Description
Video of Actual Fish
Sterba’s Cory Catfish (Corydoras sterbai) is among the most popular of the numerous currently known species within the Corydoras genus, and this can be credited to its beautiful markings. Its head features white dots on a black background, which is a very unique characteristic for corydoras, as most of them have these colors reversed. The body is speckled with both black and white dots that provide an absolutely stunning contrast, especially with its orange pectoral fins. Much like its cousin, the Peppered Cory (Corydoras paleatus), this catfish exhibits very interesting and often playful behavior. It is fairly small (they grow to a maximum of about 2-1/2 inches), so it is ideal for the home aquarium.
Tank size
Ideally, these little catfish should be kept in shoals of four to six individuals in a large community aquarium of 25 gallons or more.
Tank decoration
Corydoras love to rummage through the substrate, foraging for scraps of food. Choose smooth gravel or sand as a lining for the tank bottom, as rough edges could damage the catfish’s barbels.
Also, you can replicate the natural environment of the fish by providing dark, shady places where they can hide. Include driftwood, rock caves, and plenty of dense planting and some floating plants for the best effect. Be sure to leave plenty of space on the aquarium floor so that the fish can move around freely.
Water conditions
Corydoras are pretty tolerant of varied water conditions, although they do like the soft, slightly acidic conditions that are found in their natural riverbed habitat. So, the water in the tank should be between pH 6 and 7.8. Also, including driftwood in the setup will help to stabilize the pH.
The fish’s natural river environment has a fairly fast-flowing current, so you should imitate that by using a pump that generates fast water flow.
Sterbai Corydoras are amenable to a range of temperatures from 750Â to 820Â Fahrenheit.
It’s very important that the tank bottom is kept clean. If conditions are allowed to become unsanitary, the Corydoras’ barbels may be left vulnerable to bacterial infections.
Diet
Corydoras Sterbai is omnivores and does well on a varied diet. Although the species has the reputation of being a tank bottom scavenger, Corydoras do need a balanced diet to keep them healthy, so you should offer them a mixture of live and dried foods, including sinking catfish pellets, flake, and tablets. Some form of frozen foods, including artemia, bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp, should be fed to the fish once a week as a good source of protein. As this species tends to be more active at night, it’s best to feed your Corydoras Sterbai just before lights-out.
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