Pygmy Corydoras (Corydoras Pygmaeus)
The Pygmy Corydoras is a peaceful, hardy and small fish, relatively common and quite popular in the aquarium hobby as they make a great addition to smaller tanks as well as community tanks as long as you think carefully when choosing their tank mates. Avoid bigger fish as this small catfish can be intimidated and maybe out-contended for food.
The Pygmy Corydoras displays a silvery body, with an uninterrupted black line that runs horizontally along the centre of the sides of the fish from the tip of its nose to its caudal peduncle. Along the bottom of the side of the body is a second black line, starting behind the ventral fins and proceeding into the tail. The top part of the body has a light black or dark grey shading that begins on the top of its nose and ends at the rear. Its upper body is visibly darker than the lower body.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Corydoras Pygmaeus |
| Other Names | Pygmy Catfish, Pygmy Cory Catfish |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Siluriformes |
| Family | Callichthyidae |
| Genus | Corydoras |
| Origins | Brazil, Ecuador, Peru |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Trios |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | up to 3 year |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| GH | 2 - 25 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 72 - 79℉ 22.2 - 26.1℃ | |
Feeding
In the home aquarium, the Pygmy Corydoras will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.
Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.
It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.
This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.
Tank Mates
1 interesting tank mate ideas for the Pygmy Corydoras could include:
Sexual Dimorphism
There isn't much difference between the male and female Pygmy Corydoras, except the fact that the females tend to be much broader than the males, especially when carrying eggs and they are also slightly larger than the males.