Feeding : Small foods such as crushed flake and micro pellets are suggested for normal care. Daphnia or similar smaller live foods are required to bring these fish into condition.
Furniture : Sandy substrate is best, the small size means that normal gravel can be a bit large for them to sift through. One species of Corydoras for which plant cover is strongly recommended.
Compatibility : A very lively species of cory. Best kept in shoals of at least 6 to gain the benefits of the species. Active in the mid-water a lot of the time. The fish are often too small to cause hassle to other slow swimming species.
Suggested Tankmates : Despite the typical spiked fins, make sure that no other fish can fit one in its mouth! Such a small fish as this Cory can become a meal all too quickly, best kept with smaller tetras such as neons, hatchetfish and pencilfish.
Breeding : Set up the breeding tank (12" x 8" x 8" or similar is a good size), with either a bare bottom, sand or fine gravel substrate. Use air-powered sponge or box-type filtration as fry won't be sucked into these and provide some clumps of vegetation such as java moss. A temperature of around 75°F and a pH of 6.5 should be fine. Filtering the water through peat is useful, as is the use of RO water.
It's usually better to have a higher ratio of males to females when breeding corys and 2 males per female is recommended. Condition the group on a varied diet of live, frozen and dried foods. When the females are visibly full of eggs perform a large (50-70%) water change with cooler water, and increase oxygenation and flow in the tank. Repeat this daily until the fish spawn.
It's worth observing a couple of notes on general cory breeding at this point. Many species are seasonal spawners, breeding during the wet season in their native countries. This occurs at the same time of year as the UK winter, so if summer breeding attempts are failing, it may be worth waiting until winter before trying again. Additionally, it can take several years for certain species to become sexually mature, so be patient. Finally, different tactics may sometimes be required, such as timing of water changes, oxygenation levels etc. If you aren't having any luck, don't be afraid of trying different approaches.
If the fish decide to spawn, they will usually lay their eggs on the tank glass, often in an area where water flow is quite high. Spawning behaviour is characterised by an initial increase in activity and excitement, before males begin to actively pursue females. A receptive female will allow a male to caress her with his barbels, before the pair take up the classic "t-position", in which the male grasps the females barbels between his pectoral fin and body. He then releases some sperm and it's thought that this passes through the mouth and gills of the female, being directed towards her pelvic fins. These she uses to form a 'basket', into which she deposits a single egg. Once this is fertilised, she swims away to find a suitable place to deposit the egg, before the cycle is repeated. If you spawn the fish in a group situation, you will often see multiple males chasing a female as she goes to deposit an egg, in an effort to be the next chosen to fertilise them.
The adults will eat the eggs given the opportunity, so once spawning is complete you have a couple of choices. Either remove the adults and raise the brood in the same tank, or move the eggs and raise the fry elsewhere. If you decide to move the eggs, you'll find they're quite robust, and can usually be gently rolled up the glass with a finger. The new container should contain the same water as the spawning tank and be similarly well-oxygenated. Wherever you decide to hatch the eggs, it's always best to add a few drops of methylene blue to the water to prevent fungussing. Even then, some eggs will probably fungus, and these should be removed as soon as they're spotted in order to prevent the fungus spreading. Other options include adding an alder cone to the hatching container (these release various beneficial chemicals). Some hobbyists even use certain species of freshwater shrimp to pick any fungal spores from healthy eggs. Cherry shrimp, Neocardina denticulata work well. These will eat diseased eggs, but leave healthy ones unharmed.
The eggs hatch in 3-5 days. Once the fry have used up their yolk sacs they should be fed on an infusoria-type food for the next few days, until they are large enough to accept microworm or Atremia nauplii. They seem to be less susceptible to disease when kept over a thin layer of sand, rather than in a bare-bottomed setup.
Record Stats:
Views: 2380
Keywords: Posted by: [K]aNate~* at 29/12/08, [11:22:08]
Image Linking Codes
BB Code
0 Members และ 1 บุคคลทั่วไป are viewing this record.
หน้าหลัก
ค้นหา
บทความ
คำนวณ
ล๊อกอิน
สมัครสมาชิก
Thu 24/Sep/2026