Imitator Catfish

Details -

Estimated size at shipping: 2"

Sold as: Unsexed

Overview:

A peaceful species which mimics Corydoras melanistus in the wild. They have been triggered to spawn in aquariums by keeping them with spawning C. melanistus.

Most Corydoras are perfect citizens in a peaceful community aquarium. There are hundreds of species with a wide range of colors, patterns, and fin shapes. Affectionately referred to as Corys, these small catfish are always entertaining as they clown around together searching for food. Most are 100% non-aggressive, relying on their heavy body armor to protect them. Corys live by the phrase "make love, not war," spawning in large communal aggregations without combat or displays of dominance. Because of their peaceful nature, there is never any worry about stress due to bullying or hierarchy disputes.

Something interesting about these catfish is how they supplement their oxygen intake by breathing atmospheric air. They do this by darting up to the surface, taking a gulp of air, and darting back down to the substrate. This is perfectly normal behavior which adds to the charm of their clownish behavior.

Setup Considerations:

Corydoras can be found on a wide range of substrates in the wild ranging from mud to sand to rock. However, all the species we have kept have greatly appreciated a substrate of fine sand which they constantly sift through for food, often burying their faces up to their eyeballs as they push into the sand. Fine sand is not strictly necessary and they will do just fine on a wide variety of substrates, or even on the glass bottom of an aquarium, but, if you can provide sand, you will see a lot of really enjoyable behavior as they root around for food.

This fish is highly gregarious and only truly thrives when kept in groups...the bigger the better.

Diet:

Corydoras need protein rich foods in order to thrive. Unfortunately, they are often sold as "cleaner" fish with the expectation that they will get enough nutrition by sucking algae and other gunk from the substrate. While they do need some plant matter in their diet, they are not effective algae eaters. In fact, for optimal health, it is recommended that they be target fed a variety of sinking pellets and wafers, as well as the occasional offering of frozen and live foods. They can eat quite a lot, but are somewhat slow feeders. We have found that regularly feeding long-lasting foods such as large pellets, wafers, and Repashy and letting the Corys graze on these foods for a few hours at a time helps keep them fat and sassy.

Ratings & Reviews:

Location: Wyoming, United States

Shipping: Please review checkout for final shipping options based on items selected, quantity, and groupings. Heat or cold packs will be included as needed at no extra cost.

• UPS Next Day Small: Fits 5 for $39.99
• UPS Next Day Medium: Fits 9 for $45.99
• UPS Next Day Large: Fits 20 for $49.99
• UPS Next Day Giant: Fits 30 for $69.99

Find details about our shipping process in our FAQ. For example, we ship most orders on the following Monday or Wednesday.

Water Parameters: We keep all our fish at a temperature of 79 F.

Our pH measures around 8.3 with a KH and GH a bit over 300ppm. That being said, we want to caution folks with different water parameters from thinking that they need to change their water for our fish. We have many customers in the Pacific Northwest, Upstate New York, and other areas that have very soft water. Our fish do just fine in their water without any parameter matching. What is most important is that the water our fish are put in upon arrival have steady parameters, not that your water parameters match ours.