TankBud

Sychr's catfish

Brochis sychri

Also known as Corydoras sychri

FreshwaterFish

Sychr's catfish (Brochis sychri)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.7 in
4.3 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Peru

Overview

Sychr's catfish is a small, peaceful shoaler that should be kept in a group of at least six to stay confident. It forages over the sandy bottom with its barbels and suits a calm community of small fish that will not crowd the floor. Feed sinking pellets, frozen daphnia and bloodworm, and crushed wafers, making sure enough reaches the substrate. A group settles well in a warm tank of around 60 liters or larger with soft sand to sift.

In the wild

Corydoras sychri lives in the Rio Nanay in Peru, a soft, warm, tannin stained tributary of the upper Amazon. Recreate that with a soft sand bed, driftwood, dried leaves, and shaded planting, using clean, gently moving water. Keep it warm, between 24 and 27 C, with a pH from about 6.0 to 7.5, and change water regularly to keep this small cory healthy.

Good to know

This small armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae reaches only about 4.3 cm and is a long snouted, finely spotted species with a dark eye mask. Two rows of bony plates armor each flank. Reliable aquarium spawning is not well documented, though cories of this type lay sticky eggs the female carries briefly between her pelvic fins before attaching them to firm surfaces.

Did you know

Sychr's catfish shares the tea colored Rio Nanay in Peru with a cluster of near identical cories. It is a long snouted fish easily muddled with the round snouted fairy cory, Corydoras atropersonatus, which swims in the very same river.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Sychr's catfish is a peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Sychr's catfish need?

A Sychr's catfish needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Sychr's catfish need?

A Sychr's catfish is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

How big does a Sychr's catfish get?

An adult Sychr's catfish reaches about 1.7 in (4.3 cm).

Does a Sychr's catfish need a group?

Yes. A Sychr's catfish is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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