Corydoras burgessi Breeding Guide

How to breed Burgess's Corydoras (Corydoras burgessi): soft acidic blackwater, two males per female, the cooler-water trigger, 10-20 eggs per spawn, a 3-4 day hatch and fry care.

Overview

Corydoras burgessi, Burgess's cory, is an armoured catfish reaching about 50-55 mm standard length, apparently endemic to the upper rio Negro basin in Brazil, with its type locality on the Rio Unini, a tributary of the Rio Negro (Seriously Fish). It is a peaceful egg-depositor that prefers soft, acidic blackwater conditions, and its breeding requirements reflect that demanding water chemistry.

Sexing

Females grow larger and, when sexually mature, are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males, especially when gravid (Seriously Fish). The fuller female outline is clearest when the fish are viewed from above.

Conditioning

Feed a varied diet: the species is an omnivorous forager accepting sinking dried foods plus small live and frozen items such as bloodworm and Tubifex (Seriously Fish). Condition the group until the females are visibly full of eggs, using two males per female for spawning.

Breeding Setup

Use a separate tank with a thin sand layer, sponge filtration and fine-leaved plants or fine spawning mops as egg sites. The species' blackwater origin means soft, acidic water is important; the lower pH range it tolerates is well below that of most congeners. Maintain soft, acidic water within the species' range of pH 5.0-7.0 and roughly 20-28 degrees C (Seriously Fish).

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

When the females are visibly full of eggs, perform a large (50-70%) water change with cooler water and increase oxygenation and flow, repeating daily until they spawn; this simulates the cool, oxygen-rich rainy season. Eggs are normally deposited on the aquarium glass, with fine-leaved vegetation or spawning mops offered as alternatives. A user report cited by Seriously Fish describes typically 10-20 eggs per spawn at 2-3 week intervals.

Egg & Fry Care

Incubation is normally 3-4 days; once the fry have fully absorbed their yolk sacs they accept small live foods such as microworm and Artemia nauplii (Seriously Fish). Fry require excellent water quality and do better over a thin sand layer than on bare glass, with frequent small water changes to keep parameters stable.

Common Challenges

Holding genuinely soft, acidic blackwater, conditioning females, and protecting eggs from the adults are the principal challenges. Egg fungus on infertile eggs and lapses in water quality during the fry stage cause most losses, so blackwater chemistry and hygiene both demand close attention.