Mosaic cory

Corydoras haraldschultzi

Also known as reticulated cory

FreshwaterFish

Mosaic cory (Corydoras haraldschultzi) — Mummymonkey at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Bolivia, Brazil
Family: Callichthyidae

Overview

The mosaic cory is a peaceful, good sized shoaler that should be kept in a group of at least six. It spends the day sifting sand with its barbels and mixes well with calm community fish that enjoy warm water. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and daphnia, and a little wafer, making sure the food reaches the bottom. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 75 liters or larger with soft sand and some open foraging space.

In the wild

Corydoras haraldschultzi comes from the upper Amazon and Rio Guapore across Bolivia and Brazil, over sand in warm, soft, gently flowing water. Give it a soft sand bed, driftwood, and shaded planting, with clean, well filtered water. It prefers warmth, from about 24 to 28 C, with a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. Keep the water clean with steady changes to show off its fine markings.

Good to know

This armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae reaches about 7 cm and wears a dense mosaic of dark spots and lines on a pale head and body. It is a close look alike of Sterba's cory, but with the pattern reversed and a longer snout. It is one of the more willing spawners among the larger cories, laying adhesive eggs the female carries briefly between her pelvic fins before attaching them to firm surfaces.

Did you know

The mosaic cory is the mirror image of the popular Sterba's cory: haraldschultzi shows dark spots on a light head, while sterbai shows light spots on a dark head. A longer, straighter snout also helps tell haraldschultzi apart.