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General information- This species has several color and fin forms, the most familiar morph, after the Wild-Type, is the Albino. Other forms are- Long-finned and Albino Long-finned. Some retails tend to color the Albino specimens with dye, an act considered and abuse, and these fish should not be bought. Several more color forms, such as the 'Orange stripe', 'Green stripe', 'Gold' and 'Black', have been known for some time, but scientifically they are not considered as Corydoras aeneus and haven't been defined yet. This species of Corydoras is the easiest to breed and most likely be the first to breed by any aquarist; hence, it is the most common species in retails around the world. Like all Corydoras species, this species can diffuse oxygen using the posterior part of the gut, so swimming up to the surface and gasping for air, then immediately diving back to the bottom, it is normal and should not be considered as a sign of fault. It also, like other Corydoras species, tend to "wink" by rolling it's eyes downwards, a characteristic considered as funny and makes these fish more loveable. Common Name- Bronze Cory Scientific Name- Corydoras aeneus Family- Callichthyidae Origin- South-America, in Trinidad, and the Amazon system. Size- Mostly up to 5 cm, but estimated to reach up to 8 cm. First discovered- Theodor Gill, 1858 Nutrition- Carnivore feeds mostly on invertebrates such as worms and insect larvae. Will accept prepared industrial foods. Behavior- calm. They may be shay at first, after acclimatization will be an active swimmer, almost always looking for food. The Corydoras aeneus live in shoals of their own species, but may form shoals with other Corydoras species. Maintenance and care- These fish should be kept in an aquarium with a sandy bottom, mild water movement and efficient biological filtration system. The aquarium should be planted sparsely and other fish companions should be calm and non-aggressive. Water Parameters- Water temperature should be in range of 21-27oC (69.8-80.6oF/294-300oK). PH should be in range of 6.0-8.0. Hardness should be in range of 50-190 ppm (5-19 dGH). Breeding- Like all Corydoras species, this one also, starts breeding at the onset of the rainy season. The breeding setup should be about 10-20L (2.64-5.28 gallons), with a sponge filter operated by an air-pump and a thin layer of sand substrate or no substrate at all. These fish breed in groups containing one female and several males, mainly because any other female will eat the eggs of another female. The breeders should be fed on live and frozen foods for a month or so, to get them Into breeding condition (especially the females, who has to build up eggs) . When moving the fish to the breeding aquarium, the water temperature should be About 26oC (78.8oF). Water level should be lowered for about 5 days, then at day 6, pouring new water, About 2-4oC less than aquarium water. Lowering the water temperature usually triggers courting, as it is a sign to the Beginning of the rainy season. All males will chase the female, usually one or two will get to mate with her. Mating occurs as the male swims in front of the female, clasping her mouth with his Pelvic fins, this is known as the famous "T position". After the male releasing the female, she will form a pouch of her pelvic fins, into which she will lay her eggs. Afterwards the female will swim throughout the aquarium searching for a suitable location to place the eggs; this is usually the glass of the aquarium next to the surface. Once the location is found, she will press her abdomen to the substrate and open her Pelvic-fin's pouch, sticking the eggs to the substrate and swimming away. Once breeding is over, the parents should be moved to their former residence. Some breeders leave the eggs as they are, others add Methylene-blue or other anti- Fungicides to the water, others prefer to remove the eggs. The eggs hatch after 5 days in 26oC (78.8oF) and on the 6-7th day should be feed with Microworms and Artemia Nauplii.
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