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Catfish
/ Callichthyidae / Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras
Corydoras sp. | Pictures
Size/Length: From 1" (2.5 cm) to 4" (10 cm)
H: This family is spread throughout South America with the greatest
concentration found in the Amazon Basin.
Corydoras
catfish come from a wide range of biotopes; from rocky rapids to slow-moving,
muddy rivers.
A: Most swim in the bottom levels of the tank. Some dwarf species may swim
in mid water.
Aquarium: Most can tolerate an aquarium that is 20" long (50 cm) or
has the capacity of 10 gallons (38 L).
These catfish like a well-planted tank with many
hiding places (wood, roots, rocks).
Use fine gravel or sand as a substrate, for these
fish burrow.
Members of the Genus
Corydoras prefer shallow tanks.
Water chemistry: With most individuals of this species, water properties are not
critical. Most thrive in
water with a pH of 6-8, a hardness of 2-25 dH, and
a temperature of 72-82°F (22-28°C).
Social behavior: All of the fish in this family are good community fish.
They like to school and should be kept in groups.
Do not combine
Corydoras
species with huge fish as they may eat this pleasant little catfish.
Corydoras
catfish are diurnal fish.
Social behavior: Smaller tetras, Discus, Dwarf Cichlids, Livebearers, Gouramis, Barbs,
Danios, Killifish
FOOD: Live; aquatic insects, white worms, Tubifex, Brine Shrimp, insect
larvae; tablets; flake
Suggested companions: It is fairly difficult to distinguish between the sexes, although
the mature females are usually plumper.
Breeding techniques: Use a breeding tank with a sand or fine gravel substrate.
Provide some large-leafed, potted plants.
Usually spawning occurs after
addition of cooler water, in water with a pH of 6-7 and a water hardness of about 6 dH.
The most success of spawning
Corydoras
catfish is reported during the winter months that correspond to the
rainy season of their natural habitat.
Recreating rainy season conditions this far has
lead to the most spawning successes.
For
Corydoras catfish, just the change
ion temperature is usually enough to initiate spawning.
One-fourth of the tank's water
should be changed daily, with cooler water added after each change.
Continue this until the temperature
has been lowered 4-8 F. Corydoras
catfish usually spawn in groups.
The female holds 2-4 eggs between her ventral fins while the male fertilizes them.
After being fertilized, the eggs are carried by the female to a large leafed plant, where they are
attached to the underside of a leaf.
In all 100-400 eggs are laid.
The eggs should be removed as the parents may consume them.
Place the eggs in a well-aerated
rearing tank after spawning is complete.
The eggs are somewhat sensitive
to fungus, so the tank should be kept as dark as possible.
Fry hatch after 3 days and are
free-swimming in 3-5 days further.
Young should be fed small live foods such as white
worms, Tubifex
, Brine Shrimp nauplii, innards of fresh peas, and water fleas.
The fry can also be fed tablet foods.
Young grow quickly.
Breeding potential: 7.
Breeding is fairly difficult.
Remarks: This family has the ability to take atmospheric oxygen from the surface
which aides them in water with insufficient amounts of oxygen. Air is taken in through the mouth and passes along
the intestine to the hind gut, where it absorbed into the blood stream.
Difficulty of care: 2.
As a general rule,
Corydoras
catfish are easy to care for.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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