Breeding Corydoras loretoensis

Breeding Corydoras loretoensis: sexing from above, T-position spawning, glass egg deposition in high flow, and fry care.

Overview

Corydoras loretoensis (also placed in the genus Hoplisoma) is a callichthyid catfish from the upper Amazon in Peru. Seriously Fish gives a maximum standard length of about 5 cm (2 inches); FishBase records around 3.6 cm SL with a tolerance of pH 6.0-8.0 and 22-25 C.

Sexing

Females are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males, especially when full of eggs, and tend to grow larger. Sexing is easiest when the fish are viewed from above.

Conditioning

Condition the breeding group on a varied diet of live, frozen, and dried foods. A ratio of two males per female is recommended.

Breeding Setup

Suitable spawning conditions are reported as a temperature of around 75 F and a pH of about 7. The eggs are typically laid in an area of higher water flow, so positioning a deposition surface near good circulation is helpful.

Spawning Behaviour & Trigger

Spawning begins with an increase in activity and excitement, after which males actively pursue females and the pair adopts the classic T-position for fertilisation. To trigger it, perform a large 50-70% water change with cooler water and increase oxygenation and flow, repeating daily until the fish spawn.

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs are usually laid on the tank glass, often where water flow is quite high, and hatch in 3-4 days. Once the fry have used up their yolk sacs they accept microworm and brine shrimp (Artemia) nauplii as first foods.

Common Challenges

Maintaining high flow and oxygenation around the egg site, along with excellent water quality for the developing fry, are the main requirements for success.