Duplicate Corydoras (Corydoras duplicareus) Care Guide
Corydoras duplicareus is a Rio Negro armoured catfish very similar to C. adolfoi but with a broader black dorsal stripe, suited to soft acidic water.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras duplicareus is an armoured catfish of the family Callichthyidae. It closely resembles C. adolfoi but carries a thicker black dorsal stripe. It is a small blackwater species associated with soft, acidic conditions.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras duplicareus
- Common synonyms: False Adolfoi
Habitat
The species occurs in the upper Rio Negro basin in South America. It is a demersal freshwater fish of soft, acidic blackwater, and shows facultative air-breathing.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.0
- GH: 1-8 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 5-8 years
Diet
An omnivore (trophic level around 3.0) that forages along the bottom. It accepts sinking dried foods supplemented with live and frozen items.
Compatibility
A peaceful bottom dweller best kept in groups of six or more on soft sand. Suitable companions include Cardinal Tetra, discus and Apistogramma; cichlids that are aggressive should be avoided.
Breeding
Corydoras duplicareus is an egg-depositor; breeding difficulty is considered advanced.
Duplicate Corydoras (Corydoras duplicareus) Breeding Guide
Overview
Corydoras duplicareus comes from the upper rio Negro system in Brazil and reaches 40-50 mm standard length. It naturally inhabits blackwater tributaries with tea-coloured water, low hardness and a pH of 4.0-6.0, and is an egg-depositing catfish.
Sexing
Females tend to grow larger, and sexually mature individuals are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males, especially when gravid.
Conditioning
Condition the group on a varied diet in soft, acidic water. Maintenance parameters for the species are a temperature of 20-26 degrees C, pH 4.0-7.0 and a hardness of 18-90 ppm, reflecting its blackwater origin.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
This species is reported to deposit eggs either on the substrate or around the water line. As documented across the genus Corydoras, a large (50-70%) water change with cooler water, plus increased oxygenation and flow, is used to trigger T-position spawning, in which the male grasps the female's barbels and she forms a pelvic-fin basket to carry the eggs.
Egg & Fry Care
Following the genus pattern, eggs hatch within a few days and the fry take small live foods such as microworm and Artemia nauplii once their yolk sacs are absorbed. Soft, clean, slightly acidic water suits the developing fry.