Venezualan Orange Cory

Venezuelan Orange Corydoras or Cory (Corydoras venezuelanus) are very popular in most aquariums due to their easy going nature, their ability to clean up the bottom and their hardiness. They enjoy the company of their own kind and so should be kept in groups of 6 or more.  Adult size 5 cm, minimum tank size 50 litres.

The Venezuelan Orange Cory is known from the streams and rivers of the Rio Tuy and Lake Valencia drainages in northern Venezuela. A

Behaviour

Corys are a highly energetic fish that rarely stays in one place for too long. At times, they seem to move faster than the speed of light as they tear around the aquarium, usually in trios or as a large shoal.

Tank Conditions

Venezuelan Corys prefer clear waters with a neutral pH and moderate hardness.  All corys have the ability to breathe air intestinally, so a small gap should be left between the surface of the water and the cover slides in order for the fish to come up to the surface and take air in. It may do this numerous times per day.

Take care not to stress them, as this can cause them to release toxins that can kill other fish.

Their natural habitat is cool, clear water that rarely rises above the mid 20s (°C). Currents run fast in most of these streams and the substrate is typical of high gradient streams (rounded stones and gravel). To replicate the natural habitat, place a few fist sized stones in the tank and then add a half inch deep substrate composed of one part pea gravel and three parts fine sand. The tank should be set up with a filtration device the provides a moderate current. Driftwood and a few aquatic plants would complete the set up.

Compatibility

In the wild Cory Catfish would be found among tetras, such as neon tetras or phantom tetras.  They can also be paired with livebearers such as Guppies, Mollys, and Swordtails. Again, brightly colored fish that are peaceful and easy to care for.  Corys can also live with other types of Catfish, such as ottos or plecos, or some other types of an animal such as snails or shrimps.  Because they mostly stay at the lower levels of the tank, they make perfect community fish and can be paired with other peaceful fish.  However, despite being armored they should not be kept with aggressive fish. Oscars and cichlids will often try and injure or eat Corys.

They are schooling fish so require a group – 6 is recommended.  These fish will happily join other species of Corydoras, and some have been known to shoal with similarly colored tetras. In the wild the groups would be much larger than this, so don’t shy away from having a big collection.

Fish Compatibility Chart

Feeding

They eat by sucking up food with their mouth from the ground, sometimes digging so that half their face is buried.  They will eat most of the basic foods, such as flake food, but sinking pellets that sink to their level replicate their natural feeding habits better.  These fish will also enjoy bottom feeder tablets, shrimp pellets, and algae wafers. Bloodworms and daphnia make great treats too.  Changing their food source every few days will ensure they get a good variety of nutrients.  Corydoras should be fed once daily, and only given as much food as they can eat in 3-5 minutes.  Corys will spend most of their active hours searching for food along the substrate, picking up sand with their mouths and filtering through it.

Care

Unfortunately, it can be a little prone to barbel infections/erosion, so it is of paramount importance that the fish are kept on a soft sand substrate (rather than gravel where waste can build up unseen) in order to protect these delicate sensory organs. Filtration should be efficient with areas of moderate water movement and a decent level of oxygenation.

High nitrate levels can cause stress in Corydoras, so test the water regularly and keep it at 0 ppm. Stress can lead to barbel infections, so it is always best to monitor your water quality as well as their behavior.  Weekly water changes are also needed – you should aim to charge around 20% of the water.

They are also susceptible to a few diseases such as red blotch or ich.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.