Loretoensis Corydoras Care Guide
Corydoras loretoensis is a small peaceful catfish from the upper Amazon in Peru, kept in groups on fine sand in soft, slightly acidic water.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Corydoras loretoensis is an armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, described by Nijssen and Isbrücker in 1986. It is a small Peruvian species native to the upper Amazon. It carries a dark midline and a contrasting silvery body, and like other corydorad catfish it is capable of facultative air-breathing.
Taxonomy
- Family: Callichthyidae
- Genus: Corydoras
- Scientific name: Corydoras loretoensis
- Author: Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1986
- Recognised combination: Hoplisoma loretoense (Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1986)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the upper Amazon River basin, and Seriously Fish gives the type locality as the upper Amazon in Peru. It is a tropical freshwater, demersal fish. Natural and aquarium setups use fine sand with smooth rocks, bogwood and dense vegetation, with good water circulation and oxygenation.
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
- Size: 4-5 cm (FishBase max 3.6 cm SL)
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore. Seriously Fish reports it accepts sinking dried foods plus small live and frozen options such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and chopped earthworm; a varied diet maintains condition.
Compatibility
Seriously Fish describes it as very peaceful and well suited to community tanks with small, calm species. It should be maintained in a group of at least six for confidence and activity, and kept away from aggressive cichlids.
Breeding
According to Seriously Fish, breeding follows typical Corydoras protocols in a bare-bottom or sand-bottomed tank with sponge filtration, using a 2:1 male-to-female ratio. Eggs hatch in three to four days, and fry accept microworm and brine shrimp nauplii as first foods. Females are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males and generally grow larger.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 25 April 2014).
Breeding Corydoras loretoensis
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.