Black Venezuelan Corydoras (Tank-Bred)

About

The Black Venezuelan Corydoras (Corydoras schultzei) is one of the less commonly seen members of the Corydoras genus, and the tank-bred stock available in the hobby today makes it both more accessible and noticeably hardier than wild-caught individuals. Like all cories, it's a bottom-dweller that spends its time sifting through substrate and foraging in that busy, endearing way the group is known for. The deep, dark coloration sets it apart from more familiar species, and its small adult size, topping out around two inches, makes it a practical fit for a range of community setups. These fish are social by nature and genuinely do better in a group; keeping at least a half-dozen together brings out the active schooling behavior that makes them so appealing in the first place. They're peaceful with virtually any tankmate that won't fit them in its mouth, and they're forgiving enough for newer fishkeepers to manage without much trouble. A soft, sandy substrate is appreciated since they like to root around without scraping their sensitive barbels. If you've kept cories before, you'll feel right at home with this species. And if you haven't, this is a fine place to start.