# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Catfishes >  Tiny Cories

## whuntley

Hi,

I'm a fan of the smaller catfishes, and it goes back to the discovery of the _habrosus_ featured on another thread, recently. I was a neighbor and friend of Stan Weitzman when he did the first collection of this species. 

No, it was not in the jungles of Brazil, but in the tanks of Nippon Goldfish, when they had a store in Palo Alto. They were a contaminant in a shipment of _hastatus_. This was circa 1958, as I recall. Stan went on to be the first describer of the species.

They have been available from aquabid, but at prices I wasn't eager to pay. _Corydoras hastatus_ have been rare as hen's teeth in CA in recent years. I also see none on aquabid, but admit I haven't been a constant watcher. The SF Nippon Goldfish store got in a half-dozen about 4 years ago, and a friend in SF grabbed all of them. He was going to share, but must have lost them, as I never heard again.

If they are widely available in SG, I would think they might leak into the commercial channels here. I can hope, as I'd really like to get back into breeding one or more of the tiny Cories. I lost my last _hastatus_ babies to a chloramine disaster in Santa Clara about 10 years ago (we were just learning), and had to give away my _pygmaeus_ when I shut down my Fremont fishroom about 5 years ago.

Pass the word to the exporters that miniature Cories are so scarce in CA that they never last more than a day or two in the stores. Maybe they will send some my way.  :Very Happy: 

Wright

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## stormhawk

Hi Wright,

Its possible to help you out here but hastatus are available on a seasonal basis. I have some friends who are breeding them in good numbers but the young fish may not make it through the shipping process. 

Pygmaeus and habrosus are available more commonly than hastatus. Those will pop up at the shops every few weeks or so. I'll see what I can do.

Getting word to the exporters is one thing, whether they'll believe a person's view is another thing altogether.  :Laughing:

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## RonWill

> Maybe they will send some my way


either they will or I will, but with their habitual dashes to the surface for air, will they travel well in breathers?

Wright, young pygmy corys are fragile creatures (regardless whether _hastatus, pygmaeus_ or _habrosus_) and don't take well to temp or water shocks. When weather permits, gimme a holler and I'll see what I can do, ya? 





Meanwhile, here's something to make you drool... just bastered this little 8mm cutie today during water change  :Twisted Evil:

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## whuntley

Ronnie,

Much too cold for safe shipping of fish or eggs, I think.

BG sent some _H. formosa_ and Endler's from LA and the Endlers were all dead.

For my local weather, go to 

http://www.weather.com/index.html

and plug in my zip code (93514).

Wright

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## stormhawk

Ron, I think eggs will do better during shipping. Cory eggs usually take up to 3 days to fully develop and hatch out. My last spawning of Corydoras pygmaeus gave some eggs that took a good 3 days of development in warm weather before they hatched out and started to scurry about.

With regards to the fish, they need a faster means of shipping if they are to sent in breather bags. The habitual dashes to the surface occurs when they find that oxygen content is either too low or they're stressed from some form of pollution in the water.

Depending on the species in question, some have been known to give off a form of poison when kept in cramped quarters. The dwarf species don't do this but one should limit the numbers packed per bag to a safe minimum. 

I have seen some bags full of C. habrosus being dumped into the tanks at the LFS and getting sick soon after. C. pygmaeus is the toughest of the lot, with hastatus coming in real fragile after pygmaeus and habrosus.

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## RonWill

Jian Yang,
Judging from past parcels to Wright, even a week long incubation may not be adequate. [Gawd knows what's taking the system so long for Airmail deliveries  :Confused:  ]

I just checked and Bishop registers 32ºF = 0ºC. Windchill may drop it down to 26ºF (-3ºC, yes, *minus*). Definitely way too cold for shipping fishy stuffs. Looks like Wright will have to wait till the weather warms up [meanwhile, let's just make him drool  :Shocked:   :Laughing:  ]

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## stormhawk

Ron, if you want to get some other corys for breeding attempt a visit to Gan's Fish Farm would be great. A new shipment just came in and there's at least 10 species to choose from.  :Laughing:  

Yup I guess Wright has to sit tight for now and start drooling.  :Laughing:

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## whuntley

That weather.com thingy is so useful for fish shipping that I wonder if it will come to SG some day? [It has, see below! Yippee!  ::smt041:  ]

You can use it to see any city in the US and get both current and forecast information. The 10-day forecast is pretty good for airmail from SG, I suspect.

I just discovered that the service is valid for many major international addresses. It made me feel warmer just to see the balmy conditions in Singapore. [It is -1C here, right now, at 7:30AM.]

Why the delay in air mail? It is the customs and security folks justifying their jobs by storing the mail until they get a "Round Tuit." Canada seems even worse, by comparison. We could learn a lesson from them. They seem to know how to get even less govt. efficiency for their tax dollar than we do.  :Very Happy: 

Wright

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## nonamethefish

I think they have appeared at my LFS once or twice when I visited-if only they would appear now!

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## RonWill

> Ron, if you want to get some other corys for breeding attempt a visit to Gan's Fish Farm would be great. A new shipment just came in and there's at least 10 species to choose from.


Jian Yang, thanks but no thanks. As is, I have more babies than I can comfortably handle. [how long more do you expect me to babysit your trays of fry  :Question:   :Confused:  ]

Remember the 2 _Corydoras trilineatus_ that Kho left for you and it took you ages to pick 'em up? Know something? I'm keeping them now... for very good reasons :wink: 



I had the pair in a partition, together with 2 male _Simp fulminantis_, and since the Simps didn't harass them, they went ahead to 'do their thing'.

 

There're quite a number of eggs stucked onto java fern but siphoned some out for closer observation and to try my 'Cory hatchery'.

Incoming water is from a simple uplift and drains out through filter pad.


Too bad my _C. hastatus_ are only 1cm... otherwise, I'll be very tempted :wink:

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## stormhawk

Tsk tsk, I'll pick up my fry somewhere next week. Weekend's booked with some activity. I'll make arrangements for collection with you in private. Thanks for the help. :wink: 

I remembered you telling me the trilineatus were in the partition but I forgot, so did you (to remind me), to take them back. See, lucky I didn't pick the trilineatus up or I'll be one with lots of eggs to play with. The trilineatus are great spawners giving up lots and lots of eggs. You can keep them if you want.  :Laughing:  

If you want there's a bunch of pretty nice pandas at Choong Sua. They're simply cute. I bought 5 plus a pretty large sterbai earlier today. No dwarfs for now though, unless that is you want to try Aspidoras.  :Twisted Evil:

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## RonWill

Jian Yang,
Call me fickle-minded but guess what? Pick up the _C. trilineatus_ when you drop by to collect the fry. Looks like I'm running out of space faster than I anticipated.

Folks,
I'm on a roll here. The _Corydoras melini_ (aka False Bandit Cory / Diagonal stripe cory) didn't do a thing, regardless how I trigger a spawn. Things are looking up when I decided to tinker with a diet of home-made food, high in veggie fibre, spirulina, astaxanthin, phythoplankton, fresh bloodworms, tubifex and newly hatched BS. This awsome diet was intended as conditioning food for my killies.


_Corydoras melini_ trio in partition.

 
Eggs attached to _anubias_.

 
I ran out of space in the sump and rigged up another hatchery, with water flow extended from a Henri.

Let's see if I can do something with those pygmies.

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## RonWill

Folks,
In case anyone wanted to know what an itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie _Corydoras hastatus_ looks like, here's a 4mm fry, shot in a plastic spoon.





Wright, hope this warms up your frigid mornings :wink:

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## RonWill

Folks,
The _Corydoras trilineatus_ eggs didn't make it. Despite receiving highly oxygenated water and good water circulation, they became fuzzy balls.

_C. melini_ by contrast, did much better. Here are the day-old fry + new hatchlings. [Clickable images as always]

 

Aren't they just adorable? :wink:

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## damnit

Woah Ronnie, you breed c.hastatus and c.melini? That's really exciting!!! I'm gonna go back to cories after most of them died off after the CNA came to my house to interview. Cories are truly one of the most fun fish I've ever kept  :Cool:  :P :P

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## RonWill

> Woah Ronnie, you breed c.hastatus and c.melini? That's really exciting!!!


Joe, I get a kick when my fishes breed and every spawn is exciting but my latest *Otocinclus affinis spawn* takes the cake... I've been waiting for this for 6 years!.

Here are the _C. melini_ at one week. All 22 of them, zero casualty :wink:
 

These, together with my 3rd batch of 27 _Betta simplex_ fry, were transferred today to a bigger grow-out container.


BTW, what did the CNA interview have to do with dead corys??

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## damnit

> BTW, what did the CNA interview have to do with dead corys??


Great stuff Ronnie!!! Nah I was referring to my cories dying off one by one after the interview. Maybe too shocked from too much flashes? :wink:

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## stormhawk

Ron, closeup pictures of the older melini fry and also a little blurry shot of the juvenile similis in your tank. :wink:

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## learner

I believe this is quite common in Singapore but it seems that it is seasonal too. I could be wrong about it.

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## stormhawk

Yi Hong, first of all the species is _Corydoras habrosus_, not hasbrosus. Lots of people make that mistake too so you're not alone.  :Very Happy: 

Its not a seasonal species though, but stocks depend very much on their availability from farms that are breeding them. Most of the time these are farms that are located in neighbouring countries, especially Malaysia and Indonesia. 

They're a cute species to start with and one of my favourites.  :Wink:

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## RonWill

ok ok... so the _Corydoras oiapoquensis_ isn't a tiny cory but it's helluva cute  :Wink:  

Here's a pic of the adult and it's fry.
 

In another tank, I've a group of assorted sized _habrosus_ fry. Here's 2 juvenile and their mommy.

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## RonWill

Something for cory fans to ponder over  :Wink:

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## stormhawk

Ron, that's good breed more hastatus. I've got a few empty tanks in need of some scavengers.  :Twisted Evil:   :Drool:  \ :Very Happy: /

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## whuntley

> Something for cory fans to ponder over


I'm green with envy!  ::smt044:  

Wright

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## RonWill

Fret not, Wright. Let me see if I can get their numbers up by the time shipping permits, and both you and Bill will receive a sampling of pygmy corys.

The _Corydoras habrosus_ is reproducing fine and I hope that the _C. hastatus_ will keep going at it like rabbits. Oddly, the _C. pygmaeus_ prospect isn't that bright or perhaps the environment I provided isn't conducive enough. [I'll work on that <wink>]

I believe that home-bred specimens will be more robust for the journey but it's their habitual dashes to the surface (for air?) that'll be problematic since the breather bags will be devoid of air pockets. Comments?

For those well-versed with Cory species, are there other pygmies I missed out? BTW, did I mention that having juvenile corys in grow-out tanks, together with ramhorn snails, is a terrific combination?.

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## stormhawk

There are five species generally regarded as dwarf corys.

C. habrosus
C. hastatus
C. pygmaeus
C. gracilis
C. xinguensis

Of the group, xinguensis is the largest but easily differentiated since it has a brownish body with small black dots peppered throughout the body except for the fins. C. gracilis is the rarest species, with specimens easily fetching SGD 100+ here locally. They very seldom come in big batches, usually a small number here and there. 

Other dwarf type species close to Corydoras would be their cousins the Aspidoras. There are still a number of Aspidoras fuscoguttatus available at the shops. Ron, if you want to try this let me know.  :Wink:  

These seem to be tough customers, having survived the initial die-off period. *Other* Aspidoras, such as pauciradiatus, seem to get infected with white spot easily and die off in large numbers, making them unpopular with the suppliers who import these in. Usually the local warm temperatures cause this white spot effect to occur since they more or less come from cooler temperatures. When subjected to stress they can just get sick and die off. Very fragile creatures.

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## RonWill

Folks,
Here's an update on the _Corydoras similis_ that Jian Yang showed earlier in the thread.


...and how the _C. hastatus_ has grown (harvested 050216 - YYMMDD)

Lost a few weaker fry but the rest are eating and scooting well.

I may have stumbled onto something but it's what the _hastatus_ prefer. Here's their 2nd spawn, together with a young juvenile from the earlier brood for size comparison. It's a good thing that my Walter Worm Culture was finally prolific.

These fry are now in a grow-out container with some freshly harvested Red Ramhorn 'snailets' (what are baby snails called  :Question:  )

  (with a young regular brown ramhorn)

Wright and Bill, if you wish, I can zap these 'snailets' over with the _hastatus_, weather permitting  :Wink:

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## ruyle

Ronnie, the little guys are certainly cute! The weather is still up and down
where I am, and I suggest waiting at least a couple weeks till it settles out
to warmer (and consistent) temps. Had bad luck with the P. myersi Kinkole: all eggs arrived DOA due to taking twice as long as USPS express
was supposed to, (they delivered to my roadside mailbox on a Sunday!)
and the eggs were all white and fungused  :Sad:  Chuck will send more when
he can. 

I have a tank with a sandy bottom they'd look great in! What temp do you keep them?

Regards,

Bill

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## RonWill

Bill, sorry to hear about the _myersi_. From the pics I've seen online, they're real pretty. I, too, lost a few _Procatopus_ species after a massive waterchange (my fault). Apparently these fellas don't like sudden drifts in parameters. (heh... I'll have to drop Chuck a note too <blush>)

My _P. signifer_ fry, however, have happily settled down in the new 3tier 4ft setup, schooling within their confined partition and doesn't harass similar sized ANN (EU male/Asian female) companions.

_C. hastatus_ aren't too particular and will do fine from 24~29ºC, pH5.5~7 and most were bred/raised in mulm-laden containers, undemanding low-light plants and gentle aeration. They'll love sandy substrate, foraging and digging in for that elusive tubifex!

When the weather is good and holding, let me know. Meanwhile, share with me some thoughts about packing (the no-airpocket thingie).

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## stormhawk

On the contrary, hastatus don't actually "dig" into the sand like their long-nosed cousins do. What they usually do is to sift a little sand with the food item into their mouths and slowly filter off the sand via their gills. With hastatus, a tank with a *thin* layer of sand and lots of plant cover will make them very happy. As will a slight current from a small filter.

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## ruyle

> When the weather is good and holding, let me know. Meanwhile, share with me some thoughts about packing (the no-airpocket thingie).


Ronnie, I'd double bag them with 1/3 water and 2/3 air using bag buddies
tabs for the trip over. With a "This Side UP!" printed prominently on the
sides of the box. And yes I'll be glad to pay the Fedex postage  :Wink:  

Bill

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## coryfav

> There are five species generally regarded as dwarf corys.
> 
> C. habrosus
> C. hastatus
> C. pygmaeus
> C. gracilis
> C. xinguensis


JianYang, don't forget the _C. cochui_.  :Wink:

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## stormhawk

Oh yes thats right I forgot the _C. cochui_. Thanks for the reminder coryfav. This fella looks like the habrosus except that it has a slightly differing pattern and a lighter colouration. Very rarely seen in the hobby and may cost a small fortune just like the gracilis.  :Shocked:

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## RonWill

> ... I'd double bag them with 1/3 water and 2/3 air using bag buddies
> tabs for the trip over. With a "This Side UP!" printed prominently on the
> sides of the box


Bill, in 1/3 filled bags, the slooshing within the box is an dead giveaway regarding content and I don't think that FedEx will accept live fishes..

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## ruyle

> Bill, in 1/3 filled bags, the slooshing within the box is an dead giveaway regarding content and I don't think that FedEx will accept live fishes..


Crap, FedEx is no fun at all!  :Mad:  With their habit of going to the surface for
a gulp of air, I don't envision a good outcome in breather bags  :Rolling Eyes:  I
might have to wait till I move to Thailand for these  :Wink:  

Bill

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## whuntley

IMHO, folks make too much of the need for Cories to surface.

They do get a gutfull of air and slowly absorb some. In the dark and in the typical semi-suspended-animation state after a few hours, I would bet they do just fine in breather bags, filled properly. 

If that makes you nervous, leave a very small air bubble in each bag. They only take a tiny gulp, and the bubble will quickly return to equilibrium oxygen content with the water. It won't slosh enough to be heard.

AFAIK, no air space is needed for Bettas, who also gulp surface air and even have a special labrynth organ for using it. YMMV, and free advice is worth every penny -- especially when I haven't actually done it.  :Very Happy:  

Why not try it with some young _paleatus_ or equally inexpensive fish. Put in a breather bag filled normally and keep in a styro with minimal light. If they make it for a day, try for two, etc., etc.

Wright

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## stormhawk

Just to log up Ronnie's cory breeding achievements here's a list of known spawns so far:

Corydoras trilineatus
Corydoras melini
Corydoras similis
Corydoras hastatus
Corydoras habrosus
Corydoras oiapoquensis

6 species and counting. If the pygmaeus start spawning for Ron then he'll complete the "pygmy" bunch of the 3 most common dwarf species in Singapore.  :Very Happy:

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## RonWill

urm Jian Yang... I didn't know you're keeping track but it'll be nice to find a female, or two, of the _Corydoras aeneus_. Believe what I have now, are 2 male "Peru Gold-Stripe", also commonly referred to as the "Gold-Line".

If there're Cory fans out there who are willing to take a gamble with a female 'loan', I'll split the brood with 'ya (of course that's being overly optimistic) but it's worth every attempt. OTOH, if anyone has extra females to sell, I'd be game too.

BTW, I've done _pygmaeus_ before and the fry are adults already. It's just that I couldn't get them 'doing it' again.

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## stormhawk

Hi Ron, got some response from one of the fellas in the other forum. I think Clementi still has them for sale.

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## stormhawk

Just FYI, the "gold-lines" are probably not aeneus but a related form. There's more than one of the "lines" out there.

So far I've heard of the gold-line, green-line and black. All are attributed to _Corydoras aeneus_ but some people think otherwise.

Nonetheless any pictures of these fellas should be tagged as _Corydoras sp. cf. aeneus_ "Gold-Line".

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## RonWill

> Why not try it with some young _paleatus_ or equally inexpensive fish. Put in a breather bag filled normally and keep in a styro with minimal light. If they make it for a day, try for two, etc., etc.


Wright, I've been tied down with so many chores that I've forgotten all about the experiment. If Jian Yang can remember, perhaps he can remind me, when we meet tomorrow, to bag some juvenile _Cory similis_.

Anyway, this is what I just harvested. Let me raise them till they lose their tadpole-shape and start looking like cories. That would be 8~10mm before I pack 'em your way.


Should I ship separately to you and Bill, or can I consolidate the package, together with some _Cory hastatus_, and leave it to you guys to split the loot. Is the weather at your end favorable to receive fishes?

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## stormhawk

Yippeee! Baby habrosus.  :Very Happy:  

\ :Very Happy: /  ::smt003:

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## RonWill

Folks,
Here's another round of cory harvesting yesterday night and I'm quite delighted.

*Corydoras hastatus*... real puny little fellas!
 

====================================

*Corydoras oiapoquensis* ***

A small grouping of fry, one of them still absorbing the egg sac.


Another new hatchling with more obvious egg sac.

... and this is what happens when one's not careful while transferring the delicate fry.

ya... I popped the sac  :8=):  


Hopefully, the rest will be ok.

I wanted to shoot some pics of the earlier batch but forgot which grow-out container they were in but... here's how they'll grow up to look like.


*** Last Sunday, Kwek Leong and his brother-in-law were so fortunate to observe the entire spawning sequence; courting dance, T-position mating and egg depositing. Interesting stuff and I never tire from watching their 'consumate act'  :Rolling Eyes:

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## RonWill

Folks,
Just an update on the 2 month old _Corydoras oiapoquensis_ fry, which has grown nicely and at about 1.5cm, are taking on the caudal markings of their parents.


Here's what I harvested again on Apr 12th & 13th...
 
If I can keep up with the corys' spawing runs, I should have enough to sell some, to fund my killie purchases.

I've lost count of hastatus spawns but those from the earlier batch are about 7mm now, with the distinct caudal spot and have started "going to school". [Wright & Bill should be gleaming ear to ear  :Laughing:  ]

In a separate tank, I had the _Corydoras pygmaeus_ and _C. trilineatus_ lumped together and guess what....? I see a fair number of eggs too, but I can't say whose these belongs to. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

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## ruyle

> I've lost count of hastatus spawns but those from the earlier batch are about 7mm now, with the distinct caudal spot and have started "going to school". [Wright & Bill should be gleaming ear to ear  ]


Ronnie, yepper, gleaming in the gloaming (it's night here).  :Cool:  Keep us
posted, I'm sure Wright is interested, too. That's quite a collection you're
building and thanks for the pics!  :Smile:  

Bill

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## timebomb

> 6 species and counting. If the pygmaeus start spawning for Ron then he'll complete the "pygmy" bunch of the 3 most common dwarf species in Singapore.


Whether or not Ronnie successfully completes the list, I would still take my hat off to the guy. As far as breeding fish is concerned, Ronnie is da man  :Laughing: 

I had the good fortune to see the spawning sequence of the _Corydora oiapoquensis_ when I was at Ronnie's house a few weeks ago and I must say it was a real eye-opener. I thought only Cichilds do the "oral sex" thing  :Laughing: 

Loh K L

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## RonWill

Thanks for the thumbs-up, Kwek Leong, but there are more proficient breeders out there than yours truly. Problem is, most choose to be silent about their success (and I talk too much  :Wink:  )

For the pygmy group of _Corydoras_, I remain hopeful to spawn _C. gracilis_, _C. xinguensis_ and _C. cochui_. IMHO, I think the pygmy species (and _P. gertrudae_) are perfect companions for young killies and permanent setups.

Folks, I don't want to come across a being 'cheap' but if there are any _Corydoras_ fans out there who're game to loan me a pair or small group of any of the 3 species, I'd be delighted to take the challenge and try spawning them.

Females of _Corydoras sp. cf. aeneus_ "Gold-Line" will also be welcomed with open arms  :Wink:  

Anyway, here's a slightly more decent pic of a 1.5cm _oiapoquensis_ juvenile that I transferred to the _annulatus_ permanent setup.





> I had the good fortune to see the spawning sequence of the _Corydora oiapoquensis_ when I was at Ronnie's house a few weeks ago


 From what I've observed so far, the _Corydoras_ I've come to own or care for, all spawn in the same manner... including the otos.

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## stormhawk

Ron, let me go find some long-noses for you to try.  :Laughing:

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## RonWill

Jian Yang,
No long-nose fry to shout about (yet) but here's a couple of _C. pygmaeus_ fry in a 2inch plastic petri dish  :Wink:  


So do I get a free lunch for 'completing the course'?

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## stormhawk

About the free lunch, let me think about it.  :Laughing:  

There's a species of long-nosed cory out in the market:

_Corydoras cervinus_.

Do a Google search for the image and let me know if you're interested to try out. I know where to get them. Long-noses aren't easy to trigger and spawn if experiences from other breeders are anything to go by. I believe you'd like the challenge of breeding them.  :Very Happy:

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## RonWill

Folks,
In my earlier post of Apr 15th, I hatched out a brood of unconfirmed corys and guess what... I now have little 'trillies' scooting happily in the Endlers' tank  :Wink:  



I wanted to get a close-up pic, showing the early body markings and ended up holding a 10x glass loupe to the camera's lens. The vignetted corners were caused by the loupe's folding frame.


Results weren't too bad, I think, considering that it was 'el cheapo' (and the largest juvenile were only 8mm).


Think I'm gonna try _Corydoras atropersonatus_ (Fairy Cory) next, even tho online research tells me that they're egg-eaters  :Confused:  Will pass on the 'long-noses' for now since I find the 'short stubby nose' much cuter.

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## RonWill

Folks, I had wanted to try spawning the _Corydoras atropersonatus_ but since the _sterbai_ were already in my shrimp tank, I decided to let them 'do it one more time' before I send them off to market.

A brief collection. Left the remaining, less accessible eggs in the shrimp tank.


... and an earlier batch of _sterbai_ fry
 

These fry hatched and did remarkably well in a flow-thru hatchery, mentioned in the sturisoma thread.

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## RonWill

Folks,
Despite uploading images taken by myself and relating my own experience, someone PM asking if the hatchery really does work.

Many factors affect viability of eggs during and after the transfer, so YMMV, but I'll repeat once more.

These are the earlier mentioned _C. sterbai_ eggs collected July 15th, not freshly laid but were in advanced embryol development (3 days old, I think)


This the "siphon/overflow" hatchery used.
 

... and this is the newly-hatched fry I just harvested.


There's no need for exaggeration in my postings and further queries should be followed up here. It's not that I don't welcome PMs but my Inbox keeps getting filled to the brim. Thanks.

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## stormhawk

Here's a bunch of my newly acquired Corydoras hastatus sub-adults. They're still a little small but are beefing up quickly on a diet of tubifex. Here's their latest image.



Cute huh? \ :Very Happy: / 

Ron, if you have 3 of these fellas extra, I'd like to buy some off you to make my current shoal at 30 pieces. They're in limited supply as far as my information goes.. whether that's accurate or not I'm not sure.

Wright, if you're still following up, there's a bunch of little pygmaeus that nobody bought and they're still at the store.  :Cool: 
I counted a dozen or so but I think there's more there.

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## whuntley

Thanks Jianyang.

I have been holding out for some of Ron's _habrosus_ as they have not been seen in stores here for quite a while (maybe more than 10 years?).

I had the _pygmaeus_ about 5 years ago, but didn't make a serious effort to breed them. They are usually available if one has a bit of patience.

_hastatus_ appeared briefly at Nippon Goldfish in San Francisco, a few years ago, but I was unable to get there in time to get any. I regret that, for I really wanted them.

One can order _hastatus_ from a distributor/dealer in FL, but all you get, apparently, is _pygmaeus_. Grrr!  ::smt022:  

Wright

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## stormhawk

Something I trawled from Aquabid..

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/aucti...ish&1123380335

Seller's from Wellington, Florida.  :Wink:

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## stormhawk

Hey we had that problem too here. Some importers took in a box of what was supposedly hastatus and it turned out to be pygmaeus. Seems like some of the suppliers elsewhere apparently don't know the difference in telling them apart or they're doing this on purpose.

Habrosus is not very common nowadays though they turn up from time to time. I could check out their availability if you like. Its odd that they're so rare in US, considering that they're bred in the thousands in farms located in Asia. I was of the idea that at least part of those farm-bred animals would reach the USA.

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## whuntley

That pic sure looks like the real thing to me. With his shipping, it is already getting too rich for my blood.

Wright

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## stormhawk

Wright, that pic in the auction is of the real thing but he took it off Ian Fuller's cory website.

For 10 little cats its a little expensive for shipping but if you're willing to take the risk I think getting it from Florida would be a viable option for you. Hopefully not another pygmaeus confusion.  :Laughing:

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## RonWill

> I have been holding out for some of Ron's _habrosus_...


 Wright, I didn't forget about the cories but I've experienced a couple of setbacks; theft, bacterial infection and our friendly Town Council (who's chasing me to get rid of the tanks along the corridor).

You will receive the _hastatus_ and _habrosus_ but _pygmaeus_ will be a gamble (if my own fry are not doing well, I'll get some from the LFS).

Hold on to your seats (yeah, Bill too), I'll be back.

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## stormhawk

Wright,

Guess what? Even the Brits are having problems with importers bringing in pygmaeus instead of hastatus.

There's a new batch of hastatus at the store. If you want them, let me know before someone goes and scoops them all. Tomorrow's our National Day holidays and the LFS is closed so I have a day to contemplate on whether to go down and get 'em.

Ron,

As for the pygmaeus, they're still at the store. If you want them just give the uncle a call and check for availability. They're still young though.

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## stormhawk

Wright, do check your PM box. I left you a message regarding the hastatus.  :Cool:  
Going down to the LFS later today to check whether they're still around. If yes then I'll get some more to add on to my shoal at home.  :Very Happy:

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## Green Baron

Jianyang,
I would like to get a few hastatus. Which LFS has it ?

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## RonWill

Wright and Bill,
A package of pygmy cories is heading your way later. Not alot, but it's the best I can do under prevailing circumstances.

As 'Perishable Samples', there will be 11 _Corydoras habrosus_, 20 _C. hastatus_ and 10 _C. pygmaeus_, shared as you guys deem appropriate. I had hoped to pop in some shrimps as well but the weight was adding up very quickly with the "double-bagging/air-pocket/more water" issue. A bigger, sturdier box would have made that possible but SpeedPost's charges (almost equivalent to courier service) would be just as prohibiting. Sorry.

Another disturbing bit of info that was brought to my attention is the increased random Custom checks of incoming packages entering the USA. It's a gamble to thread on the grey declaration path but if a reliable transhipper (read: affordable, trustworthy fella who won't play punk) is available on either Coast, let me have his particulars so that future outgoing stuffs to you folks are less stressful or worrying (for me, at least).

Keep me updated. I'll be tracking it and let's all cross our fingers.

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## ruyle

Ronnie,
Wright is 2000 miles closer to you, so it would probably be best to send
all to him, or his left coast trusted agent  :Wink:  He could then send me some,
as is his wont, when they are stabilized over here.

Wright, come out, come out, wherever you are.....  :Laughing:  

Bill

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## whuntley

I be here all along. What you think?

Best if you can get the postal service to route them via Los Angeles. I'm a lot closer to San Francisco, but the Sierras are in the way. It is one day out of LA, but 2-3 days from SF to here. When I order blackworms from Fresno, 50 miles SW, they have to go to LA (250 miles SE),and then 300 miles N to here, which is 2 days by DSL's fastest urgent "Payroll Rush" service.  :Very Happy: 

Wright

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## ruyle

Please remove, thanks.

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## ruyle

Ronnie,
BTW, thank you very much!

Bill

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## hobbit6003

Hi Bill and Wright,

Sorry to disappoint you guys, but the cories has yet t be sent out.

You see, I volunteered to help Ron ship them out, since he's not really a day guy but the Post Office is.

As I was submitting the parcel to the officer in charge at the counter, he took a look and told me that it can't be shipped, as on it, we declared that it contained "Perishable samples /Corydoras Species/ hastatus, pygmaeus, hybrosu."

He then told me he certainly knew what corydoras means, as he keeps fishes!  :Shocked:  He told me he couldn't accept the parcel since the customs would not allow it to be ship, particularly as it looks huge and attarctive, all 1.3kg of it.

At the same time, he told me that since 13th June this year, all parcel over 1kg would require the sender submit his NRIC (Identification card) for record purposes, and this will severely compromise on our wish to remain as annonymous to the authority as possible. On that note, he advised me to take the parcel back, but was kind enough to give me some of the processing forms, hinting to me to try and repack them in smaller package and go find another post office to process it.

Thus, I've no choice but to take it back and inform Ron abt it.... 

I'm sure Ron will think of something, nce he wakes up from his baeuty sleep.

Cheers,

Kenny

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## RonWill

Wright and Bill,
Nothing good is to be expected if it has anything to do with my NRIC. In fact, the roll of red tape smells like decomposed cories  :Shocked:  

I'm very tempted to try regular air mail deposited into the night drop-box but shipping takes close to 2 weeks. The last packet to Wright took 19 days and personally doubt if the young cories will tolerate it. We can gamble with two or three separate, lighter 'grey' packages but courier charges will be high.

I've discussed this with a licenced fish exporter and he can help *ONLY* if you have a transhipper within the USA, with the necessary facilities. Shipping is via Express Courier Service and it's realistic to expect the handlers to each take a cut on the deal (remember there's no such thing as a free lunch)

Both of you have contributed much to the forum and personally, I will always remember that Bill has gone through much expense, attempting to establish some killie species locally (not forgetting other packages, of course).

I believe in reciprocating the goodwill received and appreciate the friendship even though we've not met in person. Please advise how I can best resolve the issue.

If we are to attempt anything 'less appropriate', suggestions ought to be off forum  :Rolling Eyes:

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## ruyle

> I'm very tempted to try regular air mail deposited into the night drop-box but shipping takes close to 2 weeks. The last packet to Wright took 19 days and personally doubt if the young cories will tolerate it. We can gamble with two or three separate, lighter 'grey' packages but courier charges will be high.


That's a wave-off on 1-2 right, there, Ghostrider: that flight pattern has
been canceled. Sorry, too many years working on military airbases  :Laughing:  
Ronnie, regular airmail would spell doom and death for the little darlings,
not worth the trouble. FedEx express would be the best way and I could
paypal you some extra fundage to support that. They are not so fussy
about what's in the package, either, or so I've found. As you said smaller packages is a good idea, as FedEx kills you on weight.

Unless Wright can come up with a cooperative transshipper, this is the
best way. 

I wanted Wright to have these more than myself 'cuz you all know I'm
moving to LOS with my wife, right? If I want some of these when I'm
over there, I'll fly down (Ubon to Bangkok to SG) and grab them  :Laughing:  

Kenny, thanks for your efforts, always appreciated!

Bill

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## RonWill

The pygmies look haggard from being sloshed around and not having eaten since last Sunday night.

I'm letting them out of the bag, for time out to recuperate while I search for 'less attractive' shipping boxes. ETD coming Monday 22nd or earlier, if I can liaise in time with another forumer.

My breather bags are running out from all the double-bagging. Those who have extra 4" x 8" breathers please contact me off forum, so I'll have sufficient for repacking. One can either trade for killies or consider it a loan until my bag order arrives. Thanks.

I will thread the grey path next but for now, I need to rest and think.

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## ruyle

Ronnie, I'd check with Jianyang on his latest experiences with, what do
you guys call it, "SingComPost?"  :Laughing:  Courier service is the way to go
and ship direct to Wright. It gonna be spendy, tho, so let me know the
fees.

Bill

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## stormhawk

> I've discussed this with a licenced fish exporter and he can help *ONLY* if you have a transhipper within the USA, with the necessary facilities. Shipping is via Express Courier Service and it's realistic to expect the handlers to each take a cut on the deal (remember there's no such thing as a free lunch)


I was given an email of a transhipper located in Colorado that might be able to help. I'll let you know when I'm over at your place in a few hours time, that is, if you're reading this now.  :Laughing:

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## RonWill

Bill, I coined the 'ComPost' bit of it as frustration overwhelms and red-tapes stifle my creativity.

Those who ship often via Express mail***, Courier Service or equivalent, are aware of the spendy expense but I will not think of seeking renumeration. The monies pale in light of your unconditional generosity and Wright's, so let's just leave that issue aside for now.
***'Expense mail' sounds fitting  :Twisted Evil:  

One thing I learnt from this episode, is the believed/conceived cories' need for a large air-pocket. Various packing shapes and sizes point me to one important thing; ie. to ship healthy, robust specimens!

I was tired and forgotten to unpack them. Released today, late afternoon. No casualties... good sign, I think, considering they were 'bubbled' for 3 days!

Meanwhile, I'm looking for 3 small sturdier foam boxes. 2 to Wright and 1 directly to you. What you don't get enough will have to wait, when the both of us go LFS shopping in SG (and finish the day with a few drafts) Sound good, eh?  :Wink: 

Jian Yang, please discuss the transhipper with Wright and Bill, off forum and via email please. We really don't need the authorities to pile over the potential loop holes that might work in our favor.

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## ruyle

> Meanwhile, I'm looking for 3 small sturdier foam boxes. 2 to Wright and 1 directly to you. What you don't get enough will have to wait, when the both of us go LFS shopping in SG (and finish the day with a few drafts) Sound good, eh?


You know I'll be looking forward to that!  :Very Happy:  

Take care, Ronnie, and thanks!

Bill

ps I'll email you my work address, the missus is not at home  :Sad:

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## RonWill

Folks,
Jian Yang has a fried mainboard in his PC, so I'm posting on his behalf to inform those looking for _Corydoras hastatus_ to check out the new arrival at Choong Sua LFS.

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## whuntley

Some day I hope to join you and Bill in tilting a few, Ronnie.

Meanwhile, I have just confirmed the fact that fish from SG probably will not get through customs without being opened. They are then immediately turned over to US Fish and Wildlife inspectors.

They (F&WL) must have a manifest/invoice that lists the scientific name of each species in the shipment and a customs value (nominally US$1/pair or some such). Normally customs asks for an individually signed invoice, in triplicate [That is, sign each copy separately.] for commercial shipments, or the green card for private mail.

F&WL then checks the fish names against the CITES list, US endangered species and forbidden lists, etc. to be sure you are not sending in Devil's Hole Pupfish, walking catfish, piranhas, etc. They must inspect the fish (which is free if they entered through an international airport that has a local F&WL office). You pay overtime for inspections out of normal business hours and/or travel if the box isn't local.

The reason we are stuck with ludicrously expen$ive couriers is that shipping any animals, dead or alive, is forbidden by international mail rules. Adding trans-shippers at either end or both makes it a real losing proposition for anything under a few hundred fish.

Singapore had a terrorist incident a while back that threatened US ships docking there for R&R. As a result, all packages will probably be opened and inspected at customs. I believe you should count on that, and use shipping methods that are legal (probably not mail).

I'm currently trying to get some FIL from SG out of the SF office of the US F&WL, and then either sent on to me or given over to a local BAKA member. The inspector is a kindly sort, who has put them in a 55G tank and is feeding them while we get the legalities straight. He doesn't want them dead any more than I do. His view is that we had two violations: first was no customs declaration or manifest listing the exact species and genus; second was the illegal shipment by international mail. I'll call him later today to give him the reg. mentioned below, and try to provide the missing manifest when he gives me the correct procedure to fix it.

For domestic mail, here, it helps to label the box as "*PERISHABLE* Small Cold-Blooded Animals per DMM CO22.3.3" and elsewhere "Keep at Room Temperature -- No Heat or Cold" I doubt if those will help on getting them through international mail, as the rules are no doubt different.

FedEx actually has the contract for domestic US Priority or Express Mail, and their folks are told to load all Perishables first and then fill the space with other packages. Non-perishable packages may be delayed a day or two awaiting space.

One clever label I have received that avoids calling direct attention to live fish, but isn't really a lie is:

"Live Laboratory Specimens (harmless)
FRAGILE
Please keep from extreme temperatures
Don't shake or throw"

It then even incorporates a cartoon of a smiling fish!

HTH

Wright

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## stormhawk

> Folks,
> Jian Yang has a fried mainboard in his PC, so I'm posting on his behalf to inform those looking for _Corydoras hastatus_ to check out the new arrival at Choong Sua LFS.


Thanks for the note Ron and yes, the fried mainboard has been fixed. Upgraded my system to a better mainboard and a spanking new graphics card.  :Cool:  

Its a whole lot faster now. Anyway, the hastatus are still in stock at the LFS and are looking good. I have 40 at home now and they will be on a breeding project, which I hope, is successful.  :Wink:

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## turaco

Found this little fellow in my planted tank & 2 other smaller ones in the filter  :Very Happy: 


These are the parents. Jian yang, what species are those?

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## damnit

Cute lil hastatus  :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:

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## stormhawk

Gan, those are _Corydoras hastatus_ like Joe has mentioned.

Breed more and you will have a constant stream of ready buyers.. like me.  :Laughing: 

Its nice to know yours are breeding and are happy in their surroundings. I had a shoal of 35 individuals and lost all except 4 survivors now. These guys have been moved to my larger tank and hopefully they'll do better there.

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## turaco

Another fry found.  :Very Happy:

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## stormhawk

Haha, what can I say, you're extremely lucky. I've only had pygmaeus spawn for me and that was only once a long time ago. Sad to say I doubt my hastatus will reproduce anytime soon.

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## damnit

Geeez this is making me itchy to order more hastatus in ... hmmmm juz got a new 5ft ... hastutus galore!!!  :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:

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## RonWill

> Sad to say I doubt my hastatus will reproduce anytime soon.


 For as long as the corys are in a community tank, the fry, if any, won't have much of a chance for survival (ie, from my personal experience).

If you want to get off into first gear, a dedicated tank is the way to go and it doesn't have to be a huge tank. A 2ft setup or the largest plastic tank, is more than ample. That's where I just harvested some C. oiapoquensis fry.

The C. pygmaeus is also doing their thing, as are the hastatus. Speaking of which, I need to rig up breeding tank for the habrosus too  :Wink:  

Good luck and have fun.

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## stormhawk

Ron, I gave them a species tank all by themselves but no action for almost half a year. They were fed well on a diet of Sera Viformo and live tubifex, and still, no action.

I'm down to 4 pieces and I think they might decide not to do it at all. They're now under quarantine in a plastic container. If they don't die on me during QT, I'll move them back to their original tank. Have to do a revamp of alot of my tanks.

Nice to know the oiapoquensis are still spawning from you. I lost one adult recently, and am now left with a singleton.

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## turaco

Actually my 4 hastatus are in community tank with a big school of boraras maculatus & a few very senior australe. There are tons of moss in there. I suspect the high oxygen level in the planted tank increase the chances of cory eggs hatch. Those moss shield the fry from predation. Perhaps I should have more fry than these..

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## daphne12

wow... so many cory breeders here...nice..  :Smile: 
makes me want to have some cory too..

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## Wackytpt

Hi Ron,

Was reading through the thread and found out that you have successfully bred hastatus.

Was wondering if you can share some pointers in breeding them?

Cheers

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## SCOPE

Breeding cories inc. hastatus is rather easy...i found the problem on raising enough fries up. Usually after the first one month, i lost much of the fries about 80%. Ya...need some pointer too

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## RonWill

Nick, as Joe have said, breeding cories is relatively easy (with exception of some difficult species and/or habitual egg-eaters) and what luck I had were mostly through trials and errors, observations, conditioning and food for the tiny ones.

The main recirculating 4ft setup has it's advantages but specific to pygmy cories, I prefer to use plastic tanks (medium size about 7 gallons, I think). Aged water, plenty of driftwood, low-light plants, and aeration with a round air-stone. No fancy filtration, lighting or other gizmos.

I feed mostly live foods to the breeding group, between 6~20, plus various tabs and pellets. I'm also fond of 'dirty tanks', ie. tank floor littered with decomposing ketapang leaves, mulm and other detritus. This rich litter provides plenty of microscopic organisms for cory fry after their egg sacs are depleted.

Water change about 50% on alternate week and if I spot tiny scooting fry, I'll squirt a small amount of green-water, moina and microworms. In all my breeding tanks, there will always be some small ramhorn snails to remove overlooked food. Fry are left to grow with the adults and the driftwoods/detritus provide ample refuge.

The pygmy tanks are kept in the shade, cool, undisturbed and 'dirty'. Works well for _C. pygmaeus, habrosus_ and yes, even _hastatus_.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you're progressing.

Aside:
Joe, with my current commitments, I've decided to postpone that 'hastatus itch'. I've long decommissioned my Hiblows and gave away most of my aquarium stuffs. Have more *feathers* and *chicks* than fins right now, and going into breeding pygmys will only mean I get even less sleep. All the best to you and fellow hobbyists, in breeding the _hastatus_ and other pygmies.

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## bettaboy

can i check the rough pricing for them sold in LFS?
what fishes can they be comm with? tetras?

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## Wackytpt

> Nick, as Joe have said, breeding cories is relatively easy (with exception of some difficult species and/or habitual egg-eaters) and what luck I had were mostly through trials and errors, observations, conditioning and food for the tiny ones.
> 
> The main recirculating 4ft setup has it's advantages but specific to pygmy cories, I prefer to use plastic tanks (medium size about 7 gallons, I think). Aged water, plenty of driftwood, low-light plants, and aeration with a round air-stone. No fancy filtration, lighting or other gizmos.
> 
> I feed mostly live foods to the breeding group, between 6~20, plus various tabs and pellets. I'm also fond of 'dirty tanks', ie. tank floor littered with decomposing ketapang leaves, mulm and other detritus. This rich litter provides plenty of microscopic organisms for cory fry after their egg sacs are depleted.
> 
> Water change about 50&#37; on alternate week and if I spot tiny scooting fry, I'll squirt a small amount of green-water, moina and microworms. In all my breeding tanks, there will always be some small ramhorn snails to remove overlooked food. Fry are left to grow with the adults and the driftwoods/detritus provide ample refuge.
> 
> The pygmy tanks are kept in the shade, cool, undisturbed and 'dirty'. Works well for _C. pygmaeus, habrosus_ and yes, even _hastatus_.
> ...


I am currently setting up a 1ft cube for them. And leaving some in a 2ft tank with green laser and some bristlenose.

The 1ft cube setup is just sudo sand and filteration is an edn 501 filter. 

I also place those 6 tubes pipe in there.

Do I need to add in some java moss, and ketapang leaves?

How do I get a culture for green-water?

WHat is moina?

Their current diet are bbs, hikari sinking pellets and diced cut frozen bloodworms.

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## apistomaster

I have maintained species breeding colonies of both Corydoras hastatus and Corydoras habrosus for several years.
I began with only 10 each wild fish and have raised and sold hundreds of C. hastatus. Young ones continuously appear and replace those I sell.
I keep a thin layer of substrate and thick growth of Hornwort Ceratophyllum. The eggs and larvae are not harrmed by the adults.
Corydoras habrous are less prolific and lay fewer but much larger eggs than C. hastatus.

I feed mine mostly newly hatched Artemia nauplii and some live black worms.
I also keep thriving colonies of Cherry Shrimp in my Dwarf Corydoras setups.

These Corydoras, especially C. hastatus, can begin breeding at a surprisingly young age. I have seen 4 month old males participating in spawning and females take about another month to begin laying heir first eggs. I have been able to maintain a stable population of about 100 C. hastatus counting hiding larvae by selling 25 from the colony ever 2 months on average. C. habrosus colony grew at a slower rate but I also had a Betta Mahachai I missed from a former inhabitants growing up without noticing it it for a long time because of the thick plant growth so it was probably eating some larvae but I have about 70 at any given time and sell off 12 every few months on average.

I keep these colonies set up in one 20 gal long tank for each group. Each tank has 2 Azoo #6 Sponge Filters, one running by air lift and one run by a MaxiJet Power Head 600-600lph/160gph and a strongly bubbling air stone. The hastatus breed well at 82-64*F and the C. habrosus spawn best if the water is 76-80*F.

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## Puffer

Hi Apistomaster,
I have 2 questions that need your advice:

(1) The dwarf corys are bottom-feeders so by feeding live bbs, would they get to feed? I can't imagine them chasing after the bbs in the mid column. My c pygmeus are fussy eaters.

(2) Wouldn't the mass cherry shrimps as cohabitants pose a danger to the eggs and fry?

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## apistomaster

> Hi Apistomaster,
> I have 2 questions that need your advice:
> 
> (1) The dwarf corys are bottom-feeders so by feeding live bbs, would they get to feed? I can't imagine them chasing after the bbs in the mid column. My c pygmeus are fussy eaters.
> 
> (2) Wouldn't the mass cherry shrimps as cohabitants pose a danger to the eggs and fry?


1. Dwarf Corys will eagerly eat newly hatched Artemia. The shrimp eventually begin to die and those will be eaten after they have already eaten many of the live shrimp. Another thing you can do is refrigerate your newly harvested shrimp. This will make feeding more convenient and the shrimp so lethargic that most will stay on the bottom.

2. Cherry Shrimp will not touch the eggs or larvae of Corydoras and are perfectly safe to keep with them.

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## deacon

I just got myself some Corydoras habrosus from Seaview Aquarium. They lovely little fishes and stick close to one another. There's still stock there if anyone else is interested.

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## Puffer

I got 6 pieces of the lovely habrosus at Polyart this afternoon. Their peppered black is more intense than anywhere I've seen. Now I've these housed together with my 8 C pygmaeus. Apistomaster, your advice is wonderful - my picky pygmaeus loves the live bbs! My only problem now is how to cultivate a daily supply of the bbs.

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## wrongwroks

anyone know where to get c. hastutus or pgmyeus cories? lfs got any?

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## wrongwroks

> I got 6 pieces of the lovely habrosus at Polyart this afternoon. Their peppered black is more intense than anywhere I've seen. Now I've these housed together with my 8 C pygmaeus. Apistomaster, your advice is wonderful - my picky pygmaeus loves the live bbs! My only problem now is how to cultivate a daily supply of the bbs.


 puffer bro, whr u got ur _C_. _pygmaeus? =) 
_

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## wrongwroks

got my pygmaeus too ler! woohoo~

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## RonWill

I've gotten my _Corydoras pygmaeus_ too... about 30 of them from GC. Kinda glad they are sub-adults (still a little young to differentiate sexes) but that will give me enough time to condition them well on live foods and then I'll be ready to kick start a huge breeding group. Was told from a trusted source, that these _pygmaeus_ are wild-caughts and imported from Peru. I've not had pygmy cories for a long while and ya, they're still so [email protected] cute!!!  :Grin: 

If anyone here is keen to spawn the _habrosus_, they have some larger and conditioned specimens and these are going FAST!!! No prizes for guessing whether I've gotten mine!!!  :Roll Eyes:

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## wrongwroks

nice! anyway, what did you feed your pgymaeus?

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## vannel

I recently got 6 x pgymaeus in a community tank with another 4 x panda and 3 x endlers. Feeding them with what alot of other bros here use.. Hikari Carnivore Pellets and regular Hikari Sinking Pellets. 1 pellet a day and i just alternate between the 2 different packets. Was contemplating using powdered food since the pgymaeus are so small. Any thoughts?

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## RonWill

The _pygmaeus_ will do just fine with what you're feeding. The pellets will soften and the little buggers will nibble off it. Try to provide finer substrate around the feeding area since broken tablet/pellet bits will quickly sieve through coarse soil or gravel.

Of course nothing beats live foods if you're conditioning them for breeding. Have fun with the _pygmaeus_... they're cute and I love 'em.

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## jackblack

Anyone seen any Hastatus in the market?

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## RonWill

If _C. hastatus_ sighted, I clear tank liao loh... fast hand, fast leg, no need to wait and reconsider!!

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## vannel

Indeed the _pygmaeus_ are a wonderful little corydoras species. So terribly small, but so terribly cute. Makes my juve _pandas_ look like they are giants. Haha. c328 should still have quite a few of them. Wonder if the _habrosus_ and _hastatus_ are just as cute.. Haven't really seen those being sold.

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## RonWill

Vannel, I bought my school of breeding-size _habrosus_ from GC. They're active and plumb, tank-mates to a nice group of Clown Killies and from what I hear, these won't be there very long.

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## vannel

Been a long time since anyone posted up pictures of their dwarf cories.. Anyway, I recently found some Habrosus (finally!). There was a tank of them at GC but the whole tank was reserved or something. Anyway, here's a few pics of them in a holding tank at home before I transfer them into their actual setup. No one has any updates on their dwarf cories?


Attachment 25444

Attachment 25445

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## RonWill

> No one has any updates on their dwarf cories?


 Well yeah... it was too easy to call up the shop-master and say 'clear tank'. So I bought up the remaining 20 odd pieces since they were already so juicy. GC replenished the tank with a fresh healthy lot and these were selling fast.

My current count of _pygmaeus_ and _habrosus_ should be approx 70 and 80 respectively, not including other cory species. No urgency to breed them yet but already spotted a few baby pygmys scooting around. Have extra tanks up and running, just waiting for the day I see _hastatus_. Then I'll hoard a 100 of these little buggers!!  :Grin:

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## vannel

I do wonder if _C. Hastatus_ are readily available in Hong Kong. Will probably be making a trip there in the year end and would most likely visit the famed Aquarium Street there. Anyone been there and have seen _Hastatus_ on sale? Or maybe even the other super rare dwarf cories?

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## vannel

Does anyone have a better way of sexing the_ C. Hasbrosus_? I was staring into the Cory tank at the LFS and trying to identify the sex of the cories but that fact that they are in an LFS means they have not been fed very well. Hence, it was impossible for me to sex them by their body shape. Having to ID them via their fins was a nightmare as well (females are supposed to have a more rounded fin shape) and got me nowhere. In the end, it boiled down to selecting them by colour, although _Habrosus_ are not part of the _Elegans_ subspecies which are known for their colour dimorphism.

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## ahkiatz

> Well yeah... it was too easy to call up the shop-master and say 'clear tank'. So I bought up the remaining 20 odd pieces since they were already so juicy. GC replenished the tank with a fresh healthy lot and these were selling fast.
> 
> My current count of _pygmaeus_ and _habrosus_ should be approx 70 and 80 respectively, not including other cory species. No urgency to breed them yet but already spotted a few baby pygmys scooting around. Have extra tanks up and running, just waiting for the day I see _hastatus_. Then I'll hoard a 100 of these little buggers!!


Hi bro, mind telling me what type of live feed you fed ur pygmaeus? And 70! Wow, I got 20 but lost 4 which I don't even see their bodies. Anyone got sighting of any more pygmaeus around?

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## vannel

The _C. Pygmaeus_ has been quite commonplace of late. Y618 has a tank of them. Possibly 20 of them left now. C328 usually ships in quite a few of them. They are currently comm'ed in one of the low grade CRS tanks. Also, JZX has just released his stock list for September and I think I recall seeing _C. Pygmaeus sp "Peru"_ on his list as well. Do check out the above LFS'es. They usually have a healthy population of different cories for sale.

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## RonWill

> Does anyone have a better way of sexing the_ C. Hasbrosus_? I was staring into the Cory tank at the LFS...


 Mind if I ask which LFS was that? It's much easier to sex most fishes as they draw nearer to maturity. Females are almost always very plumb (if well conditioned) and males have more intense colors during courting. Alternatively, watch their behavior.




> ...mind telling me what type of live feed you fed ur pygmaeus?


 Wayne, I believe in feeding live food although some will squirm at the thought of tubifex and daphnia harboring nasty pathogens, parasites and diseases. Boils down to how well one cleans their tubifex.

If you're looking for _C. pygmaeus_ or _C. habrosus_, give GC a call. Understand there's new stock coming mid-week. Pre-order or check for availability. Their pygmy cories don't stay in their tanks very long.

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## ahkiatz

> Mind if I ask which LFS was that? It's much easier to sex most fishes as they draw nearer to maturity. Females are almost always very plumb (if well conditioned) and males have more intense colors during courting. Alternatively, watch their behavior.
> 
> Wayne, I believe in feeding live food although some will squirm at the thought of tubifex and daphnia harboring nasty pathogens, parasites and diseases. Boils down to how well one cleans their tubifex.
> 
> If you're looking for _C. pygmaeus_ or _C. habrosus_, give GC a call. Understand there's new stock coming mid-week. Pre-order or check for availability. Their pygmy cories don't stay in their tanks very long.


Thank! Shall buy some tubifex after my ICT this week. Shall give GC a visit soon  :Very Happy:

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## vannel

My _C. Habrosus_ were bought from Y618. They have 2 tanks of them as of yesterday. About 30-50 of them left I would say. Not sure if they are wild caught or not (in fact they were labelled wrongly, or the auntie just didnt swap the sticker), but they are relatively healthy and have been fed with Tubifex worms. Quite affordable as well. Not sure how much GC sells them for, but mine were less than a purple note each.

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## vannel

Has anyone ever tried buying cories from overseas websites? I have been wondering about aquabid and other U.S. based merchant sites but am unsure if I am allowed to ship fishes into SG. Also, has anyone ever tried buying C. Hastatus from overseas? I've always wondered why none of the LFSes are bringing in this particular subspecies anymore. I don't think they are that rare in other countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan or the U.S. Is it just a matter of shipping costs?

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## RonWill

Well... I almost tagged along a combined order for 10 or 20pcs of _C. hastatus_ together with a fellow member who was returning to SG from HK, I think. Even though hand-carried, landed cost would have been between SG$6-7 each. Memory isn't what it used to be but IIRC, he was "Scope" or Joe... I really can't remember which.

Due to foreseeable unpleasant changes with work (and the worst did eventually happened), I had to bail out before the final count was completed. There are 2 breeding groups of _C. hastatus_ that I know of and if luck would have it, I might be getting my grubby hands on them. These do not belong to me (although I wished they did) but still, I'd love to see little 'hassies' scooting around.

For now, I'm just happy that the _C. habrosus_ have spawned and I'm caring for about 10 'habbies', growing out in a plastic tub (too unsightly to present) but will upload some pics when they've grown larger.

Together with another kaki, I've also ordered 100pcs of _C. pygmaeus_ 'Peru'. Half of these will join my harem and yep... I plan to breed these again as well. If Wright is reading this, I pray he's doing well and hasn't given up hope on receiving these tiny cories.

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## vannel

I wouldnt have expected that people would be turned off by $6-7 per piece of _C. Hastatus_..! I would be quite glad to pay that amount of money. Considering so many people are looking for it in Singapore to no avail, that would have been quite the steal, imho.

Anyone has an overseas contact for them _C. Hastatus_..? I'd love to combine my order and get a group of them in after a few years of not seeing them in the market. In fact, I would be interested in getting my hands on the other 3 rare dwarf cories (_C. Gracilis_, _C. Xinguensis_, _C. Cochui_) just because they are -that- much rarer.

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## YeoQK

Hi. i'm new here. Just wanna ask some of the ways to raise c.habrosus fry?

Regards
yeo quan kai

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## soltari007

> Has anyone ever tried buying cories from overseas websites? I have been wondering about aquabid and other U.S. based merchant sites but am unsure if I am allowed to ship fishes into SG. Also, has anyone ever tried buying C. Hastatus from overseas? I've always wondered why none of the LFSes are bringing in this particular subspecies anymore. I don't think they are that rare in other countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan or the U.S. Is it just a matter of shipping costs?


It is probably a matter of DOA of this particular species, they don't travel very well.

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## vannel

That's very sad news. However, that being said, I would probably take the leap of faith and order some in future.

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## RonWill

> I would be interested in getting my hands on the other 3 rare dwarf cories (_C. Gracilis_, _C. Xinguensis_, _C. Cochui_)


 You're not alone in wanting them but danged... they're gonna cost an arm, probably a leg too  :Grin: 

BTW, Samuel, I was beginning to wonder when you'll be popping into this thread  :Roll Eyes: 
Edit: I went through your blog and can confirm that _C. oiapoquensis_ and _C. hasbrosus_ will thrive and breed in our local climate, albeit during the monsoon season. I've also just acquired a small young-adult group of _C. atropersonatus_ and will be working on these, together with Benny's _C. napoensis_.

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## vannel

I am always jealous that I can only ever have 1 tank in my room. Cant wait till my house is built.. Then, I'll probably be able to start up alot more tanks.

On another note, is anyone actually using ketapang (or any other) leaves in their cory tank? Especially for those cories hailing from blackwater rivers (like my recent C. Habrosus purchase). 

Also, google has done nothing but make me wonder even more on the question of water flow in a cory tank. Some sources say to use a sponge filter for mild flow. Others say their cories love the current and they really overfiltrate with external filters. Anyone ever come to a verdict? Perhaps I should really sign up for membership to corydorasworld and read upon what the experts have to say.

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## RonWill

I use ketapang leaves in most of my tanks or at least use their tea for specific purposes. Don't mind the brownish water caused by tannins or the detritus it leaves behind.

IMHE, the flow rate is not particularly important but cories love to 'surf the tide'. What's more important, I think, is a comfortable temperature that is conducive to their well-being and for breeding.

BTW, Vannel, I'm Ronnie. How do I address you?

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## vannel

Hey Ronnie, it's Dennis here. I actually spoke to you whilst at the shop. You would probably remember me speaking about getting myself some _C. Hastatus_ when I travel to HK during the year end. I sure hope that they are in season (which they should be since September marks the start of the low water season where _C. Hastatus_ are caught. A source of mine told me they will only be able to efficiently catch wild specimens when the water level is lower.) then and I'm going to need alot of luck to find them in the maze of aquariums there.

This being said, I am also currently trying to contact some overseas suppliers to see if they would be willing to ship some over to Singapore for me. Fingers crossed on that one. Might ask on the forums to see if others might be interested so that we all save on shipping costs if the supplier replies positively.

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## RonWill

Heh... you spoke to the 'other' Ronnie, the shopmaster, but it's ok. We're in constant contact or at least we try  :Grin: 

Whilst in HK, I think most will visit 'Goldfish Street' and perhaps those who have visited the said area can provide more location details, etc. Thinking aloud, it's somewhat sad that some of the crème de la crème fishes never hit our shores for the simple fact that other places are more willing to pay premium prices, and it isn't just _Corydoras_ species.

Hopefully the _hastatus_ aren't gonna cost a gazillion bucks or I'll have to scale down my targeted numbers. Will be searching through local channels and we'll see what turns up.

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## vannel

Ah! My bad on the mixup. Somehow I just associated you and him together since he's also into Corydoras as well and has the same name (granted I don't really know his surname). Haha.

Anyway, I think the _C. Hastatus_ in HK's famed Goldfish Street don't cost alot. At least not from reading through the various chinese websites/forums. I am also looking forward to anyone bringing in the said species of Corydoras into Singapore. Should you feel like you wouldn't mind spending abit more on those cories, do tell. We could combine our orders for it and have them shipped into Singapore. I know they don't travel very well, but hey, as they always say "no pain no gain". I'm quite willing to pay for any form of express international shipping should you find a respectable vendor.

Keep me updated!

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## Wackytpt

Hastatus are poor travellers. So be preapre to have heavy casualties. They are one of my favourite and am search for them.

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## ahkiatz

Been experiencing sudden death from my C.Habrosus this few days. Bought them few months ago, quite stable til the day before yesterday. Ever since, i've been experiencing death of my C.Habrosus everyday. Anyone got it before? Tried change water, put in quarantine tank but they're still dying one by one.

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## vannel

> Hastatus are poor travellers. So be preapre to have heavy casualties. They are one of my favourite and am search for them.


Just wondering. I have read in previous AQ threads about the _C. Hastatus_ being "poor travellers". However, how much of that is true? I haven't really read anywhere where someone has said that they have attempted to ship some of them into Singapore and have had heavy casualties from the process. Also, how heavy is heavy? 50%..? I'm really just trying to get a feel of things before I jump on the bandwagon and buy some cories from overseas. I reckon after so many years of breeding _C. Hastatus_ by people in TW and HK, we should have a good stock of C. Hastatus in the immediate region even if they are not wild caught. People in other countries are getting it.. So, why not us?

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## vannel

> Been experiencing sudden death from my C.Habrosus this few days. Bought them few months ago, quite stable til the day before yesterday. Ever since, i've been experiencing death of my C.Habrosus everyday. Anyone got it before? Tried change water, put in quarantine tank but they're still dying one by one.


Have you tested your water params? Did anything change lately (added new plant? added new rock? changed your conditioning product? temperature?) in your tank? Are the rest of them still eating well? Sorry for the many questions, but without information, it's really hard to do any form of diagnosis.

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## ahkiatz

> Have you tested your water params? Did anything change lately (added new plant? added new rock? changed your conditioning product? temperature?) in your tank? Are the rest of them still eating well? Sorry for the many questions, but without information, it's really hard to do any form of diagnosis.


Ph 6.7. Nth new added except change of anti-chlorine from NutraFin to Seachem Prime. All my other cories, i.e sterbai, metae, pygemus and dupli are doing well. Only C.habrosus having sudden death.

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## vannel

Hrm, Seachem Prime is a well known product with awesome reviews. I'd probably rule that out as the problem. What about the other parameters (No2, No3, Kh, Gh)? I'm at a loss as well since the rest of the cories in your comm tank seem to be doing well, especially since you do have a smaller cory in there as well (which would rule out the _C. Habrosus_ getting pushed around). Have you noticed any of their barbels in bad condition/lost..?

Perhaps it would be best if you are able to do abit of sand/gravel vacumn to get rid of anything unwanted which might be causing the issue. Also, I reckon you should continue with the water changes to ensure water quality is top-notch.

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## ahkiatz

water changes is thrice a week 50% each time. Just clean the sand, but found nothing. All dead with barbels intacts. Guess i have to solve the problem myself. Thanks.

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## vannel

Sorry about not being able to help you out in this respect. I'm not an expert in this field and alot of other people would probably be better suited to help you out. I've barely just started out on keeping Corydoras myself.

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## RonWill

> water changes is thrice a week 50% each time


 Is there a reason for THAT MUCH water change 3 times a week??? What are you feeding??? Danged... I'd be happy if I could do 10% once every 3 weeks!!

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## vannel

> Is there a reason for THAT MUCH water change 3 times a week??? What are you feeding??? Danged... I'd be happy if I could do 10% once every 3 weeks!!


Hmm. I tend to overfeed.. So, my WC regime is abut 10-20%, 3 times a week.

How are you guys cleaning your substrate? I'm a little hesitant on using the gravel cleaner since my tank is sand based (Sudo) and the sand would probably get sucked up as well. Also, what foods are you guys feeding the cories with?

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## ahkiatz

> Is there a reason for THAT MUCH water change 3 times a week??? What are you feeding??? Danged... I'd be happy if I could do 10% once every 3 weeks!!


Yup there is. With the amount of food i fed and the amount of cories i had, i believe that my water changes regime is ok.

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## Wackytpt

I normally put a very thin layer of sand. As for water change of 50%, is it direct from the tap or aged water?

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## ahkiatz

Aged water definitely. Direct from tap i dont dare. Hehe.

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## Wackytpt

How long you aged the water and did you put in any conditioner into it?

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## ahkiatz

> How long you aged the water and did you put in any conditioner into it?


2 water drums alternate week. Only add seachem prime. Every water change will dose bioearth. Anyway I think I found the reason already. Big ball of dog fur with pellets and bloodworms under one of the driftwood. Water turned murky upon taking that ball of fur and rotting foods. Did a 90% water change just now. Hopefully this solve the sudden death syndrome.

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## vannel

That's awesome to hear. Great work on finding out the cause. Sounds like your dog has to take the stand for murder by proxy.  :Laughing: 

Got to take note of the dead spots in your tank in future then. Possibly builds up and requires clearing every now and then. Good luck on breeding those _C. Habrosus_ to replenish your stock!

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## ahkiatz

> That's awesome to hear. Great work on finding out the cause. Sounds like your dog has to take the stand for murder by proxy. 
> 
> Got to take note of the dead spots in your tank in future then. Possibly builds up and requires clearing every now and then. Good luck on breeding those _C. Habrosus_ to replenish your stock!


Almost took out every single thing in the tank haha. As for breeding, might be abit hard because I put them in comm tank and I'm only left with 4 female out of the remaining 15. Guess it's my fault for the deaths. Neglected them for the whole of last week due to ICT.  :Sad:

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## RonWill

Guys, the weather has been cold and wet... opportune timing for cory breeding!! If yours have been well conditioned, keep an eye out for little scooters. I'm already raising a brood from young _habrosus_ and it's their first spawning. Fry size ranges between 5 to 8mm and have a gusto appetite. Will try to shoot some baby pics before acclimatizing them to the main tank.

Good luck and have fun!!

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## vannel

Wow! Congrats. I've been hoping for some eggs but my _Melini_ have just been introduced to their tank not too long ago and are probably still abit scaredy.

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## vannel

Is no one intending to showcase their _C. Hastatus_ yet..? I'm quite sure there are a number of people with them now. After such a long hiatus of not seeing them in SG, I'm sure there's demand for the species.

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## RonWill

Not my tank but I wished it was. I'm always mesmerized by a tight-schooling shoal of _hastatus_. I've gotten my bounty in tanks and will condition them till they're fat fat round round  :Grin:

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## vannel

Woo. I know where that tank is. Haha. I'm sure alot of others do as well. The shopkeeper was showing me the "feeding frenzy" as well while I was there last Thursday. It was totally awesome. But it dawned on me that they will only look nice in a huge school. Looks like I have alot of saving up to do.. Hmm..

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## berlinjs

Mind sharing where they are sighted?

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## Wackytpt

The hastatus are available at Green Chapter at Clementi

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## vannel

The "for sale" tank of _C. Hastatus_ is surprisingly still available! I'm shocked that people here have not cleaned out their stock within the first few days. As I have learnt, many people have ordered them in large numbers and I do hope for the general public to have insane luck in breeding them. I have, myself, just purchased 20 of the said cories today. They are now commed with about 15 _C. Melini_ in my 50 x 29 x 29 tank (overstocked with small cories!!) with 10-20% WC every alternate weekday and a 30-40% WC every weekend (to handle the bioload from an overstocked tank). Initial introduction of the cories to the tank was quite scary. They were going up to the surface for air one by one and at very short intervals, which had me in abit of panic. However, 15 minutes on, they have settled down and are shoaling together in mid-water without having to dart up to the surface for air every other minute. *Phew!*

Ronnie (the shopkeeper at GC) has done a splendid job in acclimatising the cories and they are in excellent condition (good finnage, barbels are nice and long, looks healthy), so, I don't expect to see deaths due to water conditions. I am, however, a little bit worried on the feeding regiment required for the _C. Hastatus_. I'm currently throwing in Hikari Sinking Wafers and the_ C. Melini_ are relishing it as usual but the _C. Hastatus_ are a little more tentative (hopefully they will slowly be weaned onto the same feeding regiment). Hikari Carnivore Pellets are still abit of a no-go for the _C. Hastatus_ as of now though, but, things should change once they taste the meaty content.

Hopefully all goes well then..! Wishing every new _C. Hastatus_ owner the best of luck!

p.s. Please share your tank setup and tips to keeping your cories! I need your expertise!

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## RonWill

Vannel, all my _hastatus_ are split into 3 tanks with most part of it bare-bottomed for ease of husbandry. One group of 20 (of which 10 belongs to a kaki) are in a 1ft sealed partition using air-lift sponge filter. Another group of 100, also in a 1ft partition & sponge filter (might be a nightmare to some but you'd soon see why it is possible to have the numbers and still have good water quality). A third group of 30 is in a 2ft partition with HMF (Hamburger Mattenfilter).

My 4th, 3ft tank, has about 200 assorted _Corydoras_ species; _panda, habrosus, pygmaeus, napoensis, sodalis, leopardus, virginae, atropersonatus_, with possibly a small group of _C. axelrodi_ joining the harem soon, plus some others that I've forgotten what or which.

Before anyone squirm or balk, thinking of bio-overload (and indeed it is very heavy), please know that besides those sponge filtration mentioned, all tanks employ over-flow with drip flow-through. Simply put, clean water from storage tanks is slow-dripped into tank (to a pre-determined water height) and excess is flow-through to drainage. Water is not recycled nor are these recirculating tanks... not yet anyway. That said, I still do a 40-80% water change weekly due to heavy-handed feeding.

My home's recirculating 4tier 2ft & 4tier 3ft racks (to be chilled by a single 1.5HP Artica) are on the drawing board but I'll post some thoughts when time allows or when those customized tanks are installed, ie. if the whole blinking idea actually materializes.

No pics for now, since my current tanks look pretty crappy anyway!  :Grin: 

BTW, Vannel, why is Carnivore pellets still a no-go?? Most of my cories take to it like bees to honey and that helps when I'm short on tubifex or other live foods.

There are about 200 _hastatus_ left. I understand from GC shopmaster that the remaining reserved lots are pending payment from online buyers. This huge lot might be a one-off thing, so... mai tu liao!!!

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## vannel

Waaa.. You sure bought alot of the _hastatus_ home! I can only wish I could have multiple tanks running on a better setup. With my current space constraints, I can only live with having this one tank in my bedroom (hence why the _Hastatus_ are comm'ed with their slightly larger cousins, the _Melini_). I worry about my water quality alot and am constantly thinking about adding additional filtration to my current tank (I do have an Eheim 2222 running along with an air-driven sponge, possibly adding on a spare GEX S-sized HOF filter as well now that I have the_ Hastatus_ in there). You guys think I should consider getting one of those biohomme moving bed filters and perhaps another Eheim unit being run independently? Unfortunately, no chiller. Tried installing a unit in my room after I bought the HS-28A but had to sell it at a loss after just 1 day since the heat was too much for my bedroom (the noise, I could take).

Hmm, the carnivore pellets were somewhat of a hit-and-miss with the _Hastatus_ yesterday. Probably attributed to the travelling and stress from being introduced into a new environment. As I am posting this, the morning feeding of carnivore pellets are slowly getting the attention of my _Hastatus_ and I reckon they will finish up the pellets later on. Should be fine. I'll probably be feeding them Tubifex maybe twice a week and slowly weaning them off it to about once a week. What other live foods do you employ, Ron?

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## RonWill

Mostly tubifex and daphnia. Grindal worms when they're prolific and chopped composting worms (messy and I'd rather they recycle my vege waste).

Like humans, any changes or shift in diet will take time to accustom. Even if they nibble on any of the tabs you provide, it's a good start.

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## vannel

Yes. I guess so. Right now I am trying to polish the water. Seems like the cories have been busy and there is plenty of micro detritus/particles floating around, which really irks me. I should really grab new filter pads for my Eheim and see if that helps. Water params are okay, but the "dusty" water is a blemish I need to rectify. Also, I should probably try to dim the lighting abit (not sure how I am going to do it though). Thoughts?

Another set of pictures from my mobile (as usual, pardon my bb camera):

Attachment 26033
C. Hastatus in Transit..

Attachment 26034
C. Hastatus Among Plants..

Attachment 26035
C. Melini Foraging..

Attachment 26036
C. Melini Foraging 2..

Attachment 26037
FTS

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## soltari007

Very nice setup, this batch is very stable.. Hope they do well for you!

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## RonWill

Hey Sam, glad to hear that! My little lots are very active and almost all of them have gusto appetites!!

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## RonWill

Just a heads up to those old and new _C. hastatus_ owners who've gotten their stock from GC, to keep a watchful eye for little round opaque thingies on the tank's panels and beneath the leaves of plants... I SEE EGGS in my 2 breeding tanks!!! Yeeehawww!!! Given the size, I believe it's the group's first spawn and while I'm not expecting high fertility rate or some prolific number of eggs, the occurrence is very hopeful.

Also, I've spotted eggs in one of GC's tanks, probably more (hint: look for a heater... don't ask... it's another one of the uncle's experiments  :Grin: ) but as it is, I'm pretty darn dumbfounded why nobody wiped out the _hastatus_ retail tanks yet!! It ain't gonna get any better than this, soooo... whatcha waitin' for???

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## vannel

Wow..! Congrats on the eggs.

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## stormhawk

Looks like it's time to raid GC.  :Laughing:

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## Shi Xuan

Jianyang, I'd done that. Saw a huge school of C.hastatus when I was there yesterday afternoon. I was at GC a couple weeks ago when I'm suppose to buy some C.hastatus for my friend but ended getting all for myself instead. :Embarassed:  

I think it's worthwhile to make a trip every now & then when time allows. :Grin:

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## vannel

Pictures pictures! We need pictures..!

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## RonWill

Who need pictures of crappy dirty looking tanks??!!  :Grin:

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## vannel

Aww. I would love to see pictures of any tank that works! Or at least know the ideal params.

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## stormhawk

Took home a bunch earlier and they are in excellent shape. Already settled in and feeding on Hikari Carnivore pellets along with grindalworms. Lively little critters, well worth the money I paid. No FTS since they're still a little shy and the 1ft tank is basically bare-bottom with some Java Ferns on driftwood as "decor". Eden 501 as filtration, which is probably overkill but they love the current from the rainbar.

Simple rule of thumb with hastatus, keep it cool. Since these come from the Rio Paraguay, they are accustomed to cool tanks. C. hastatus doesn't seem to thrive if the temperatures go above 30 deg C.

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## vannel

My C. Hastatus are growing well in my 50x29x29 tank with a group of C. Melini. Cannot afford to have a chiller in my bedroom due to humidity and space, but, they seem to be doing okay at 28-29deg temperature so far. Still trying to pump them up with tubifex everytime I buy a 50c pack on Sundays.

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## RonWill

JianYang, your setup is definitely AOK.

I have experimented with various methods and 'styles' but most importantly, *is* healthy and robust livestock to begin with. However, I think GC's uncle has flipped and went over the deep edge. He has a small group, with a heater at 31°C and coarse substrate that goes up to between 7.5-7.8 and lest anyone suspects that these _hastatus_ are sick, think again... they are breeding!!!  :Shocked: 

He ain't saying much but I (and those who've seen those eggs going from milky to brownish = fertile) am waiting patiently for results. Don't bother asking... his standard response to me, "you see yourself lor... you think can bo??"

Dennis, if you're game to provide the best for these fellas and able to sacrifice a little aesthetics, go for a Henri DeBryun filter (modification from a OHF). Trust me... your other _Corydoras_ will benefit from it and there's more than meets the eye with this humble, understated filtration system.

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## Doraemon82

Wah really want to try out to breed this cuties ..

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## RonWill

Doraemon82, if you've bred other species of _Corydoras_, then the _C. hastatus_ isn't anymore difficult. Now that these are available after a 6~7 year lapse, you might as well give it a go.

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## vannel

Ahh! Hey, Ronnie. Sent you a PM with regards to your above suggestion on the filter setup. How's the eggs so far?

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## stormhawk

Them wee lil' buggers won't touch the grindalworms if I'm near the tank. Once I move away, they gobble everything up like silly.

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## Wackytpt

Any Grindalworm culture for me?

Hehe

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## vannel

I should probably keep a culture of those grindal worms myself..! Count me in..!

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## RonWill

IMHO, every fish-keeper should have at least one type of live-food culture. That, in and of itself, is almost as important as good husbandry.

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## vannel

Just side-tracking a little, but, has anyone explored the possibility of using a rainbar above the water-line to simulate rain? I just bought myself a Gex e-Roka internal filter which comes with an adjustable flowrate rainbar and am using it now in a small 1ft tank. Would that be as good as the Henri Debryun filter that was mentioned in the earlier posts in terms of rain simulation for cories?

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## RonWill

Dennis, it isn't just 'rainfall' we're simulating but also an increase with dissolved oxygen and extended wet/dry activities that cools without a chiller. That said, yeah, the Gex will serve it's purpose, although personally, I would have used a 4-5w powerhead since higher wattage equates heat that's transmitted back into the water column.

FYI, I'm fiddling with about 60 _hastatus_ fry...  :Grin:

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## vannel

> Dennis, it isn't just 'rainfall' we're simulating but also an increase with dissolved oxygen and extended wet/dry activities that cools without a chiller. That said, yeah, the Gex will serve it's purpose, although personally, I would have used a 4-5w powerhead since higher wattage equates heat that's transmitted back into the water column.
> 
> FYI, I'm fiddling with about 60 _hastatus_ fry...


WWWoooaaahhh..!~ I'm duly impressed. I have no luck yet. Might just pop the Gex internal into my C. Hastatus tank and see if that helps.

On another note, the Gex internal filter I am currently using is an e-Roka PF-201, which is rated for (not sure what it means) 4.6/3.3W which is relatively low and below your recommended.

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## RonWill

Dennis, the 4.6/3.3W discrepancy is due to 'electrical cycle' difference between 50/60Hz. Our mains are 50Hz but I'll let more knowledgeable members elaborate on that.

The tiny pinhead of a fry are doing well and 60 is a very conservative number since I spotted fry in other tanks as well. If all goes as planned, I *may* decide to rig up a 4ft low with a 800-strong shoal of _hastatus_... something I've always wanted to do... *must remember to take my itch meds...*

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## Ecalyte

100 Corydoras Hastatus

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