Elegant Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras elegans is a slender cory from the upper Amazon basin that, unusually, often swims in the upper water column rather than the bottom.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras elegans, the elegant corydoras, is an armoured catfish of the family Callichthyidae described by Franz Steindachner in 1876. It has dark double longitudinal stripes over an olive background and a slimmer body than related species, with eyes set relatively low.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras elegans
Habitat
The species occurs in the upper Amazon River basin in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It lives in tropical freshwater and, unusually for the genus, tends to swim in the upper levels of the water column rather than only at the bottom, disturbing the sediment less than most corydoras.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
- Substrate: soft sand
Diet
Corydoras elegans is an omnivore that feeds on worms, benthic crustaceans, insects and plant matter in the wild. In aquaria it accepts sinking dried foods supplemented with small live and frozen items.
Compatibility
A peaceful schooling species best kept in groups of six or more. It suits community aquaria with tetras, rasboras and otocinclus and should not be combined with aggressive cichlids.
Breeding
Males display territorial behaviour during spawning while females hide among plant roots. Both sexes clean the underside of plant leaves; eggs are fastened under the leaves and to plant roots, and the adults do not guard them.
Breeding Corydoras elegans (Elegant Cory)
Overview
Corydoras elegans is an armoured catfish (family Callichthyidae) from the western Amazon basin in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil, inhabiting forested streams with sand, mud and leaf-litter substrates, and reaching about 45–55 mm standard length. It is an egg-depositor that spawns in the Corydoras T-position.
Sexing
Females tend to grow larger, and sexually mature individuals are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males, especially when gravid. Males possess a more intense colour pattern than females, with a greater proportion of dark markings on the body and dorsal fin.
Conditioning
Condition the group on a varied diet of small live and frozen foods until the females are full of eggs. Use a 2:1 male-to-female ratio for the best fertilisation results.
Breeding Setup
- Temperature: 20–26 °C
- pH: 6.0–7.5
- Hardness: 18–268 ppm
- Provide aquarium glass, fine vegetation and/or spawning mops as egg sites
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Trigger spawning by performing a large (50–70%) water change with cooler water and increasing oxygenation and flow. Repeat daily until the fish spawn. Eggs are typically laid on the aquarium glass or on provided alternatives such as fine vegetation or spawning mops, after the female fertilises them in the T-position.
Egg & Fry Care
Remove either the adults or the eggs after spawning completes. 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. Fry perform better over sand than on bare bottoms.