Salt and pepper corydoras: Care, breeding, Lifespan, Feeding & More

Salt and pepper  catfish (Corydoras habrosus)  famous for their peaceful attitude, so we can say that they will be a great addition to any aquarium, and you will find that they are compatible with adult dwarf shrimp and other invertebrates.

They also have many amazing facts about them, which make them one of the best corydoras fishes in the world, and we are here for you today to tell you everything you want to know about them.

There are some important things you have to know about salt before buying them, and you will know how to take care of them and treat them right.

  • They are well-adapted to aquarium life.
  • They have great social behavior because you will find that they are very peaceful, and they only require a school of 6 or more to thrive.
  • You need also to know that their average adult size is 1.4 inches (3.5 cm), but the average purchase size is 1/2 inch (1.3 cm).
  • You will also find that you can take care of them in a similar way to many other Corydoras species.

You will never face any problem with feeding salt and pepper corydoras at all because they are actually eat everything, whether dry or frozen foods such as bloodworms and Tubifex.

They can also eat adult dwarf shrimp fry, but the only adult, and you will also find that they can eat their food on the aquarium floor, so you have to make sure that this floor is comprised of sand or smooth gravel.

You have to know that you can’t use a coarse substrate because it can damage their delicate barbells and underbelly.

This type of fish is also famous for its capability to live in most tropical freshwater conditions, but you have to make sure that you perform all the standard regular maintenance.

Salt and pepper catfish (Corydoras habrosus)  are one of the most peaceful schooling fish in the world, and they don’t need a guarder, and they are famous because they are brood hider.

They are generally safe to keep, and you will find that they deposit eggs in plants, which are near to the substrate, specifically on the underside of the leaves, and they rarely placed them on top.

The spawning male does his best to keep the female safe from other males attempting to spawn with her, that is the way he can protect her.

You will also notice that Salt and pepper corydoras are compatible with almost all the nano aquarium animals.

The reproduction of salt and pepper corydoras needs special care like all the other fishes,  first of all, you have to know that it is better to have two or more males for every single female.

Once you notice that the females are visibly full of eggs, now you have to perform a large (50-70%) water change with soft and cool water.

You will also need to increase oxygenation and flow in the tank, then you will need to repeat all the past steps daily until the fish spawn.

You have to be ready to see the eggs when they are deposited on the aquarium glass, within sunken spawning mops, or among fine-leaved vegetation.

Now you will have to remove all the eggs when the spawning is complete, and you can gently remove them with a finger.

It is recommended to add a few drops of methylene blue, or you can use an alder cone or two to prevent the eggs from developing fungus.

Salt and pepper corydoras can live for 2 to 3 years, and that is one of the best things about them because many fishes can’t live for more than 2 years.

Although salt and pepper cory can live in many conditions, it will always need specific water temperature, which has to be 77°F – 80°F (25°C – 27°C), and the water hardness is 2° to 25° dH.

Therefore, you have to make sure that you can control the water temperature for this fish in order to create a suitable environment for it.

There is a minimum tank size that you should know in order to make a suitable size for the fish, and the best tank size will be 8 gallons for a group of 6 fishes.

It is better to manage the tank size correctly and make sure that it is not so small or so large for the fishes because it won’t be comfortable for them at all.

The aquarium size for salt and pepper corydoras must have special dimensions, which are 60 ∗ 30 cm, this is the best-recommended dimensions for this fish because it is unsuitable for modern ‘nano’ aquaria.

When you search for an aquarium, it is better to think about a filter because it has a water flow between 4-5 times the volume of the aquarium.

If you want to find the best filter for your aquarium, then we recommend a volume of 54 liters, and you will find that it is perfect for these species.

  • You have to be very careful when you are handling these fishes because they have dangerous stiffened pectoral-fin spines, which are capable of piercing human skin, and their sting is very painful.
  • The color pattern of these fishes is variable, and you will notice that they are different in terms of the number and distribution of dark markings on their body.
  • You may not know that the genus Corydoras considered one of the largest catfish groups, and it currently contains more than 150 valid and different species.

We hope that we gave you all the information you want to know about salt and pepper cory, and we would like to hear your opinion about these amazing species and tell us what is the best thing you like about them and tell us why.

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