Catfish Corydoras: maintenance and breeding in a home aquarium

Breeds

The species diversity is enormous, with more than 150 species, many of which can be successfully kept in the home aquarium. Here are some of them.

• The Speckled is perhaps the most common breed in beginner aquariums. This baby is capable of unprecedented feats: it can withstand fluctuations in any water parameters, lack of aeration and filtration. Of course, it is better to avoid a sharp increase or decrease in temperature or water pollution, as this can affect life expectancy. But at least you can be sure that in the event of unforeseen situations, the speckled corydoras will survive. They look quite simple: a gray-olive back, a light belly and large dark spots all over the body. Females are larger than males, growing up to 7 cm in length (males - up to 5 cm).

• Corydoras pygmy - has a body atypical for these catfishes, more elongated and less barrel-shaped. But the dimensions are very miniature - no more than 2 cm. The catfish has a light-gray body with a thin dark stripe from head to tail.

• The panda is a white corydoras with black spots around the eyes, dorsal and caudal fins. The sizes are relatively small - up to 4 cm.

• Golden Corydoras is similar to the speckled one in terms of resistance to changes in water parameters, size and color, but has a golden stripe from head to tail.

• Corydoras julie [Julia], leopard - a fish with luxurious colors: on a pearlescent-yellowish background there are many dark spots reminiscent of leopard spots. Can grow up to 6 cm.

• Shterba is the most spotted representative of the Corydoras. The whole body is covered with small spots - dark on a light sandy background. On the tail they merge into parallel horizontal stripes.

• Corydoras Venezuela is a bright representative of these catfish; large spots of orange and bluish shades are combined on the body. It belongs to the whimsical species of corydoras; it is necessary to observe the conditions of detention more carefully.

• Corydoras arcuatus has a light gray body with a dark stripe that is evenly wide from head to tail. Slight orange pigmentation on gills. Sizes up to 5 cm.

• Corydoras similis - the light pearlescent body has many small dark spots that disappear in the head area. The body darkens near the tail. The fins are almost transparent. A species that has not gained popularity among aquarists.

• Corydoras adolphus is a white fish with a bright orange spot on the back of the head and dark stripes along the back under the dorsal fin and vertical stripes running across the eyes. Dimensions – up to 5 cm.

• Bronze - has a noble dark red body with a transition to black in the area of ​​the dorsal fin.
• Corydoras trilineatus (three-line) - the color is similar to a leopard, but the body is more gray than yellowish, and from approximately the middle to the tail on the sides the spots merge into a kind of three stripes.

• Corydoras albino - has a white body with a pinkish tint and red eyes. Quite rare, like all albinos.

• Corydoras duplicareus - the color is similar to Corydoras adolphus, but the color of the spot and the shade of the tail are bright yellow, and the stripe on the back is wider.
• Corydoras habrosus - the baby barely reaches 2.5 cm in length. The dark back contrasts with the light belly, and there is a wide black stripe along the body.

Description of the fish

The short body of the Corydoras (the maximum size of an adult fish is 6-9 cm) has the shape of a narrow long layer with a bulge on the back and a rounded belly, covered with two rows of bone plates that form a kind of shell. Because of this, fish can be clumsy; there have been cases when a catfish swam into a narrow gap, got stuck there and died.

The female is larger than the male. The mouth is located at the bottom of the head, which allows it to pick up food from the bottom. Three pairs of whiskers help the catfish rummage in the ground in search of food and navigate, two above the upper jaw, one below the lower jaw. Due to their sharpness, the pectoral fins and spines under the eyes serve as a protective organ. The upper fins, resembling a triangle, are pointed in males, while in females they have a rounded shape.

Different species differ in body color, the most common being olive drab. The main color can be diluted with colored stripes or spots. There are albino individuals that were bred about 40 years ago. This species does not tolerate temperatures above 22 °C and is susceptible to damage to its fins. He often gets sick and lives shorter than his fellows.

Olive-gray Corydoras catfish

Interesting fact! Wild corydoras are brighter than their artificially bred relatives. This is due to the color of the water and soil in which they live.

A characteristic feature of fish is intestinal breathing. When there is a lack of oxygen in the water, they rise to the surface and swallow air. This feature appeared due to the fact that after the rainy season, the rivers in which the fish live dry up.

Habitat

Speckled Corydoras lives in South and Central America, where the tropical climate reigns, in the Amazon, La Plata, and Parana basins. They prefer to live in small flocks in waters with a high content of silt, standing or slowly flowing. They live in shallows, ponds and swamps. In Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and Venezuela it is legal to catch and sell these fish.

South and Central America

Behavior

The speckled catfish can actively interact with other fish and remain in one position for a long time, waiting for prey. Does not conflict with the inhabitants of the aquarium. It will make sounds using fins located on its chest if it is very frightened. During the day they hide in the greenery of reservoirs, and at night they look for food - worms, insects, crustaceans.

Lifespan

In nature, speckled catfish live 5-8 years; at home, they reach 15 years of age. Life expectancy is affected by water temperature; the warmer it is, the shorter the fish lives.

How to keep Corydoras

Corydoras can be found in nature throughout South America. Only the breeds differ. These fish love waters with weak currents, shallow and calm.

Let's talk about how long Corydoras live. Life expectancy in good conditions can last up to 15 years. To make these 15 years happy and joyful, you need to comply with several conditions of maintenance and care.

• The volume of the aquarium depends on the size of the adult. For example, a 30 liter container is suitable for a pair of pygmies. The most standard living conditions are an aquarium from 50 liters. Corydoras feel more comfortable in a small flock of 4-5 pieces
• Aquarium shape – preferably an aquarium that is wider than tall. For catfish, the calculation of the ideal ratio of the size of the aquarium to the number of individuals does not depend on the volume, but on the bottom area. Thus, it is recommended to keep corydoras at the rate of 24-26 cm of the total length of the fish (excluding the caudal fin) for every 0.5 m2
• Temperature 24-26°C. Some species can withstand temperatures from 10°C to 30°C, but it is better not to experiment and, if possible, create comfortable conditions
• Hardness 0-12. The softness of the water is achieved by the presence of driftwood, branches
• Acidity 6.0-7.5 (some types require other parameters, but these are average for all corydoras)
• Water can be refreshed every two to three weeks, changing a quarter of the volume. Aeration and filtration must be established.
• The soil is better dark, preferably not sharp. Sand with a fraction of 1-3 mm is suitable.
• The decor should be positioned so that the catfish can feel free. The bottom is their living area, and it is not recommended to fill it with stones and densely planted with plants.

Types of speckled corydoras

The speckled cory family includes about 150 species. Basically, all these fish are unpretentious in keeping and aquarists make their choice based solely on external data. Let's look at the most popular representatives of this species.

Golden Corydoras Golden or bronze Corydoras is a small, active and peaceful catfish. The entire body of the golden measles is uniformly colored in shades from bronze to golden. There are artificially grown golden corydoras catfish whose body looks almost transparent. Nature has provided it with the same weapons of defense as the speckled one - plates and spikes. In general, maintenance and care are no different from maintaining its speckled counterpart. In this subspecies of the family, albino corydoras are more common - fish with a white color and reddish eyes.

Corydoras zygatus This is another bright representative of the armored Corydoras, which will decorate the aquarium thanks to its unusual coloring. The name of the species comes from the Greek ζυγόν (zugón) - yoke: a designation of a striped pattern in which black stripes resemble a yoke-collar for harness. The entire body of the measles zygatus has a silver color, to which, depending on the brightness of the lighting, orange shades may be added.

The catfish Corydoras Sterba Sterba got its name from the German zoologist Gunther Sterba. Distinctive features are the presence of yellowish specks on the back, which can be all shades of brown. The sides closer to the tail darken and are painted with yellowish stripes. The belly varies from white to pink. Thanks to their highly decorative and peaceful nature, Sterbs have won great love among aquarists.

Catfish Corydoras Panda The Carapace Panda is named after its larger brother, which it resembles due to its bright color and peaceful disposition. The body of the panda shell is colored in shades from white to faint pink with 3 clearly defined dark spots. The first spot is at the top of the head, covering the eyes, much like the bamboo bear's black spot around the eyes. The second dark spot on top covers the dorsal fin. The third dark spot is located at the base of the tail.

Corydoras veil The veil speckled catfish is an artificially bred variety of speckled shellfish. Veil catfish are characterized by an olive color with a metallic sheen. The body is usually dotted with dark specks and small spots of irregular shape. The main difference between the subspecies is the elongated shape of the upper fins, which develop like a veil during swimming.

Feeding

Since catfish are often kept with other fish, it is important to observe whether food reaches them. There are fish that are voracious and agile. When feeding, they collect flakes and granules from the surface and in the water column at such a speed that nothing may reach the bottom. In this case, the corydoras will either have to float up and feed in an atypical way for them, or be content with raiding on the ground and walls. In both cases, there will be little benefit to the health of the fish. Therefore, both dry and live food must be delivered to the very bottom, where the Corydoras eats it with pleasure.

Some species of these catfish feed only on live food, this is important to remember when choosing. For example, the growth of the panda corydoras is very dependent on diet. You need to understand: for any species, diversity in diet and food rich in vitamins are important.

Character and relationships with neighbors

The aquarium fish Corydoras has a calm disposition. Feels good in a flock of 5–8 individuals. Most of the day the fish is at the bottom of the tank.

Corydoras in the waters of a community aquarium are compatible with fish of the same size, these are:

• guppy;
• platies;
• gourami;
• discus;
• zebrafish;
• angelfish;
• swordtails;
• mollies;
• cockerels (in a large aquarium), etc.

Before choosing neighbors, check out the table!
Mastacembelus, eels, shrimp, astronotus are not the best companions for corydoras. Catfish should not be housed with cichlids or Koi carp. Corydoras is not compatible with any aggressive aquarium predators.

Behavior and Compatibility

On the one hand, corydoras, like other catfish, lead a “bottom” lifestyle and practically do not interfere with the other inhabitants of the aquarium. Catfish emerge only to swallow an air bubble. But on the other hand, these are still small fish, practically not protected by a shell. Therefore, first of all, non-aggressive fish that are not seen in fights for territory and without the desire to feast on other fish will approach Corydoras as neighbors. These are barbs, goldfish, zebrafish, guppies, swordtails, angelfish and other similar species. The corydoras themselves will be absolutely harmless even for neons.

It is better to keep Corydoras catfish in a flock of 6-8 individuals.

Choosing the right healthy catfish

When purchasing Corydoras at a pet store, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

• there should not be a single sick fish in an aquarium with catfish;
• mobility. A healthy fish confidently swims around the aquarium, swims to the surface, and digs in the ground. Sick specimens move hesitantly, randomly, or lie like a stone at the bottom;
• the antennae must be healthy, without signs of damage;
• There should be no red or brown spots on the body; this is a sign of fungus or infection.
• fins should not be stuck together, strewn with decomposition products of animal proteins;
• a sunken tummy is a sure sign of worms;
• cloudiness or film on the eyes indicate poor condition of the fish;
• red swollen gills are the main symptom of poisoning with nitric acid salts;
• For further reproduction, it is recommended to buy fish of different sizes.

Reproduction

How to determine the sex of corydoras and distinguish a female from a male? The female is in almost all cases noticeably larger than the male. By one and a half years, both the female and the male are ready for breeding. One female and 2-3 males settle in the spawning tank, the conditions of which are similar to those familiar to fish (volume 60 liters, temperature 1-2 degrees cooler). The males chase the female around the aquarium until she chooses one of them. Having collected his milk in her mouth, she finds a suitable place (the surface of a plant, a piece of driftwood, the wall of an aquarium), lubricates it with milk and places there several eggs, which by this moment have appeared in the “bag” in the abdomen area. This happens several times with different males. Since the males can immediately eat the eggs, they can be distracted at this time by throwing some food to the bottom.

After the breeding process is completed, the producers can be transferred back to the general aquarium. No caviar care is required; weak aeration and filtration are sufficient to prevent water stagnation. After a week, the larvae appear, they are fed with “live dust”, then with food for the fry. After a month and a half, the fish are ready to move into a community aquarium.

Some of the Corydoras species (for example, Adolphi) do not breed in captivity.

Maintenance and care

Corydoras fish are undemanding to their living conditions. However, they also need to provide comfortable living. The pet’s well-being, its growth rate, life expectancy, etc. depend on this. Optimal care includes:

Aquarium . Its volume directly depends on the size of the flock and other neighbors. If you focus exclusively on these catfish, then you need to take into account that they live near the bottom. Accordingly, the larger the area of ​​the container, the better. Experienced aquarists recommend starting from the following calculations: the total length of 20-25 centimeters of all individuals without tails should account for about half a square meter of bottom area. If we translate into displacement, then for a flock of 4-8 fish it is enough to allocate 50-70 liters (on average about 10 liters per head);

It is very easy to distinguish a female from a male - males have a pointed fin, while females, on the contrary, have a rounded fin.

Water . Corydoras catfish is an incredibly hardy representative of the underwater fauna. It can easily withstand almost any setting, making it suitable for keeping with many types of fish. The temperature is suitable within 20-29 degrees, hardness - up to 18, acidity 5.8-7.8. The optimal parameters are: 20-26°C, 0-12° dH, 6.4-7.4 pH. At the same time, the amount of harmful gaseous compounds (phosphates, nitrates, ammonia, etc.) should be minimal. That is, it is imperative to carry out weekly changes of at least a third of the total volume;

Soil . It is better to choose a fine fraction substrate. For example, you can choose gravel or fine sand. The main requirement is that there are no sharp edges on the stones, since these fish will constantly rummage through them and can get hurt. When thinking about it, you need to take into account that Corridors look best on dark soil; they get lost against a light background. It is also advisable to create shelters from large stones or driftwood where animals can hide;

Plants . These catfish prefer densely planted aquariums. The flora must be selected in such a way that it does not reduce the free space at the bottom. That is, it is better not to use ground cover plants. The best option is large bushes like nymphea, echinodorus, vallisneria, hygrophila, etc.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the diet of these fish. It can be quite varied, but the main thing is that the food must fall to the bottom. The oral cavity of these animals is designed in such a way that they pick up food directly from the ground.

Corydoras can be fed with scalded vegetables.

You can choose from various food tablets and pellets for bottom-dwelling fish. Artemia, bloodworms, daphnia, tubifex and other types of frozen food of animal origin are also suitable. It is advisable to additionally use plant foods.

Diseases

Corydoras are susceptible to many aquarium diseases, but they get sick relatively rarely. These include fungal infections (cloudy spots), bacterial infections (red spots on the belly), fin rot, and parasite infestation. It is typical for catfish that if their whiskers are damaged, they can die of starvation. Incomplete damage to this important part can recover over time, but this is a rather lengthy process. It’s better not to put the whiskers in danger (remove sharp objects from the aquarium). All diseases immediately affect the appearance of corydoras: they become lethargic, fold their fins, which are normally always straightened, their eyes become cloudy and various spots uncharacteristic of their color appear.

Diseases of aquarium catfish - signs and treatment

Despite simple care and strong immunity, catfish, like all other fish, are susceptible to a variety of bacterial and fungal diseases. Among the main causes of disease:

• presence of salt in water;
• rapid temperature fluctuations;
• a high degree of saturation with nitric acid salts, which leads to the complete death of the antennae and the death of the individual in the future.

The disease can be recognized by the appearance or behavior of the fish. Corydoras become lethargic, inactive, appetite disappears, and color becomes less bright. The catfish may become covered with a white coating.

At the slightest sign, you need to put the fish in a separate container and begin therapy with vitamins and medications. Timely treatment increases the chances that the aquarium inhabitant will recover and live for a long time.

Semolina for catfish

Parasites appear on the body of the fish, which cause the appearance of small white spots. These are peculiar “pockets” in which an organism lives that feeds on the corydoras.

For treatment, you will need to treat the water with solutions of copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, and aqueous formaldehyde. Cleanse until the stains disappear completely.

Diseases in catfish

Oodiniosis in catfish

The disease can be asymptomatic for several years. It manifests itself in dullness of the skin, convulsions, and the catfish begins to actively itch against the stones. Gradually, the shell begins to peel off, revealing a cluster of pests.

For your information! You can get rid of parasites using the drug Bicillin-5. Antimicrobial drugs have antiseptic properties and completely remove foreign organisms from the fish’s body.

Diseases from stress in catfish

In addition to diseases caused by infection of living organisms by microorganisms and parasites, catfish can develop a number of pathological conditions caused by improper care.

Poor nutrition leads to metabolic disorders. The fish become inactive, lose their appetite, and their stool changes. To eliminate the problem, it will be necessary to review the diet of the Corydoras and stabilize the food intake system.

With insufficient aeration, speckled catfish experience oxygen starvation. The fish often begins to rise to the surface of the aquarium for additional oxygen.

Failure to maintain temperature conditions makes catfish inactive. The brightness of skin tissue and appetite decreases.

Often, during stressful situations, the fish’s body becomes covered with white spots.