Pygmy Corydoras: EVERYTHING you need to know! Complete care guide.
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- We're back with another fish files! This time I'm covering the tiny Pygmy Corydoras. These guys have definitely sealed their place in future fish tanks with their funny interactions and constant buzzing around the aquarium.
There are other corys out there but I don't know what it is about these little guys, maybe it's because they are tiny they just seem even cuter!
Plant list:
glossostigma elatinoides
eriocaulon sp vietnam
anubias nana
anubias nana bonzai
various bucephalandra
hyptis laciniata
water lettuce (floating plant)
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Животные
I added three to a nano tank recently and fell in love with them. Since then the number has jumped to 20. I haven't been keeping aquariums for almost 30 years and recently started back with nano tanks. These guys weren't even a thing back then. They are such happy little guys, they remind me of bumblebees.
That's amazing!
Did they breed or did you buy more?
That’s the first thing I said when I added them to my tank…bumble bees!
Pygmy corys hng out in groups of three or four, one sits as a look out while the others eat and then they swap over. I love these little guys
Many might be surprised at the lack of aquatic plants in many fish habitats - in places where seasonal flows are high, the rocky substrate is completely mobilized and no plants can root. I spent years snorkeling in California rivers studying fish - lots of large wood and rocks but nothing that looked like planted aquariums.
I love these fish species "deep dives"!! These are cute little guys💚
I’ve kept them with green neon tetras…almost 0% fry survival rate. Pygmy eggs were their favorite food. I’ve also kept them with chili rasboras…almost 100% fry survival rate.
Ooh, thank you for sharing your experience - that’s really useful!
Ty for sharing bro, you think emerald rasbora or cpd would work out? I've got 4x cory hastatus but they are so much shy and panic whenever I get close to the tank, the tank is 5 gallon and they share it with snails only, been thinking of adding some more fish to see if they get calmer...
This would explain why I never got fry.
I recently added Corydoras Hasbrosus to my tank. They're my fish Catfish and I've fell in love. They tend to group up in 2-3s adventuring around the tank, they do cool synchronized dances too!
I love the species spotlights. I learn so much about many different types of fish. I even get to see and learn about new fish and fish that I didn't know exist. Thanks Matt. Keep 'em coming.
Im trying to learn planted tanks..
Matt! It was awesome to meet you at Aquashella Daytona! Thank you!
These little pygmy cories are so cute, one of my top 10 favorite fish!
Great video as always! BTW I know there was some confusion about shoaling and schooling at some point in the past. A shoal of fish is a group that is staying together for social reasons, and a school of fish is when they act in unison with a purpose (like predator evasion) or swim in the same direction. 🐟
I always forget this, it's a random bit of info I can never keep in!
I just got back into the freshwater hobby after taking a break from saltwater for a few years. Just picked up some of these guys for myself! They're adorable, look like little tadpoles swimming around
That's great that you're back on the hobby! You've picked a great species!
Coincidence or what. Went into my local Maidenhead aquatic’s this morning. They had some of these and wow they’re tiny. Bit too small for my setup.
Hahaha how funny!
Im glad you mentoined that C. pygmaeus really REALLY enjoy being in larger groups than most other corydoras. Our lfs recommends at least a dozen, in smaller groups they can be too shy to come out to eat.
C. pygmaeus actually are mimics of Otocinclus. They can shoal together, and Ive heard a rumor (once) that having pygmaeus in a tank can encourage Otocinclus to spawn.
these Pygmy's are definitely the cutest Corydoras ever...brilliant as usual Matt. Cheers!
Thanks so much!
hey matt, help me out here please, i really want to breed my cories but how do i start with them?!?!?!
Depends on species but most of the time it's lots of food, good clean water and once they are ready a cooler water change than normal. But it does differ from species to species.
I have these guys with some shrimp and my male betta. He is an absolute angel though and they are not scared of him at all. Lovely little fish. Absolutely love them 😊
The Alder cones you have and their sticks are great for tannings, a few go a long way. They grow allover the UK, should be loads of them on the floor in autumn, they land on my car at work.
Yeah I collect mine from all around my house. I come home with pockets full hahaha
anlamadım ama takip ediyorum;öbür sakallıyıda.
But seriously excellent video, I really want some pygmy corydoras.
Can pygmy corydoras kept with reticulated hillstream loach
Ah, cool! KeepingFishSimple did a video over breeding these guys recently. I'm looking into doping just that, in the same manner he did.
Thank you for the video!
That's awesome, I wish I had the time to see what other RUclipsrs were doing. Maybe one day I can catch up hahaha.
So pleased you are doing this and I’m so fascinated with Pygmy Corydora’s, Hoping to get some of these soon, so this couldn’t have come at a better time. 😊
Thank you! Glad I could help!
I love cories so much! I’m raising about 40-50 peppered cories at the moment that hatched Tuesday 😄 in a small tank for now with some shrimp to clean up the waste! Adults are in a with my Channa Bleheri! Which does work and do get along 😊 adults are spawning like mad as my Channa (Squidge) is in his colder 6months! 😊
I have my pygmy's in with a female betta and my guppies! I need to get a bigger group of them once I rescape the tank this weekend!
Hey do you think I could have 8 Pygmy corydoras and 6 ember tetras in a 10 gallon? I’m scared it will be overstocked or not enough space. Any thoughts?
My pygmy’s schooled tightly for a couple weeks with a group of black neon tetras in a new setup. I thought they had identity issues since they both have a similar white/black stripe look to them.
I've also heard that pygmy cories shoal with similar-looking tetras. That reminds me, when I bred bronze cories, the juveniles would also school with my green neons. Sounds weird but I think they tend to swim with lots of similarly-sized fish. When they got bigger than the green neons, they stopped doing it. Really strange behaviour, and I wonder if they do the same in the wild
Just got one Yesterday,my Favorite misstake,actuly I was searching for Korydoras July and sean pygmy and Take one for my Aquarium No.3.July are in First, Panda are in 2 and pygmy are perfekt for Neon Fisch and Glas Catfish.
Where do you look up info on fish species? Suerch angunes tend to be terrible due to ey I articools (sorry for spelling, my original comment got otoo da yeeted), and good places like Seriously Fish tend to be sparse.
I'll be honest my info comes from multiple places online and books and magazines.
@@FishShopMatt any specific resources you you come back to? Or, honestly, that could be a good video idea on its own for beginners tips
I bought three different NT labs foods and none of my fish in any of my tanks go near it. Pretty disappointed 😢
Clark Matthew Brown Lisa Lewis Edward
Would you recommend the Pygmy’s in a 70 gallon with 2 axolotl and cloud minnows ? I’m Looking for a clean up crew . Gonna put leaf litter at the bottom. Any suggestions?
@6:25 _Corydoras hastatus_ shoals together with _Hyphessobrycon elachys_ .They have identical coloration as well, silver with a black spot on the base of the tail. Haven't heard of _C. pygmaeus_ doing the same thing.
Yeah that's my old brain getting confused, too many snowboarding injuries hahaha
My pygmies like to shoal with my ottos, and black emperor tetras. So I certainly agree with your assessment. The are also as cute as bunnies...
Matt - I have the Aquaone 40 (55l) tank I'm currently cycling and was thinking of getting some of these pygmy's along with some chili rasboras or green/neon tetra's and some shrimp. You mentioned having around 10 of these - would 10 of these + 10 Chili or tetra and 3/4 cherry shrimp be too much for that tank?
Could you add 12 to a 60p tank that has 12 embers and cherry shrimp ? Planted co2 tank
Hi Matt, please could you do a video on tank bred 'v' wild caught fish? 🐡🐠🐟
I am currently planning and researching ready to get another aquarium after many years without one and I particularly like pygmy Cory's, but would prefer tank bred. Thank you..
I've seen adults feeding next to fry with no problem. Over feed brine shrimp
Well sir, I've got a tank with a mini school of Buenos Aires Tetras, and I'm expecting a few Pygmy Corys and White Cloud Minnows in the mail today. Wish me luck. It's a heavily planted tank, so hopefully the tetras aren't too much of a big deal. I also have Snails and Shrimp.
I love my pygmy Corydoras but they don't swim in the open like yours. Maybe it is because I have a much more jungley tank. I have 10 of them (I think!). They have least killifish as tankmates.
I have a 35 litre tank I am setting up, I really love galaxy Rasbora and originally wanted to get some otos to but after some research decided I was maybe better off with pygmy corys, I also have some ramshorns I'm planning on putting in the tank and some cherry shrimp,I only have a small internal filter,..my question is how many how many galaxy Rasbora and pygmy would you recommend for this tank size? And would you recommend any others? Also would you recommend a large or external filter?
Can these be kept with an aqurium with a fluval stratum soil substrate
I only have 2 at the moment because it’s all they had in stock but they don’t care they are very happy with my honey gourami and 6 neon tetras in 15 gallon, will get 4 more next week though
I, too , really love these catfish - they are such fun to watch! I have a question, if I may: I have just come back into the hobby and have set up a nicely scaped (with some small rocks, several varieties of live plants and small piece of redmoor root) in a 25 litre tank. I read time and time again (on various Facebook groups!) people say that a tank of around 25 litres is too small and you should only keep one fish in there!! I've taken advice from knowledgeable staff at a local Maidenhead aquatics store and they guide me to say 1) keep the species small and 2) no more than a dozen fish in total. I currently have 4 glowlight rasboras and 2 galaxy rasboras in the tank. What are your (and others) thoughts on small tanks? Would be interested to hear. Thank you
Can you please tell me what are the floating plants in with you corydoras
Hi Matt. I watched a video yesterday where you used a very small filter that you put in the back of the bowl. I's like to get one if it's available in the US. Can I order it from the UK? So glad to be part of your's and MD's journey!! Denise Tilley
Love the fish files series! I'm looking for more of an asian style tank with species from that area(I know it's very large). The other thing is I don't want my fish to be caught in the wild. It's just my choice don't need a debate about it. Now for my question, is there a species of fish doing simular things like the Pygmy corydoras but from Asia and being bred? Suggestions are welcome
Anyone know if they can be kept in unheated tank at 68 degrees Fahrenheit?
They look and almost seem to behave exactly look mini Otos. Been tempted to pickup a large group of these for my 75gal and see if they will school around the driftwood piled up in the back. But, it's stocked with gold barbs, cherry barbs and a few longfin leopard danios among many more (more peaceful) fish. I'd be worried about those 3 though as they are a little bigger.
I got a little group of 9 for my 90L planted tank around a month ago and haven't really seen them since! They're great on the odd chance I see one. Is there anything I can do to help them feel more confident?
ive had x6 pygmies for about half a year now and they always shoal or just follow the endlers around the mid water column at this point they think theyre endlers
HI mate what size tank is that out of curiosity? I was looking at my first tank and was thinking neon tetras and three stripe corydoras but the pygmys might be better, and this size of tank is probably what I want
I breed 5 species of corys, and what I find difficult about my pygmaeus is that the eggs are all over the place. Other corys place groups of 6-20 eggs in spots on the front glass, where they are easy to collect. My pygmies leave eggs 1 or 2 at a time, on the bottom, in the java moss, on the plants, on the glass, even in the duckweed roots at the top. It makes collecting them super difficult. Is it just my fish, or is this typical?
I have 13 of them in a 20 gal with a betta and 7 Galaxy Rasboras
Hi Matt! I first bred pygmaeus back in 1979, and have been keeping them on and off since then. These guys are a must for small to medium tanks without predatory fishes. I find they do perfectly well in clear water without any tannins or fulvins, so long as the water and substrate are clean. Dirty conditions do not suit them. By all means, add "botanicals" for a more 'natural' look, but they can survive without them, so people shouldn't worry if they can't provide this.
They were mine - tell they turned into homicidal fanatics- ate all my shrimp and multiplied from 8, to 140 in a matter of months (all in a 60l tank)
What is the name of those floating plants I want some for my Cory’s?
I did an Amazonian river tank once. I was able to keep the silt load up high enough so that you couldn't two knuckles deep by having a Fluval FX-6 turned up to max flow in a 20 gallon tank. Of course you couldn't scape it, But then again, you couldn't see in to see if it was scaped, just like the real thing, and there aren't many places along the lower and middle reaches of the Amazon where anything grows. You have to get off into the jungle during flood season before you can see into it, and since it only stays flooded during a portion of the year, and since the trees let in so little light, there just isn't much plant life growing there either other than the trees. After thinking about it, I decided that I could not subjugate any fish to that horrible tank, but I always claimed that there were fishes in it, including pyranha, and I let people know that if they didn't think there were, they were free to stick their hands in there. No one ever took me up on that.
I've torn that tank down now, and cleaned it thoroughly so that I can use it for scaping and for keeping actual fish in, but it was a lot of fun while I had it running as an "Amazon" tank.
Tanks which use lots of tannins to tint otherwise clear water are more representative of the Rio Negro, or at least used to be before illegal mining got started in the region. Plants do grow along the banks of the Rio Negro and its tributaries. It is a part of the Amazon basin and watershed, and that may be where the misnomer came from. There are also clear rivers and streams in Argentina and Paraguay where a lot of the South American ciclids come from as well as some tetras. The thing which has baffled me is why so few of Chile's beautiful aquatic live has never found its way into our aquariums. I used to go kayaking a lot on the Rio Claro, and I saw a lot of pretty fish would have made beautiful additions to any aquarium, but were unknown to me before I went there. The one reason for it that I can think of is the waters there are glacier fed, and are very cold. One would need a fairly hefty chiller to keep it cold enough.
But returning to the subject of this video, I have a hard time not including Corydora into my tanks. They, and Kuhli Loaches are my favourite bottom dwellers, and the pygmy Corys bring the same fun of the other corys to the mid tank. It's too bad that there isn't a top water Cory. If there was, I'd have a tank with nothing but corys in it!
My favourite cory is the Cryptic Corydora. They are hard to come by though, and they are usually a bit pricy. Though they always live a long life, I've never been able to get the Cryptic Corydoras to breed; something which has not been difficult among the other cory species I've kept. I will need to find what their range is, where they spawn, and what the conditions are like when they spawn, and perhaps I'll have better luck with them. I will say though, that I have never seen them for sale other than wild caught, so it may be that they just refuse to spawn in captivity. It also might be a matter of diet.-That would be something which might be resolved if I find what their range is, and what sort of water they live in, along with what they eat. Anyone who has any information on this, or who has successfully bred the cryptic corydora should please chime in!
ive had a big problem with pygmy corys. i always lose all of them with no apparent reason. it all starts with 1 dying and then it justs cascades from there. i do test my water everytime but it always comes back normal.
One of my absolute favourites as well! Probably the best nano fish, up there with Celestial Pearl Danios.
Totally agree!
Matt what did you think of the US while you were here at aquashella?
I have these fish and they are beyond adorable!🙂💙More: Mine are in with cardinal, blue neon, green neon and glowlight tetras and they shoal with all of them. The also play with them in the bubble stream and water intake. They are super cute, super friendly and like to laze about of leaves in groups as well:)
That's a great community you have there!
@@FishShopMatt Thank you🙂💙
Do you get condensation inside your house, with an open top fishtank ?
Hi Matt, would be great if you could scape a shrimp tank, I’m looking to do one too. Would love to get your expertise on it. Keep up the top quality content.😊
I was on a tirade about RUclips chefs using mushrooms that are unattainable then turned on your video. My husband lost it laughing when you said “after that little tirade” …. How did you even know I just had a tirade 😂🤣😂
We have 6 albino Corydoras and love them so much. Would love to have the little Pygmy Cory’s in the future.
I have always wonders how corydoras would to in a tank with aqua soil? 🤔
I put about 6 or so of these in a rainbow tank once and it did not end well for the pigmy's. I legit had to pull one that was stuck in one of the rainbows mouth with tweezers. I knew better, but wanted to see if it would work with rainbows. It did not work.
Can I have your shop address please thanks 🙏
Hi Matt from Bolivia! You won't believe where I found Coridoras Hastatus here un Santa cruz , Bolivia! They are beautiful and when You gently take them look like small gold pebles amongst the mud
As a reef tank keeper, I wanted to keep all types of corals in the same tank but I learned really quick that doesn't really work. I started in a sumpless 55G with a hangon refugium and skimmer. I upgraded to 120g display, a 50g sump and 20g refugium. It would be impossible to cover the entire ocean in one tank but you can break it up into tanks that do display or function like they do in nature. Trying to capture an entire river in one tank would also be impossible but you could do sections in multiple tanks.
Matt do you sell pygmy corydoras? I would love to buy a pair
Thanks matt! Great information on the Pygmy corydoras! Enjoyed ot mate 🙂👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it
Amano shrimp can get big and I’ve seen them go after a Pygmy Cory that wasn’t looking too well.
Can you tell me your tank dimension ?
Ya i cant seem to work out celcius myself lol
Yey it's hrre thanks matt. 🙂
Hope you like it!
Great video! Love these fish! My favorite are the females since they are always so round and chunky looking! 😂
Hahaha they are proper little chunks!
how many gallons is your tank?
Show the tank not yourself
Hey Matt! Quick question. I have a 10 gallon natural/planted aquarium with 2” sand over 1” soil. Plants are growing great! (Just shrimp for now)
My problem is that hair algae is also growing great :/ I was thinking ramshorm snail as a solution. Would you recommend Pygmy Corydoras as an alternative or do they not touch hair algae?
They don't really touch hair algae unfortunately. Most fish that will eat hair algae may well cause problems with your shrimp.
Some endlers guppies may help as they will nibble but really it's probably a water quality/feeding or lighting issue and you just need to find out what is causing it.
@@FishShopMattthanks for the tips! Really appreciate it. I’ll bump down the light schedule and see if that helps. 👍
(Also looking forward to your next build at MD’s studio!!!)
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! 18 months ago I bought three otos. Got them home and noticed one was a little different - same size and colouration, but had barbels. A few mins of research later and I realized I had a pigmy Cory. It has lived happily in a 25 gallon community tank including large bristlenose and an angelfish. That said - I only saw it occasionally.
Tank size? Or did i miss it
Türkiye.
Yes new video! Greetings from the Netherlands
Hello! Thanks for watching!
Dwarf galaxy rasbora’s .
Love these fish. I've got 5 and spawn all the time. Such entertaining fish, and easy to care for.
Scape those shrimp!
One of my favourite fish, so underrated and deserving of more love
I keep 10 of these guys with some red crystal shrimp and a couple of nerites in a planted tank with plenty of hiding spaces.
They seem to spend a lot more time than I expected hidden away. They always seem very active and buzzing around in other tanks I've seen them in/online. Any ideas where I've gone wrong?
Maybe a dither fish could help? Anyways I'm sure its a lovely tank, happy fish keeping!
Mayor of yapsville
Could I put rosy barbs- snails and shrimp with pigmy corydoras? ❤🐟🎣
Sorry I ment cherry barbs the little red ones 🤦♂️
Is it hard to breed them
They are so cute. Do you think a good size group could go in with bronze and spotted Cory's?
I have my pygmy cories in with some emerald, peppered, and spotted cories and they’re doing just fine!
I keep my albino pygmaeus with chilli rasboras and they hang out with them in the midwater quite frequently
That's awesome to hear!
I have about 20 lil ones in my 250l🥰 fully planted ofc
Also found my Pygmy’s love to hanging out with the dwarf loaches
glad to see you have fallen in love with the most coryadorable of all!! : D
Hahaha I certainly have!
We finally got some Pygmy cory's in where I work and sold half of them day one lol
Wow they're great little guys!
Yay shrimp
Hard to find these in Norfolk, always on the lookout for them. I love Cory's, they are great additions to any tanks. As always, many thanks Matt 🐟
Thank you! Keep looking I'm sure they'll appear at some point!
Its the cory Hastatus that swims with tetras as the both have white and black on there tails
Nice one, thank you!
I love Cory's. I especially love the Gold Lazer Cory's.
They are lovely!