Gomez's Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras gomezi is a small armoured catfish from the western Amazon where Brazil, Colombia and Peru meet, kept in peaceful soft-water aquaria.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras gomezi is a small armoured catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Castro in 1986 and currently placed by FishBase in the genus Brochis. It occurs in the Amazon basin near the border of Colombia and Brazil. The specific name honours Juan A. Gomez, a Colombian research director who supported its collector.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras gomezi
- Author: Castro, 1986
- Current placement: Brochis gomezi (FishBase)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Amazon basin near the Colombia-Brazil border, while Seriously Fish places it in the 'Tres Fronteras' region where Brazil, Colombia and Peru meet. The type locality is given as lakes of the Isla de Mocagua near Leticia, Colombia. Collection records are described as scarce.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- Substrate: soft sand
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivorous forager. Seriously Fish notes that it accepts sinking dried foods plus live and frozen items such as bloodworm and Tubifex, and stresses that a varied diet is essential rather than relying on leftovers from other inhabitants.
Compatibility
Corydoras gomezi is a peaceful, gregarious bottom-dweller. Seriously Fish recommends maintaining it in groups of at least 4-6 individuals in calm community aquaria; large or boisterous tankmates are unsuitable.
Breeding
Seriously Fish suggests a ratio of about two males per female and reports that spawning is triggered by large water changes (50-70%) with cooler water and increased oxygenation. Eggs are deposited on glass, vegetation or spawning mops and hatch in roughly 3-4 days; fry need excellent water quality and small live foods.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Data Deficient (assessed 2020), reflecting limited information on its distribution and population.
Breeding Corydoras gomezi (Gomez's Cory)
Overview
Corydoras gomezi is an armoured catfish (family Callichthyidae) from the Tres Fronteras region of the western Amazon basin, near the Brazil/Colombia/Peru borders, reaching about 50–60 mm. It is an egg-depositor that spawns in the Corydoras T-position.
Sexing
Females tend to grow larger, and sexually mature individuals are noticeably broader and deeper-bodied than males, most obvious from above when females are full of eggs.
Conditioning
Condition adults on a varied diet of small live and frozen foods until females are full of eggs. Use a ratio of two or more males per female if possible.
Breeding Setup
- Temperature: 20–26 °C
- pH: 6.0–7.5
- Hardness: 36–215 ppm
- Provide glass, fine-leaved plants and/or sunken spawning mops; mops are recommended for easy egg removal
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
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 do better over a thin layer of sand than on bare glass.