Breeding Panda Cory (Corydoras Panda) In The Aquarium

Location

This fish lives in reservoirs with clear or dark water (streams, rivers, tributaries). These reservoirs are mostly in mountain with cold water in Upper Amazon in Peru.

Body description

Colour of the body is gray-pink. There are 3 dark spots on the base of the tail, on the dorsal fin and one intersecting the eye. Other fins have color like a body. The fish has 3 pairs of barbels and 2 rows of defensive bony plates (known as scutes) on the sides. The first rays of the pectoral fins are transformed into poisonous spines. This species can breathe with atmospheric air using intestine. You can recognize sex of the fish when it is sexually mature. Female is a bit larger and thicker than male.

Temperament and behaviour

This is a very active, inquisitive and shoal fish. Fish prefers to live in a group of 5 minimum. You should not keep this fish with large and aggressive species. You should keep it with dwarf cichlids, other corydoras, neon tetras, small and peaceful rasboras, tetras, danios and species of the Tanichthys genus. This is the bottom feeding species. It can eat a roe and fry of their own and other species. This is strong species and it is recommended for the beginner aquarists.

Aquarium decoration

You may keep these fish in a general tank or "black water" biotope aquarium. The biotope tank should have sandy substrate, dimmed light, floating pieces of wood, effective and intense filtration system, a lot of roots and branches, dry leaves of oak or beech (you should replace it every few weeks). Water should have "light tea" colour and you should add peat to the filtration system. The general aquarium should be have soft substrate (sand or fine gravel), dimmed light, floating plants, hiding-places among caves, pots, plants (e.g. Ceratophyllum demersum) and effective filtration system. All decorative elements must have soft edges. The fish are sensitive to water conditions and contaminated substrate. You should not use a bottom filtration system under the substrate. A partial water exchange should be done regularly.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You can breed these fish in the general or in separate tank. In the first case the aquarium should have a sufficient number of places where female will be able to deposit her eggs. In the second case the tank should have sandy substrate, java moss, flat stones. Water should be 23°C with pH=6,5. Filter outlet should be protected with e.g. sponge. You transfer group of the fish (single female and a few males) to the breeding tank and feed them with plenty of live food. You should do 50% partial water changes with cooler water (20-21°C) and you should increase water flow and aeration when female will become thicker in the ventral parts. You do that every day until the the spawn starts. Insemination takes place in characteristic "T-position". Male holds female’s barbels in his pectoral fins. He releases sperm. This sperm flow through the female’s pelvic fins where she holds portion of eggs. Male fertilizes the eggs. She’s looking for right place to deposit the eggs (usually it is clump of the plants, stone or aquarium glass). The cycle is repeated but males compete for admittance by the female. The spawn may take a several hours. You should remove all fish after spawning. The roe is sensitive to fungal infections. You may add a few drops of methylene blue to the water to protect the roe but you must check and remove rotten eggs every day. The eggs hatch after 3-5 days. The fry starts to swim and feed 3-4 days later. The eggs and fry are sensitive to fluctuations in water temperature. Water temperature above 25°C is deadly for them.