They often spawn within the group, if one couple starts spawning that could trigger other couples to do the same. An other spawning trigger is a cold water change, within limits of course. This somehow imitates the heavy rainfall that is the start of the spawning for corydoras in their natural environment.
There are between 130 and 140 known species of Corydoras. This amount can vary according to which "expert" you are reading. All of them come from South America. They range from Argentina to Colombia, with most coming from the Amazon basin. They range is size from about 5 inches (C. barbatus) to about 1 inch (C. hastatus and C. pigmaeus). Most come from fairly soft, acidic, virtually salt free waters, but will adapt to harder, more alkaline water. Corydoras are able to absorb atmospheric oxygen through the capillaries in their intestines. Periodically, you will see them make a mad dash to the surface of the tank for a quick gulp of air, which they swallow. Occasionally, you will see them excrete bubbles as the air passes out of their intestines. This ability to utilize atmospheric oxygen allows Corydoras to exist in water conditions that will kill other fish. This doesn't mean you should allow your tank's conditions to deteriorate though!
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