When conditions are right, panda corys readily spawn in the home aquarium. However, raising the vulnerable fry to adulthood can be challenging in a general community tank. Setting up a separate breeding tank specially designed for panda corys can greatly improve the odds of success. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to prepare the ideal panda cory breeding tank.

Choosing a Breeding Tank

A 10-20 gallon aquarium makes an ideal panda cory breeding tank. This provides adequate swimming space for the adult fish while keeping the tank small enough to easily find eggs and fry. The tank should be equipped with a high-quality heater and filter sized appropriately for the tank volume. Make sure to use a sponge filter or pre-filter intake strainer so fry do not get sucked into the filter. Substrate is not necessary, but a layer of very fine sand will help encourage natural spawning behavior.

Water Parameters

Pay close attention to water parameters, as panda corys can be sensitive to poor water quality. Ideal water parameters for breeding include:

• Temperature: 75-79°F
• pH: Between 6.5-7.5
• Hardness: 5-12 dGH
• Ammonia, nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: Under 20 ppm

Perform regular partial water changes of 25-30% weekly, or more often if ammonia or nitrates begin to climb. Using mature filter media and decor from an established tank can help jump start the nitrogen cycle in the breeding tank. An air-powered sponge filter is perfect for providing gentle water circulation without disrupting fry.

Aquascaping the Breeding Tank

Panda corys spawn on solid surfaces, so the breeding tank should include smooth rocks, driftwood, terracotta pots, or other decor for the fish to anchor their eggs. Arrange decor along the bottom, sides, and back of the tank to provide an abundance of spawning sites. Plants like java moss, java fern, and Amazon swordplants provide additional anchor points and help absorb nitrates; just be sure to quarantine plants before adding to avoid introducing disease. Keep the front third of the tank open for easy viewing and egg removal.

Leave space between hardscape materials to prevent trapped food and waste buildup. Keep light levels relatively low to avoid excessive algae growth. Floating plants like hornwort help diffuse the light while providing cover. The key is to create a simple, naturalistic habitat with plenty of flat surfaces for egg deposition.

Feeding Adult Panda Corydoras

Condition the adult pandas with a varied, protein-rich diet for at least two weeks before moving to the breeding tank. Feed a high-quality sinking pellet or wafer as the staple, supplemented with meaty frozen or live foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, blackworms, and daphnia. Feed small, frequent meals 2-3 times per day only as much as the fish can consume within a few minutes. Well-fed, healthy pandas in optimal water conditions should begin spawning within days to weeks after being moved into the breeding tank.

Caring for Panda Cory Fry

Panda cory eggs will hatch in about 3-5 days. The tiny fry will attach to surfaces with an adhesive gland on their head for roughly another week as they absorb their yolk sac before becoming free-swimming. During this vulnerable stage, leave the parents in the tank to guard the eggs from fungal infections and predation.

Once the fry detach, the parents should be removed as they may see the fry as an easy meal. Feed the growing fry a diet of infusoria, powdered fry food, crushed flake, microworms, and baby brine shrimp several times daily. Perform small, daily water changes of 10-20% to keep the water clean while minimizing disruption to the fry.

Within 8-12 weeks, the juvenile pandas will reach an inch in size and can be moved to a community tank or sold to local fish stores. With a well-planned breeding setup, panda corydoras will readily spawn to produce a rewarding supply of fry for any home aquarist. I sincerely hope you find this “Setting Up a Breeding Tank for Panda Corydoras” article helpful.

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