This is one of my absolute favorites and a much underrated species. The
fish available in the shops are often juveniles that are not that impressive to
look at, mainly due to their greyish coulour. This drastically changes as the animals mature and adults are among the
most impressive Corydoras there is.
Like with most Corydoras the females grow rounder than the males, this is however a very robust species in general so even the males have a heavy look to them. Both sexes grow an extended dorsal fin but the dorsal fin of the males grew to a very impressive length.
I acquired these fish in May 2013 from Artane Aquatics as wild caught
juveniles, I also later added a few individuals from a second supplier.
The fish were kept in a 60x40x30cm grow out tank with fine sand, plenty
of twigs and moss. An air driven sponge filter as well as a sponge filter driven
by a power head was used, the current was in places of medium strength.
The diet consisted of live foods such as
mosquito larva and white worms but also dry foods such as catfish pellets and flakes, the fish grew very well.
Weekly water changes using slightly colder water were made of about 20% of the total volume, this might have triggered the intitial spawn. It should also be noted that breeding activity intensified as live foods were offered on a regular basis. The first spawning took place nearly exactly a year after the purchase,
the reading were as follows:
Temp: 24-25°C pH: 7 Hardness: 30-40 ppm
The fish scatter their eggs and they can either be collected and raised
in a breeding box or left in with the parents as quite a few seem to survive in
their presence.
For the first spawns I collected the eggs and raised the young using
fine flakes, brine shrimp, micro worms and mosquito larva. After the initial spawn the
adults continued to breed on a regular basis and I stopped collecting eggs.
There were still quite a few survivors appearing now and then.
I personally try to keep plenty of moss and dried oak leaves with my fry as these provide both shelter and micro organisms for fry to feed on.
The group was later moved to a community setting containing guppies,
tetras and also other bottom dwellers such as Hypancistrus and Ancistrus
species. Even in this setting there were juvenile Corydoras concolor appearing
on a regular basis.
I just fished out these
little lads from their parent’s tank. They are from one of my first spawns of Hypancistrus debilittera, L129 and I believe that I managed to catch roughly
two thirds from that batch. It is very important for
the growth and well-being of young plecos that they are not kept in too crowded
conditions. Even more so when several batches share the tank as the smaller
ones will have a very tough time competing for food and hiding spots against their larger siblings. These fish were moved so
that their younger siblings can get a chance to grow properly and become strong
little fishes.They have now moved to a 72 litre tank with strong filtration and plenty of hiding spots.
This is a very simple, cheap
but effective fry rearing box. This example does not have proper floating
supports as it's resting on a root in my tank. Floating support or something to
anchor the box to the side of an aquarium would be easy to ad. What you need: plastic box with
a lip at the top to hold some air, silicone, carpet knife, filter foam, and a
spare small airlift filter:
A hole was cut at one end of
the box and sealed with filter foam, attached with silicone. This will drain
the box and keep the water level the same as in the tank it is in. The air
driven filter will pump in fresh water from the tank into the box:
Side view:
In tank:
From above:
This is a variation of a design
that has been used by aquarists for many years. The benefit of this type is
that air driven filter constantly supplies the fry/eggs with fresh water from
the same tank that they originally were laid in/hatched in. This method also
keeps the water conditions stable which is extremely important with fragile
fish, something that can be harder to achieve in a small separate tank. Another benefit is that the
breeder box makes it easy to make sure that the fry eat, the small space makes
it possible to target feed fry while fry in a larger tank might not even find
the food in time. Maintenance of the rearing box
is still important though and uneaten food and bacteria on the sides should be
removed/cleaned on a regular basis. A turkey baster works quite well for this
purpose, and a tooth brush can be used to clean the sides. Depending on species and
strength of the air pump used it can also be a good idea to add an air stone
for increased water circulation. Personally I use this type for
plecos and corys; I ad gravel/sand from the main tank, some small
plants/moss/roots/oak leafs/ for the fry to hide in. Remember that we want the fry
to feel comfortable and not stressed as this increases their growth rate and
lowers the risks of deaths.
