Skunk Corydoras (Corydoras granti)
The Skunk Cory is a peaceful, active, hardy and unique Catfish that can help keep the bottom of your tank clean, making these Corys popular with hobbyists for the community aquarium. However, these fish are not recommended for the beginner aquarist as their barbels are rather sensitive and can wear away quite quickly if you don't keep up with regular water changes and allow bacteria to build up in the aquarium.
These fish, however, can be confused with Corydoras Arcuatus, also known as the Super Arcuatus Cory, with the only noticeable differences being their snouts. For example, Skunk Corys have a shorter, more rounded nose, whereas the
Super arcuatus has a slightly longer, straight snout. Also, the rear margin of the pectoral fin spine of the Skunk Cory has serrations pointing towards the spine tip, whereas Super Arcuatus Cory has serrations pointing towards the body. Lastly, Skunk Corys are smaller than the Super Arcuatus Cory.
These Corys are suitable for most community aquariums; however, it would be best if you did not keep them with anything large or aggressive. Good tankmates can include small Cyprinids, Tetras, Dwarf Cichlids, Gouramis and other peaceful Catfish similar in size. Skunk Corys are shoaling species in nature; therefore, it would be better to keep them in groups of at least six individuals, preferably more, especially if you would like to try and breed them.
The Skunk Cory has a greyish-yellowish to a greyish-green body, and its underside is pure white. Their body has a dark arched stripe that starts from its long snout and ends on its lower back, where it splits and trails down to colour the lower edge of the caudal fin. The caudal fin may have small dark spots and a blackish upper edge. Sometimes the clavicle in the pectoral arch will have an iridescent bronze or gold colouration.
Tank Mates for the Skunk Corydoras
3 ideal tank mate ideas for the Skunk Corydoras include:
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Corydoras granti |
| Year Described | 2019 |
| Other Names | C020,Skunk Cory |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Siluriformes |
| Family | Callichthyidae |
| Genus | Corydoras |
| Origins | Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 3 - 5 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 5.0 - 7.5 |
| GH | 2 - 12 |
| TDS | 36 - 215 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 68 - 82℉ 20 - 27.8℃ | |
Photos of the Skunk Corydoras
Videos
Skunk Corydoras (corydoras granti) - Corydoras Catfish Fish Profile & Care Guide
Natural Habitat
Skunk Corys are native to the Igarapé Ya-Mirim, a tributary of the Rio Cauaburi, Rio Negro a whitewater area of the Rio Negro River in Brazil. However, these fish are generally thought to occur throughout the upper Amazon region in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia in South America. These Corys inhabit fast-flowing waters covered in dense vegetation.
What to feed the Skunk Corydoras
In the home aquarium, Skunk Corys are unfussy and will readily accept a variety of foods. However, it would be best to provide your Corys with good quality dried foods such as sinking pellets and algae wafers alongside frozen, live and freeze-dried foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp.
This Catfish is an excellent scavenger that will work hard to keep the aquarium substrate clean of excess foods and some decaying plant matter.
How to sex the Skunk Corydoras
It can be relatively tricky to differentiate between male and female Skunk Corys. However, females usually appear noticeably larger and wider than the males when viewed from above, especially when they are full of eggs.
How to breed the Skunk Corydoras
Though this is one of the more tricky Corys to breed, Skunk Corys still produce the same way as other Corys.
Conditioning the pair with a diet of live and frozen foods, keeping the pH steady and dropping the water temperature slightly when doing water changes should usually induce spawning.
The female will cup her pectoral fins to form a basket into which she carries and releases a few eggs at a time while the male fertilises them. She then chooses a safe spot to hide the eggs, usually near thick vegetation, and continues the process until she has run out of eggs and been deposited. Typically, the female will lay around 100 eggs in several safe places.
After hatching, you should remove the fry from the tank to avoid them being consumed by the parents or other fish. After about 3 to 4 days, you should feed the fry with a diet of infusoria or microworms until they are big enough to accept flake, granule and frozen foods. Make sure you perform regular water changes to keep your babies healthy.