Topic: Breeding Corydoras

[Vern]

Has anyone had any success in breeding Corydoras?

If so, do you find them relatively easy to breed and how do you rate their parental skills?  For example, what numbers are produced per spawn; and are they likely to end up as a meal for my pleco?

I ask as I noticed I'd accidentally vacuumed up about half a dozen tiny cory babies when carrying out a water change in my 200ltr.  I only spotted them at the bottom of my bucket last minute before emptying out the contents on my flower bed.  God only knows if I've accidentally lost a few before hand.  I've checked my tank and don't see signs of any other fry so I guess they're either well hidden, or have been consumed.

[Maddy mad man]

diffrnt corys breed in different ways - some easy, some not.  They lay and fertilize eggs which is as far as parenting skills go (lucky devils).

Eggs ... fry ... yum yum.  You could hatch the eggs artificially or move the amorous pair into a breeding tank making life much easier

[Vern]

Thanks.  I've got around a dozen mixed sterbai and julii and I'm not sure which is breeding.

I've seen no sign of eggs or fry since either. I guess they're buried deep amongst the bog wood in the tank somewhere.

[Maddy mad man]

normally stuck to a vertical surface from what i know

[jones57742]

I've got around a dozen mixed sterbai and julii and I'm not sure which is breeding.

Vern:

If you have like five of each probably both species are breeding.

You can tell which are as they will be playing much more vigorously than normal.

The spawning will occur when you observe the classic cory TEE position:  the male will be locked onto the barbels of the female.

TR

[Vern]

I've got around a dozen mixed sterbai and julii and I'm not sure which is breeding.

Vern:

If you have like five of each probably both species are breeding.

You can tell which are as they will be playing much more vigorously than normal.

The spawning will occur when you observe the classic cory TEE position:  the male will be locked onto the barbels of the female.

TR

Interesting, thanks.  I will keep an eye out.  Do you think there's a chance these 2 species may cross breed?  To date the only unusual thing I've noticed is that one of the larger (therefore female) sterbai is looking a bit beaten up (torn fins).  A sign of protecting eggs maybe?

On a similar topic, would you (or anyone else of course) know if there's an upper limit of numbers I can keep in my 50g alongside my breeding chocs and single pleco (see my sig)?  I'm due to off load the pleco soon as he's getting a little large for the tank however I want to keep up his cleaning regime by (hopefully) adding more and different varieties of Corys, which do a great job in turning over the substrate through their daily grazing.

[Vern]

**BUMP**

They're at it again!  I saw them at first light this morning doing huge cartwheels in and out of the airstone's bubbles, then rolling around on the substrate.  On closer inspection the fat female Sterbai's Cory had her pelvic fins clasped together tightly and I noticed single eggs dotted on the front, back and sides of the tank.  I have spotted about a dozen altogether.  Then I noticed the T-bar 'lock' when one of the males finally caught up with the female. 

I carried out a big w/c last night and gave the gravel a good vacuum and cleaned a few rocks and roots.  I gave the mass of floating weed a good rinse as I'd noticed a lot of uneaten food collecting in there and bingo!  It's definitely the Sterbai's that are breeding, although the other Cory's join in the general fun.  Watching them surf the bubbles is quite something!   

Happy Days!

[Dan]

Congrats Vern.  Nice to hear. 

[Gerry]

Great stuff Vern 

[jones57742]

Vern:

Please excuse me here as I just flat missed this post somehow.

Do you think there's a chance these 2 species may cross breed?

Not in your tank.

To date the only unusual thing I've noticed is that one of the larger (therefore female) sterbai is looking a bit beaten up (torn fins).  A sign of protecting eggs maybe?

Probably not as they do not "really protect the eggs".

When they are really swirling the females fins will get in this condition.

On a similar topic, would you (or anyone else of course) know if there's an upper limit of numbers I can keep in my 50g alongside my breeding chocs and single pleco (see my sig)?  I'm due to off load the pleco soon as he's getting a little large for the tank however I want to keep up his cleaning regime by (hopefully) adding more and different varieties of Corys, which do a great job in turning over the substrate through their daily grazing.

I unfortunately could not ascertain from your signature the details to which you referenced.

Cory's are really not "a cleanup crew" although they do some cleaning up.

As you are from Wales you should be able to purchase like three very small Bristlenose Pleco's at a reasonable cost.
These are wonderful little fishies which I very much enjoy.
They will clean up the surface of your substrate as well as the tank walls.

I carried out a big w/c last night ...
It's definitely the Sterbai's that are breeding

You probably instantaneously dropped the water temperature a couple of degrees C which set this off.

You will also probably see the eggs on the glass of the tank and they will probably not survive unless you remove to another tank and put in a hint of methylene blue (assuming that you want to hatch and raise Cory's).

TR

[Stormbringer]

congrats Vern thats cool 

[mrbigfish]

way to go Vern, in my years on the forum I can't remember anybody breeding corys.

[Vern]

Thanks guys!

To date the only unusual thing I've noticed is that one of the larger (therefore female) sterbai is looking a bit beaten up (torn fins).  A sign of protecting eggs maybe?

When they are really swirling the females fins will get in this condition.

Oddly that same fish still has her torn fins and has lost her tail completely.  It doesn't appear to be growing back any.  The last time this happened to one of my Sterbai's, she was eventually overrun with fungus. 
See here: http://www.worldcichlids.com/yabbse/index.php/topic,13979.0.html

This one will be really difficult to catch and isolate though.

Have you experienced similar traits with Corys?

I unfortunately could not ascertain from your signature the details to which you referenced.


As you are from Wales you should be able to purchase like three very small Bristlenose Pleco's at a reasonable cost.
These are wonderful little fishies which I very much enjoy.
They will clean up the surface of your substrate as well as the tank walls.

It's the same 50g, only I have now parted company with my pleco. 

I have just purchased 6 bristlenose plecs, all under 1" in size and they are currently acclimatising/growing out alongside some Royal Tetras in my 55ltr.  Sadly my LFS couldn't identify them, other than saying they were Ancistrus sp.  According to Planet Catfish there are over 20 described species, however my LFS said that they arrive in the UK 'unnamed', which I thought odd.

You probably instantaneously dropped the water temperature a couple of degrees C which set this off.

I made a point of ensuring cooler water was added to the tank as I'm trying to urge on my Chocolates but I think I kick-started a chain of events.  Even my Geophagus is digging away at the substrate like there's no tomorrow.  The Chocs meanwhile, are too laid back to be bothered with all the fuss. 

[jones57742]

Oddly that same fish still has her torn fins and has lost her tail completely.  It doesn't appear to be growing back any.  The last time this happened to one of my Sterbai's, she was eventually overrun with fungus.
This one will be really difficult to catch and isolate though.
Have you experienced similar traits with Corys?

Vern:  not directly with Sterbai as they are such hardy fish.

I have el zippo experience with the other fish which you have in there but I believe that if you remove her to a tank by herself where you can add meds that she will die.

My two cents worth here are to purchase some pond grade Melafix (it is the same as regular Melafix but is significantly cheaper to dose); dose the tank at twice the recommended dosage for two days and then at the recommended dosage for five days.

Please note that Melafix is not a medication but is a curative and also that the couple of times which I have had to use it it worked wonders.

I have just purchased 6 bristlenose plecs, all under 1" in size and they are currently acclimatising/growing out alongside some Royal Tetras in my 55ltr.  Sadly my LFS couldn't identify them, other than saying they were Ancistrus sp.  According to Planet Catfish there are over 20 described species, however my LFS said that they arrive in the UK 'unnamed', which I thought odd.

Vern:  It is not odd due to the random hybridization of these wonderful little fishies.

I have five and none exhibit the same background color or foreground markings.

Were you looking at this page on PC?

TR

[Vern]

My two cents worth here are to purchase some pond grade Melafix (it is the same as regular Melafix but is significantly cheaper to dose); dose the tank at twice the recommended dosage for two days and then at the recommended dosage for five days.

Please note that Melafix is not a medication but is a curative and also that the couple of times which I have had to use it it worked wonders.

Are you sure that dosing the whole tank will not be detrimental to the other fish present? 

I have five and none exhibit the same background color or foreground markings.

Were you looking at this page on PC?

TR

Nope, this page: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/genus.php?genus_id=4#49  but close!

**EDIT**  I should perhaps add that I was really hoping to pick up Ancistrus Claro aka Gold Marble Bristlenose Catfish, LDA08 but the guy in my LFS didn't have a clue what I was talking about.