Breeding Corydoras fowleri (Fowler's Cory)

Breeding guide for the larger Corydoras fowleri: sexing including thickened pectoral rays, conditioning, cool-water trigger and fry care.

Overview

Corydoras fowleri is one of the larger armoured catfish (family Callichthyidae), reaching about 60–70 mm and native to the Amazon basin in Peru, from the río Ampiyacu region westward to Iquitos. It is an egg-depositor that spawns in the Corydoras T-position and needs a base footprint of at least 120 × 45 cm.

Sexing

Females tend to grow larger, and sexually mature individuals are noticeably broader and deeper-bodied than males, with noticeably rounded ventral fins. Males show thickened anterior pectoral-fin rays.

Conditioning

Condition adults on a varied diet of small live and frozen foods until the females are full of eggs. A surplus of males per female improves fertilisation.

Breeding Setup

• Temperature: 20–28 °C
• pH: 5.0–7.5
• Hardness: 36–215 ppm
• Provide glass, fine-leaved plants and/or sunken 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. The female cups the sticky eggs between her pelvic fins, fertilises them in the T-position, and deposits them on glass, vegetation or a mop.

Egg & Fry Care

Remove either the adults or the eggs after spawning. Incubation is normally 3–4 days; once the yolk sacs are absorbed, fry accept small live foods such as microworm and Artemia nauplii. They require excellent water quality and perform better over a thin layer of sand than on bare glass.

Common Challenges

Most breeders add a few drops of methylene blue or an alder cone or two to the egg container to prevent the eggs developing fungus.