How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch: Reproduction, Breeding, & Care

How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch

Corydoras are freshwater fish that are extremely popular among aquaculture enthusiasts. They are very social and like to be kept in groups of 6 to 7 or more of their species and are great fish for community aquariums. Bottom feeders are generally good tank companions for messy fish and make your life a lot easier when cleaning the tank. They spent much of their lives digging up scraps of food, algae, and biofilm around the pond. Let’s start a guide about How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch…

How often do cory catfish lay eggs?

Cori catfish usually lay their eggs at dusk, when conditions are right. Most commonly, Corydoras lay between 10 and 15 eggs, not hundreds like other fish. This article will talk about ways to raise Corydas and safely raise their eggs to hatch.

Cory Catfish Eggs: Hatching Time Fertilization

As we go along, I’ll show you the steps for removing fish after laying eggs. The process includes incubating the eggs, recognizing how long they will last, and using the right products to adjust the water parameters.

Corydoras and egg-laying

Female Cory catfish will swim to some flat surface where her fertilized sticky eggs will be deposited. Corydoras eggs only take three to five days to hatch, so it is crucial to have a breeding tank ready and cycled. This aquarium should be as simple as possible; you won’t need fancy accessories in your breeding tank, making them more challenging to clean.

Cory Catfish Reproduction and Breeding

If you want to raise Cory successfully, you must have the right arrangement in your aquarium. Initially, it would be better if there was a separate hatchery for breeding. You will then remove the spawn group from the main tanks and place them in the new spawn tanks. The first strategy will be to create a tank for fry. Eggs are removed from the fry tank, where they are placed in a safe place and stored until the eggs hatch. Avoid wasting food, make sure they eat lots of healthy foods high in protein and use live foods. There’s a trick you can do to trick Cories into spawning in cases where they need encouragement. Do a water change (25%) with colder temperature water; this will trigger the reproduction.

How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch

How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch?

It takes between three to six days for an egg from the Cory Catfish to hatch. If the water temperature remains below the threshold of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, then the eggs will start hatching later. When the fry is hatching, the egg will be smooth, and you can see the chicks moving around inside.

Tell me the difference between male and female cory catfish?

When your fish have not yet reached sexual maturity, you cannot distinguish the sexes. You will have to wait at least five months before you can determine the sex between different species. When Cory Catfish become sexually active, the female is often harassed by several males, in a formation that resembles the letter T. It is safe to have one male per female. However, it is also safe to have two females for each male. In comparison, the female Cory catfish is wider, with a thicker abdomen.

Diseases and Treatment

Infections from bacteria are the most common diseases not only for Cory catfish but for any aquarium species. Bacteria thrive in poor conditions, which means that your tank will get infected when the water quality is terrible. Infections from fungi are also a common disease and also the result of stormy conditions and ammonia spikes. The affected fishes tend to run nervously and can scratch against walls and decoration. Tufts also appear on the eye and face. It’s hazardous for fungus to be found on eggs, so take care of all these conditions as necessary.

How to take care of the newborn Cory Catfish Fry

You can feed them brine shrimp nauplii several times a day. After a week, you can provide the fry with crushed flake food. It is also essential to keep the water in optimal condition and never feed the fry in excess, avoiding excess leftovers in the water. At three to four weeks, the fingerlings can already provide the commercial feed without any problems. Just a few more weeks, and they will be able to mix with other fish. Daphnia and micro worms are also great food options.

How often can you breed Corydoras?

You want to have a bigger tank set up and in action when your new chicks are ready, and of course, with additional space for all future occupants. You will have approximately four weeks from laying the eggs until the fry are prepared to move in with the rest of the family. New tank syndrome occurs when the aquarium has an inadequate or uncycled filter system. Beneficial bacteria must be present in the tank to ensure the lowest levels of ammonia are maintained. Significant, sudden changes in the water can kill helpful bacteria and cause fish disease.

How do I tell if my cory catfish eggs are fertilized?

Fertile Cory eggs have gray spots of a dark color. Infertile eggs are white or clear. Just one observation can reveal which eggs to keep (those that produce live cory catfish). Remember that these fertile eggs don’t produce every single healthy offspring. Your catfish could be making poor health fries. As the keeper, you need to wait until the eggs hatch to find the most vigorous offspring of Corydoras. You will have to wait a bit longer to make your eggs hatch to discover which eggs should be avoided merely visually.

What to do when Corydoras lay eggs?

As long as the breeding tank is stable and adequately organized, fish should remain in the tank at this stage when the eggs hatch. Less experienced Cory catfish breeders should avoid handling eggs due to their fragility. You can keep the eggs in an incubator and keep them there or put them in another storage container. Both strategies work very well.

How do I breed cory catfish?

Breeding cory catfish is relatively easy as this species can breed continuously. Make sure the Cory catfish are sexually mature, thus being able to reproduce; young or immature fish will not breed. The water should never fall below 68 F. The drop in temperature reminds dry season catfish, which is their natural reproductive state. Some breeders put rainwater in their aquariums to encourage mating more naturally. Experts suggest feeding your fish live, fresh food, thereby conditioning the fish for reproduction, which improves egg quality and breeder recovery.

How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch

Tank conditions for breeding Corydoras

Cory catfish are generally kept in water tanks more significant than 30 gallons. The difficulty of storing a variety of small fish together is having live swimming space available to all animals. Bigger fish tend to be a little lazier than smaller ones – something fish keepers don’t always expect. The aquarium may look big enough for your fish, but you need to check the action of the animals in the fish tank. If they look stagnant or try to hide appearing to be stressed, consider purchasing a larger tank.

A heater

Corydoras are very sensitive to change in water temperature. An aquarium with a heater allows the tank to stabilize the temperature needed to maintain healthy aquatic animals. Temperature fluctuations depress the animal’s immune system, bringing disease and other unwanted conditions to your fish.

Substrate

An essential part of the tank, the substrate must be soft and rounded. Otherwise, it can hurt the barbels of the fish, which are very sensitive. It is best to use fine sand, gravel, small stones, or coarse sand can cause discomfort to the animal.

Plants

Java moss, Java Fern, and Pennyworth are great living plants for your breeding tank. Live plants in the breeding tank will help with the fry’s safety in their early days and provide some snacks for the fry.

When is Corydora old enough to breed?

It depends on the species of your catfish, but some species reach sexual maturity around 9 to 12 months of age. Knowing when they are ripe ensures that you don’t waste your time raising fish that are not yet sexually ripe. Spawning can be a stressful experience for fish if they are not sexually mature and well-conditioned. Your Corydas males are likely to mature sexually at 6-9 months but try to avoid genetic reproduction at that age. After all, fish mature at different rates, and their size is an excellent indicator of this. You can even have at least a group of 15-20 healthy fish for the next spawning season.

How can you tell if a cory catfish egg is fertile?

Infertile eggs often decay. Fertilized eggs can hatch in five days, and babies eat tiny plankton right away. When a baby starts to eat, you begin to see tiny thread threads sticking out of the stomach with every bite. A black band on the egg’s surface indicates that the egg is fertile and that a fertile egg is fertile.

What should I do after a Cory Laid her eggs?

When a female Cory Catfish is introduced into a community aquarium with male fish of the same species, she usually lays eggs in that environment. If this has happened to you, there are things you can do to keep your eggs from getting lost or eaten.

How do I look after Corydora Fry?

At the time of hatching, the fry does not even need to eat. Newborns only need commercial food for fingerlings or live food such as infusoria and newly hatched brine shrimp. Make sure your fingerlings are under the best possible environmental conditions; you may notice that fry is small and very fragile.

Can Cory Catfish lay eggs every week?

Cory catfish could lay eggs every week of the year. As long as a good diet and water quality is presented, Corydoras usually breed a lot. You can expect to get 10-15 eggs per catfish. The mother typically lays her eggs between glasses or near a plant.

What is Cory Catfish?

Cory Catfish (Corydoras) is one species of catfish from South America. These catfish prefer to inhabit creeks and shallow water beds. As they live at the bottom, they spend hours in the sand and gravel looking for food and playing with it, always staying close to the substrate. They also like dense vegetation and lots of hiding.

Temperament & Behavior

They have a gentle temperament and are pleasant and fun to watch. They work together with everyone but don’t be caught on territories or violent species such as cichlids. They like flowing water because one can see them dancing around them, so make sure your water filters are of good quality and adequate plants, wood and stones so that they can rest and hide. Remember Corys are social fish, and you should hold them in groups of at least five. When they are in a large school, they get better.

Diet

Because they feed on the bottom of the tank, they are also the most omnivore scavengers. Never assume they have been appropriately provided just by leaving food leftovers. Give them food too; the diet must depend on animal and vegetable protein, always of excellent quality. Just make sure you don’t overfeed them, as leftover food dispersed in the aquarium increases nitrate, ammonia, and overall pollution, which may kill these fish.

Water Parameters (pH temperature etc.)

The best water parameters are pH of 6.0 up to 7.4; the temperature of 71-84°F. It does not affect if it is slightly below the perfect level, but you should keep it steady. They are susceptible to ammonia, nitrate; which may be silent killers. The range of parameters depends on your Corydoras species.

Life span

Corys can live up to 5 years if kept under favorable care conditions, with good nutrition and excellent water quality. In nature, they usually live less, as they are susceptible to predation and other adverse factors.

Corydoras Species

There are more than 200 different species of Cory catfish.

Minimum tank size

For a group of five Cory species of medium to large size, you need a minimum of 30 gallons.

Where are Corydoras found in the wild?

Charles Darwin came across these tiny fish during his famous Beagle cruise – voyage. Corydoras should be located in shallow water that is not too cold. Charles Darwin discovered Corydoras about 1831-1836. They favor slowing water flows in streams, lakes, or other watercourses. Cory catfish are native to South America.

How do I tell if my Cory Catfish is pregnant?

If female Corys get swollen abdomens, they are probably full of eggs. Also, Corys get pregnant quickly, and you should continue to watch if the swelling starts to go down. Sometimes a Corydora lays her eggs near a plant or a water filter.

Do Cory Catfish lay unfertilized eggs?

Female Cory catfish lays unfertilized eggs for a variety of reasons. They are usually on tanks bottom and are teardrop-like. The female lays eggs that are infertile as a result of stress or immature age.

How do I know if my Corydora is male or female?

You can not distinguish between male and female Corydoras in young fish as this animal is sexually immature. Wait up to a year to see the correct sex of Corys. You’ll notice some of them all tend to be a tiny bit heavier and thicker overall; those are female. Compared to females, males are super short and look younger fish.

Do Corydoras change gender?

Corydoras never changed their sex. If they were born male, they would remain male for the rest of their life. Any ‘gender differences’ are caused only by misclassification of the gender. i hope you will get the answer for your query How Long Does It Take for Cory Catfish Eggs to hatch, still if you have any query then comment below.

[Detailed Guide] Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

The Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish is a unique aquatic fish that has attracted the attention of aquarists for many years. Their size and temperament make them impressive to look at in a tank, but also presents fish enthusiasts with some challenges.

In this guide we address these challenges and present information to assist with keeping this fascinating species in your aquarium.

Introducing the Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

The Shovelnose tiger catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum), also known as the Barred Sorubium or Tiger Spade Nose Catfish, is a large fish that can grow to four feet in the wild.

Native to the Amazon River basin, catfish can be found in the deepest sections of rivers, residing in the shade of overhangs or in amongst river logs.

Shovelnose catfish tend to live in dark, murky waters where their vision isn’t very useful. They have sensitive barbel whiskers, which are used to search out food using touch and taste.

Their ‘catfish’ name came about by having these whiskers, and the fact that when caught by a fisherman they make a noise like a cat purring.

Because of their size and taste, these fish are sought after by local fishermen, being regarded as good-eating sport fish. They are regularly found for sale in South American fish markets.

Tiger shovelnose are solitary creatures and nocturnal hunters. In the wild, they feed on fish, crustaceans, and even larger animals such as small mammals and birds.

Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish Appearance

Their long, lean body has a solid silvery gray glow. Dark streaks and spots are spread all over the body and can give the catfish the appearance of a tiger.

These river monsters have large flat mouth that helps them capture their prey. The barbels are long, sloping down, and protrude from the front of your jaw. These are used to locate prey. The dorsal fins are medium in size and folded back in a shell-like pattern.

Size

These catfish can become huge in an aquarium and need a lot of room to swim!

In the wild, specimens can grow as large as four feet long and weigh as much as 70 pounds. Aquarium kept fish wouldn’t reach this size.

Catfish grow continuously throughout their lives. No matter how little you feed them or how small the tanks are, they will quickly grow into something huge. Expect your aquarium Shovelnose catfish to eventually grow to about 30 inches long (2.5 feet).

Females grow larger than males, reaching sexual maturity at about 22 inches and males at 18 inches.

How fast do they grow?

Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

When fed correctly Shovelnose catfish can grow 12″ every 2 years, reaching their full length in 5-6 Years. This is only achievable with a big enough tank and when fed a variety of meaty foods. Most people simply don’t have the space in their homes for a suitable tank and often get rid of their catfish at around 3-4 years.

How long does a tiger shovelnose catfish live?

The lifetime of the tiger shovelnose catfish in captivity is about 18-20 years. Longevity is influenced by genetic influences and the level of treatment to which these fish are subjected. Wild fish live longer.

Are they dangerous?

Tigernose catfish are very ferocious looking and do have an aggressive nature. If the tank you use to house them in is overcrowded with aquarium decorations and other species of fish, Tiger catfish may become hostile.

They are a species of fish that hunts for its food, and will willingly eat smaller tankmates.

It is best to house Tigernose Catfish in a long and wide tank, allowing them the space they need, and match tankmates that have the size and similar nature to be able to defend themselves.

Tigernose catfish do not have venomous spines that can harm people or tankmates.

Aquarium Care

Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

Tank Size

Tiger Shovelnose Catfish is a predatory monster that an experienced aquarist should only keep with a huge tank.

These fish can get anxious when stressed and react quickly by rising to the surface, splashing water everywhere. They become very active in the tank when agitated.

Juveniles less than 6 inches long must be in a tank of at least 55 gallons.

As these fish grow, they will require a much larger tank to cater for their size. A tank would need to be at least 180 gallons.

Tank Considerations

The tank you house these fish in needs to be robust. Due to the size they can grow to, and their aggressive fast swimming nature when agitated or frightened, these fish can break glass, especially aquarium lids if they jump.

The catfish dwells in the lower portions of the tank, so a long and wide tank is better suited for this species. This allows for them to have room to turn around and swim naturally.

What to Put in Their Tank

Tiger Shovelnose Catfish suffer from stress or aggression when in an empty tank. By replicating their natural environment by including rocks, driftwood or bogwood, and plants into your tank they will feel more at home with places to hide.

Tank Mates

They can live alone or in community with other catfish. Due to their aggressive nature, it is important to match them with tank mates that are of similar size and are robust enough to take a few knocks.

Shovelnose catfish will pick on other fish that cannot stand up for themselves and get territorial (especially if there is not enough room).

Tankmates would need to be resilient species of fish. Such fish would include: Arowana, other large catfish like the Redtail Catfish, Giant Gourami, Pacu, and even Oscar fish. Just make sure there is room in your tank.

You must try to disperse aggression; otherwise, it will not be possible to keep Tiger Shovelnose Catfish in communities tanks. Therefore look for robust, but peaceful tankmates.

Water parameters

Tiger shovelnose catfish are hardy freshwater fish species that can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. They require minimal maintenance once the tank is set up properly.

Quality water is one of the most crucial aspects of good fish care, and when taken seriously you can expect fish to be healthier and live longer. Do regular water checks using a reliable testing kit, make water changes and attended to tank maintenance.

  • Water temperature: 75°F to 82°F.
  • pH levels: 6-8.
  • Water hardness: 6-20 KH.

What to do when Shovelnose Catfish outgrow their tanks

Careful planning in the beginning is required before embarking with keeping this species of fish.

Many inexperienced hobbyists are attracted to the juvenile Shovelnose Catfish in the aquarium stores. These smaller fish look unique, are very attractive with their large mouths and whiskers and appear harmless. However, they discover quickly that their little catfish soon becomes a tank giant and outgrows its home and they are wanting to give their fish away.

Most public zoos and aquariums may no longer accept these monsters, so finding a home may not be easy. They should never be thrown out into the wild as they are a skilled predator that can degrade native species and their natural habitats.

Diet

Tiger shovelnose catfish are not picky eaters. In the wild they hunt for prey consisting of crustaceans, fish, frogs and other smaller animals that cross their path.

Feed them a balanced diet consisting of a mixture of frozen foods, worms, and pellets. For a treat, offer shrimp and pieces of fish.

Ensure you provide enough food for these fish to match their size and appetites.

Never overfeed your catfish; overfeeding is the leading cause of poor water quality leading to health problems. If you accidentally overfeed your fish, proceed with a water change as soon as possible.

These nocturnal fish prefer to forage for food when the lights go out.

Breeding Tigernose Catfish

Tiger Shovelnose catfish are very difficult to breed in aquariums since they need plenty of space to breed. They can however be bred in large ponds. Having a pond that replicates the muddy rivers they originate from will be helpful in enticing this species to breed.

There is no know external ways to sex these fish. Females do grow larger than males, but otherwise they have the same appearance.

We suggest that you do not attempt to breed them in your tank, rather just enjoy  the extraordinary beauty of this species.

Common diseases

Tiger shovelnose catfish have no specific diseases or ailments. Illnesses that they may get can usually be attributed to poor water quality or overcrowding.

In this case, follow the basics of water health. Perform water tests, provide healthy food with no leftovers, and reduce tank stress.Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish

If you get it right, the tiger can live a long time.

A Tiger Shovelnose Catfish aquarium tank should have a quality filtration system since these fish are sensitive to poor water quality.

Final Thoughts

The tiger shovelnose catfish are an impressive species and make great pets for anyone with the space to accommodate them. Raw quality, power, and unique appearance will make them an instant stand out! They are active fish that never cease to entertain!

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