Breeding Bandit Corydoras (Corydoras Melini) In The Aquarium

Distribution

A tropical freshwater fish originating from South America. In its natural habitat, this species inhabits rivers, streams, tributaries with dark waters, rich in tannins and decomposing organic matter in Colombia and Brazil.

Physical appearance

The fish has a silvery-beige body color with two black stripes. The first one passes diagonally through the eye, the second one runs along the longer rays of the dorsal fin, through the base of this fin, diagonally to the base of the tail fin and through the lower rays of the tail fin. The head of the fish and the front part of the belly shine gold. Like all corydoras, this species has two rows of bony scales along the sides of the body and spines in the pectoral fins. Additionally, it is adapted to breathe atmospheric air using the intestine. Females are slightly larger and thicker in the belly areas after reaching sexual maturity compared to males. This species is often confused with the Colombian Corydoras - Corydoras metae (here the second black stripe passes through the entire dorsal fin, along the base of the tail fin and partially through the anal fin) and Corydoras davidsandsi (here the second black stripe only passes through the base of the dorsal fin (not through the rays) and additionally the adipose fin).

Disposition

Peaceful and quiet fish that should be kept in groups of at least 6-8 individuals. Then they become more active and less shy. We should avoid the company of large and aggressive fish. This is a bottom species, which spends most of its time at the bottom of the aquarium looking for food.

Aquarium

The tank should be well stocked with vegetation (floating plants can also be added), with numerous hiding places among the roots, stones, and rocks with soft edges leaving open spaces (near the bottom) for free swimming. The substrate should be soft (sand or fine gravel) and dark. Lighting is subdued. You can also create conditions reminiscent of an Amazon biotope – with a sandy substrate, twisted roots, dried leaves on the bottom, and dark-colored water. Cory cats are very sensitive to water parameters, chemicals, and medicines. Therefore, regular partial water changes are necessary and sudden fluctuations in temperature and pH should not occur. These fish should never be introduced into a chemically unstable aquarium. Also, remember to keep the aquarium substrate clean to prevent infections of the cory cat's barbels which they can catch.

Reproduction

Oviparous fish. We can breed it both in a general and separate - breeding aquarium. In the first case, we need to ensure an adequate number of places where the eggs will be deposited and then the fry will hide. In the second case, the aquarium should have a layer of sand, numerous clumps of Java moss, there can also be flat stones. The water should be soft, at a temperature of about 23°C, pH=6.5, the filter, on the other hand, should have a secured outlet, e.g. with a sponge. We move the group of fish (with a numerical predominance of males) to such a prepared tank and feed them abundantly with live products. When we notice that the females have clearly widened in the belly areas, in the morning hours we replace about 50% of the water with cooler (20-21°C), increase its aeration and flow. Repeat this process every day until spawning is induced. Spawning takes place in T position in the water column and is preceded by intensive courtship. The male catches the female's barbels between his pectoral fins. He releases milk, which goes to her pelvic fins (these fins are holding one to four grains of eggs at this moment) - fertilization occurs. The female floats away to deposit the egg in the appropriate place (usually in a clump of plants, on a stone, or on the glass, near a high water flow). The cycle repeats itself, with males competing for access by the female (remember that there are more males than females). After spawning (which can take several hours) we fish out the parents – they eat eggs and fry. The eggs are sensitive to fungal infections. To protect them you can add a few drops of methylene blue to the water, but you should check and remove spoiled eggs every day. You can also use Red Cherry shrimp, which will only eat infected eggs. Hatching occurs after 3-5 days (depending on water temperature), and after another 3-4 days the fry freely swim in search of food.