I'm a big fan of corys, especially green and pygmy. I haven't had much experience with breeding pygmys though, and I plan on getting some soon. How do you breed and raise your pygmy corys? Feel free to share your stories and methods! 
Breeding Pygmy Corys
- Thread starter DiddleBug
- Start date
Give them their own tank; a 10g is sufficient. I placed a group of six (originally had 10 but lost some in QT) in an established 10g, play sand substrate, some pygmy chain sword plants and a couple chunks of wood, these covered with Java Moss. I could tell there were three males and three females solely from the girth, it is pretty obvious. They were in this tank for a few months, then suddenly spawning began and has been continuing for several months now. I have several sizes of fish, from black specks that "hop" over the sand, to the mature originals.
The eggs, when I've seen them, have been placed singly on the glass, on leaves, in the Java Moss, and on the wood itself. Dried leaves are probably the best food for the newly-hatched fry; the leaves produce infusoria which the fry graze. I feed the adults shrimp pellets, Omega One Veggie Rounds, and New Life Spectrum sinking mini pellets, alternating with one food a day. I did not promote spawning by feeding live foods, but sometimes that can get them more likely to spawn. Regular water changes of half the tank, once a week, with water slightly cooler than the tank water.
I'm attaching a photo of the tank from last May when the spawning began; there are some Farlowella fry on the glass, as this had been their grow-out tank when I added the group of corys. A couple subsequent photos will show various stages of fry on the leaves. As you'll see in the photos, this tank has hundreds of small snails, and these help to keep the biology good as they consume left-over food, and I tend to slightly over-feed since I'm not sure just how many fish are in this tank.
Byron.
The eggs, when I've seen them, have been placed singly on the glass, on leaves, in the Java Moss, and on the wood itself. Dried leaves are probably the best food for the newly-hatched fry; the leaves produce infusoria which the fry graze. I feed the adults shrimp pellets, Omega One Veggie Rounds, and New Life Spectrum sinking mini pellets, alternating with one food a day. I did not promote spawning by feeding live foods, but sometimes that can get them more likely to spawn. Regular water changes of half the tank, once a week, with water slightly cooler than the tank water.
I'm attaching a photo of the tank from last May when the spawning began; there are some Farlowella fry on the glass, as this had been their grow-out tank when I added the group of corys. A couple subsequent photos will show various stages of fry on the leaves. As you'll see in the photos, this tank has hundreds of small snails, and these help to keep the biology good as they consume left-over food, and I tend to slightly over-feed since I'm not sure just how many fish are in this tank.
Byron.
Attachments
I've never bred pygmy's but I guessing the process is the same for all cories.
I've bred my peppered lot several times now and with those guys I had to remove the eggs, hatch them and raise the fry seperately as the parents ate their own eggs and those that the parents didn't eat the other community fish ate!
My panda cories are completely different though. I set out with four - two females and two males - I now I have six .... there could be more though as these guys are clever. They lay their eggs in secret places and then a few weeks later a little guy will just show up! No intervention from me at all. It's so exciting to see them adding to their number without any help from me.
So I would do what Byron suggests. Move them to a seperate tank, plant it heavily, add some moss and fern and some leaves if you are able to and just wait it out to see what happens. If they are happy and healthy and a good ratio of male to female they'll probably just get on with it and if the fry have hiding places and some microscopic lovelies to feed on they'll survive
Good luck and keep us posted
I've bred my peppered lot several times now and with those guys I had to remove the eggs, hatch them and raise the fry seperately as the parents ate their own eggs and those that the parents didn't eat the other community fish ate!
My panda cories are completely different though. I set out with four - two females and two males - I now I have six .... there could be more though as these guys are clever. They lay their eggs in secret places and then a few weeks later a little guy will just show up! No intervention from me at all. It's so exciting to see them adding to their number without any help from me.
So I would do what Byron suggests. Move them to a seperate tank, plant it heavily, add some moss and fern and some leaves if you are able to and just wait it out to see what happens. If they are happy and healthy and a good ratio of male to female they'll probably just get on with it and if the fry have hiding places and some microscopic lovelies to feed on they'll survive
Good luck and keep us posted
Thanks for all the advice, guys! I love your tank, btw, Byron! Looks great!
Right now I have a nice 10 gallon for them, the only tank mates being 3 baby balloon mollies. I might be able to get the pygmys tomorrow.
I love your tank, btw, Byron! Looks great! Right now I have a nice 10 gallon for them, the only tank mates being 3 baby balloon mollies. I might be able to get the pygmys tomorrow.
they will probably be quite young when you get them so they'll need time to mature a little and to settle in too. I doubt they will start thinking about spawning for a while. Feed them well and plenty of fresh water changes and you never know
Yep, that's what I plan to do! I've spawned pygmys once before but didn't collect the eggs. I was very surprised to see little darting black specs a few days later. Sadly, I wasn't able to keep the little guys alive. I think I didn't have the correct food for them.
I've spawned pygmys once before but didn't collect the eggs. I was very surprised to see little darting black specs a few days later. Sadly, I wasn't able to keep the little guys alive. I think I didn't have the correct food for them. this is why you need a source of infusoria as Byron mentions. Fry such as livebearer fry can handle normal fish food if it's crushed up small enough but the smaller fry, which are egg layed fry such as cories, can't handle it - it's just too big. In these cases we need to provide what they would feed on in the wild which is tiny microscopic things known as infusoria. Infusoria will grow on plants and things like decaying leaves, as Byron has in his tank.
Another source would be something such as liquifry. I raised all my peppered cories on liquifry for the first few weeks and then gradually weaned them onto TetraMin baby. But I soon learned that I needed to provide them with more and so when I cleaned my external filters on my main tank and replaced my fine filter wool, instead of throwing it away I added it to my fry tank. It was teeming with bacteria and other stuff that my fry could eat. Combined with regular water changes I soon had some strong healthy fry.
Another source would be something such as liquifry. I raised all my peppered cories on liquifry for the first few weeks and then gradually weaned them onto TetraMin baby. But I soon learned that I needed to provide them with more and so when I cleaned my external filters on my main tank and replaced my fine filter wool, instead of throwing it away I added it to my fry tank. It was teeming with bacteria and other stuff that my fry could eat. Combined with regular water changes I soon had some strong healthy fry.
simplyfish
Fish Fanatic
I'd probably look to move those Mollies out, they will feast on the cory fry...
So what kind of leaves do you use? I have had very bad luck with growing aquatic plants, believe me, so I have pretty much all plastic plants. I've raised green cory fry on Hikari Fist Bites. Would that also work for pygmy fry? And as far as my filters, I can't really change them. 
I may raise my future pygmy fry in a small floating tub of some sort for their first week, as they are so small and I'd like to only have one tank going. (I have a 10 g somewhere that is in the attic.) Basically I'd like to raise a few fry here and there for fun, even though I do have limited space.
Even so, let's say I did get rid of the mollies and changed things up a bit. Although I cannot do live plants, they just die. Right now I have 2 big aqueon filters, sand, and tons of fake plants. what would you recommend I change or get(but cheaply)?
I may raise my future pygmy fry in a small floating tub of some sort for their first week, as they are so small and I'd like to only have one tank going. (I have a 10 g somewhere that is in the attic.) Basically I'd like to raise a few fry here and there for fun, even though I do have limited space. Even so, let's say I did get rid of the mollies and changed things up a bit. Although I cannot do live plants, they just die.
Right now I have 2 big aqueon filters, sand, and tons of fake plants. what would you recommend I change or get(but cheaply)? in my experience I've found that cory fry do best with a sponge filter, One of these is what I use http/www.amazon.co.uk/biochemical-Aquarium-sponge-filter-SF-104/dp/B001KRZHAU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430393967&sr=8-1&keywords=jad+sponge+filter I found that a standard filter flow was too strong for cory fry and they just drowned from being blown about.
I had the same problem when I water changed. If I added fresh water too fast they all died from being swished about too much. I found the best way was to add the fresh water to a bucket, raise it higher than the tank, add a piece of airline tubing from bucket to tank, use a syringe to get the syphon going and then let the fresh water trickle down the side of the glass. Any faster and the fry were pushed around the tank and they died.
The good thing about the sponge filter is that it will grow some infusoria and so it's also a good feeding station for them.
As to plants... well I'd say you'd at least need some java moss. Java moss grows with no help... it's a bit like a weed. It doesn't need any assistance, any ferts nothing really. It just grows! It'll provide the fry with two vital things - a hiding place and food - again the infusoria.
I raised my cory fry in a bare bottomed tank - the tank placed on a white surface as this was the best way to see any uneaten food or dead cories. It also made them easier to 'see' so I could watch what they were doing and where they were if I was maintaining the tank. Once my cories got to about half a centimetre (and started to look like cories) I added some sand for them so that could just be cories and sift the sand. Once they got to a centimetre and a half I contacted my lfs and swapped them for store credit. They got some young healthy cories, I got a tub of fish food or what ever else I wanted. Once I swapped them for a tank heater!!
As to the leaves, as your in the States I'll not comment. I'm not aware of what is available where you are. Here in the U.K I know you can use oak (but not black oak), alder, ash and a few others that I can't remember right now (I have the listen written down somewhere)
Some lfs' sell bags of leaves that you can use. The best time to collect leaves is in the Autumn. The leaves need to be dried and about to fall from the tree. It's a good idea this Autumn to go for a walk with a plastic bag in your pocket. They can be stores in clean bags and you can just add a handful at a time
/www.amazon.co.uk/biochemical-Aquarium-sponge-filter-SF-104/dp/B001KRZHAU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430393967&sr=8-1&keywords=jad+sponge+filter I found that a standard filter flow was too strong for cory fry and they just drowned from being blown about. I had the same problem when I water changed. If I added fresh water too fast they all died from being swished about too much. I found the best way was to add the fresh water to a bucket, raise it higher than the tank, add a piece of airline tubing from bucket to tank, use a syringe to get the syphon going and then let the fresh water trickle down the side of the glass. Any faster and the fry were pushed around the tank and they died.
The good thing about the sponge filter is that it will grow some infusoria and so it's also a good feeding station for them.
As to plants... well I'd say you'd at least need some java moss. Java moss grows with no help... it's a bit like a weed. It doesn't need any assistance, any ferts nothing really. It just grows! It'll provide the fry with two vital things - a hiding place and food - again the infusoria.
I raised my cory fry in a bare bottomed tank - the tank placed on a white surface as this was the best way to see any uneaten food or dead cories. It also made them easier to 'see' so I could watch what they were doing and where they were if I was maintaining the tank. Once my cories got to about half a centimetre (and started to look like cories) I added some sand for them so that could just be cories and sift the sand. Once they got to a centimetre and a half I contacted my lfs and swapped them for store credit. They got some young healthy cories, I got a tub of fish food or what ever else I wanted. Once I swapped them for a tank heater!!
As to the leaves, as your in the States I'll not comment. I'm not aware of what is available where you are. Here in the U.K I know you can use oak (but not black oak), alder, ash and a few others that I can't remember right now (I have the listen written down somewhere)
Some lfs' sell bags of leaves that you can use. The best time to collect leaves is in the Autumn. The leaves need to be dried and about to fall from the tree. It's a good idea this Autumn to go for a walk with a plastic bag in your pocket. They can be stores in clean bags and you can just add a handful at a time
Great! That is very helpful. So do you have your fry with the parents? Or do you separate them? Cause if it would easier, I could always get out that 10g for them.
So I'd basically just need a sponge filter and java moss? (And maybe some leaves or liquifry?)
Hey! Ya know what? I actually already have a sponge filter! But sadly, the plastic at the top goes above my water level in my 10g.... hm.
Oh, and I do have 3 tiny sad looking java ferns on some small rocks. And 2 very rough looking anubias.
So do you have your fry with the parents? Or do you separate them? Cause if it would easier, I could always get out that 10g for them.So I'd basically just need a sponge filter and java moss? (And maybe some leaves or liquifry?)
Hey! Ya know what? I actually already have a sponge filter! But sadly, the plastic at the top goes above my water level in my 10g.... hm.
Oh, and I do have 3 tiny sad looking java ferns on some small rocks. And 2 very rough looking anubias.
I always raised mine away from the parents. The adults would eat the eggs, along with the other community fish, and so I'd rescue as many eggs as I could and raise them seperately in a 30 litre tank.
To do this you'll need: A tank, a heater (set to about 24-25 degrees, cories don't like it too warm) a sponge filter, some java moss tied to a rock or wood, and some liquifry.... that's the bare minimum I'd provide.
If you decide to take it further you could add substrate and leaves etc ... it just depends on how you want to go about it
the only other thing is ... for pygmys the eggs are going to be tiny tiny so whether you'd be able to see them to collect them I don't know.
The cories I bred were peppered - one of the larger cories and so their eggs are a good size and easy to see. My panda's spawn all the time but I've never seen any of their eggs. Whether this is down to size or whether is because they hide them well I don't know!
To do this you'll need: A tank, a heater (set to about 24-25 degrees, cories don't like it too warm) a sponge filter, some java moss tied to a rock or wood, and some liquifry.... that's the bare minimum I'd provide.
If you decide to take it further you could add substrate and leaves etc ... it just depends on how you want to go about it
the only other thing is ... for pygmys the eggs are going to be tiny tiny so whether you'd be able to see them to collect them I don't know.
The cories I bred were peppered - one of the larger cories and so their eggs are a good size and easy to see. My panda's spawn all the time but I've never seen any of their eggs. Whether this is down to size or whether is because they hide them well I don't know!
Ok. I'll probably do a tank with a sponge filter, my plants, java moss, a heater, and sand.
What is temp would that be in F?
Yes, I've bred pygmys twice before, but not on purpose. I did see the eggs and the parents didn't eat the eggs or the fry, and there were even some greens in there if I remember right!
I used to breed and sell green corys for a local LFS. I really would like to breed corys again and sell them, so I thought pygmys would take less space. How many fry could I raise in a 10g? And bare in mind that I could move older fry to the other 10g with the adults if I needed to. Depends on how young i sell them, I guess.
Oh, and are sponge filters supposed to be all the way under the water? Like the plastic tube? If not, could I cut mine down so it does fit?
My air pump is Fusion 200 AC 120V 60Hz Max 1.5W
What is temp would that be in F?
Yes, I've bred pygmys twice before, but not on purpose. I did see the eggs and the parents didn't eat the eggs or the fry, and there were even some greens in there if I remember right!
I used to breed and sell green corys for a local LFS. I really would like to breed corys again and sell them, so I thought pygmys would take less space. How many fry could I raise in a 10g? And bare in mind that I could move older fry to the other 10g with the adults if I needed to. Depends on how young i sell them, I guess.
Oh, and are sponge filters supposed to be all the way under the water? Like the plastic tube? If not, could I cut mine down so it does fit?
My air pump is Fusion 200 AC 120V 60Hz Max 1.5W
I cut my sponge filter pipe down (the clear plastic bit) as like you, it was above the water surface. It didn't seem to affect it. You can get them though in various sizes.
temp in 'f' would be 75-77
if you've done this before and know the parents will leave the fry alone then just do what you did before. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it
temp in 'f' would be 75-77
if you've done this before and know the parents will leave the fry alone then just do what you did before. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it
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