Bronze corydoras

The bronze corydoras is one of the most widely kept and recognisable catfish in the freshwater hobby, native to slow-moving rivers, streams, and floodplain pools across much of South America — from Colombia and Venezuela all the way down to Argentina and Uruguay. Its common name comes from the greenish-bronze iridescence that sweeps across its flank when light catches it just right, set against a pale cream underbelly. Like all corydoras, it is armoured with overlapping bony plates rather than scales and uses its whisker-like barbels to sift through soft substrate for food.

Bronze cories are exceptionally peaceful, social catfish that must be kept in groups of five or more to feel secure. In a group they are endlessly entertaining — constantly resting on leaves, glass, and each other, occasionally darting to the surface for a gulp of air (corydoras can breathe atmospheric oxygen via their highly vascularised hindgut). They are completely safe with all peaceful community fish and make excellent bottom-dwelling companions for tetras, rasboras, gouramis, and dwarf cichlids. Being true omnivores, they accept sinking pellets, wafers, and frozen foods with equal enthusiasm. A varied diet that includes bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp keeps them active and healthy.

A group of five to six bronze cories can be comfortably housed in a 72-litre (20-gallon) tank or larger, with a soft sand substrate that protects their sensitive barbels — sharp gravel can cause infections and barbel loss. The temperature range of 22 to 26°C covers their subtropical preferences well, and they tolerate a broad pH range from 6.0 to 8.0. They spawn readily in captivity: the classic 'T-position' mating embrace is followed by the female depositing a few large eggs on hard surfaces, which she then carries to a chosen spot in her pelvic fins before fertilisation. Eggs hatch in four to six days, and the fry grow quickly on micropellets and crushed flake. With proper care, these hardy little catfish live five to eight years and are often the longest-surviving residents of a peaceful community tank.