Cory catfish are the most common bottom dwellers that aquarists prefer to add to their community tank. They are egg layers and do not give birth to the fry. Beginners usually tend to ask how to take care of a cory catfish’s eggs and when they are hatched. So, How long do cory catfish eggs take to hatch? Let us find out.
Cory catfish eggs take 3 to 5 days to get hatched, depending on the water temperature. You will observe wrigglers with attached yolk sacs on the bottom of your tank. We recommend keeping your cory catfish eggs in a separate tank as adult cory catfish and other fish will feed on the eggs.
Also, we will discuss how to take care of a cory fry and how cory catfish mate. So, let us get into it.
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How long does it take for cory catfish eggs to get hatched?
It takes three to five days for cory catfish eggs to get hatched.
However, it depends on your species and your tank water parameters.
You will observe tiny wrigglers with attached yolk sacs on the bottom of your tank.
Don’t feed them for the next 48 hours, as they will feed on the remaining yolk sac by that time.
After the fry absorbs the yolk sacs, start feeding them with powder food for the next 1-2 weeks.
And then you can feed them with live or frozen foods like brine shrimp, bloodworms, and others.
How do cory catfish mate?
The mating process of a cory catfish is unique.
The male cory catfish will shiver and move around the female cory catfish.
They lie down on top of the female cory catfish. Then, the female cory catfish swim toward the male catfish’s abdomen.
The female cory catfish then uses her mouth to extract the sperm from the male cory catfish.
You will see them forming a “T” shape when breeding.
Female cory catfish use that sperm to fertilize the eggs.
You will notice sticky eggs attached to the glasses and plants of your tank.
The solid white eggs mean that they are not fertilized yet, and the yellow-brown eggs mean that they were fertilized.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Livebearers?
How often do cory catfish lay eggs?
If the water parameters and conditions are adequate and stable, cory catfish will lay eggs in an average of one week.
You will notice sticky eggs attached to the glasses and plants of your cory catfish tank.
Unfertilized eggs will seem solid white, and fertilized ones will appear a brownish color.
If you let the eggs left in the tank, most of them will be eaten up by the corydoras as it is natural and kind of population control.
So, consider extracting the eggs from the tank and placing them in a separate tank or small breeding box with gentle surface agitation and clean water conditions.
Should I move the eggs from the cory catfish tank?
Keeping the eggs in a community tank or your cory catfish tank will result in adult fish and cory feeding on them.
So, if you want to keep your cory eggs safe, consider placing them in a separate tank or breeding tank.
You can use your finger to gently remove the eggs from the tank to a separate tank.
You can keep the eggs in a 10-gallon tank.
Ensure regular water changes and use methylene blue to prevent fungal growth.
Also, add an air pump to the tank to create gentle surface agitation.
Will corydoras eat their baby cory?
Cory catfish and many other freshwater fish like guppies lack parental instinct.
They will happily feed on their fry, thinking of them as a tasty snack.
We recommend keeping your baby cory in a separate tank until they reach the size which doesn’t fit the adult fish mouth.
Also, it will be easy for you to take care of your baby cory in a separate tank.
Perform a regular water change of 30-35% daily of your cory fry tank and feed them appropriately to ensure their faster growth.
Also, add an air pump to your baby cory tank for a gentle surface agitation.
How to take care of a cory fry?
The first thing to do is let them live in a separate tank until they reach the size that doesn’t fit an adult fish’s mouth.
Corydoras and other fishes lack parental instinct, which means that they will happily feed on their fry.
Your cory fry will not need food for the next 48 hours after being born, as they will feed on the remaining yolk sac.
After 48 hours, you can start feeding them powder foods for one week.
Feed them two to three times a day in small quantities to prevent excess leftovers.
After 1-2 weeks, you can start feeding them live, freeze-dried, or frozen food like brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and others.
Baby brine shrimp is the best food to feed to your cory fry.
You must know that corydoras require meat and plant matter food in their diet as they are omnivore fish.
Feeding only one type of food will weaken them as it will not fulfill their nutritional requirement.
So, once your cory fry reaches the age of 1-2 months, start offering them blanched vegetables like zucchini and cucumber.
Conclusion:
Depending on the water parameters and corydoras species, it takes 3-5 days for cory catfish eggs to get hatched.
You will observe tiny wrigglers with attached yolk sacs on the bottom.
We recommend growing them in a separate tank as they can get eaten up by the adult fish and cory catfish in a tank.
Also, they will feed on most of the eggs attached to glass and plants in an aquarium.
So, removing the eggs or breeding them in a separate tank is the best option if you want to save your cory catfish eggs and grow them.
Reference: ResearchGate, ScienceDirect