Schwartz's catfish

Corydoras schwartzi

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°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: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Brazil
Family: Callichthyidae

Overview

Schwartz's catfish is a peaceful shoaling cory that should be kept in a group of at least six. It forages across the sandy bottom with its barbels and mixes well with calm community fish, though it can be sensitive to water quality and is best suited to an established, well maintained tank. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and daphnia, and a little wafer, making sure enough reaches the floor. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 75 liters or larger.

In the wild

Corydoras schwartzi comes from the Rio Purus in the Brazilian Amazon, living over sand in warm, soft, slightly acidic, often tannin stained water. Give it a soft sand bed, driftwood, dried leaves, and shaded planting, with very clean, gently filtered water. Keep the temperature between 22 and 26 C and the pH from about 6.0 to 7.5, and stay on top of water changes, as this species is demanding about quality.

Good to know

This armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae reaches about 7 cm and carries fine radiating markings on the head and a barred, spotted body. It is named after Hans-Willi Schwartz, an aquarium fish exporter based in Manaus. Regarded as one of the more demanding cories to keep and spawn, it has been bred in aquaria but is rated difficult, needing soft, spotless water and well conditioned fish.

Did you know

Schwartz's catfish honors Hans-Willi Schwartz, a well known ornamental fish exporter in Manaus, Brazil. Another cory from the same Amazon trade, Corydoras adolfoi, is named for the exporter Adolfo Schwartz.