Schwartzi Corydoras Information

13.10.2020

Written by redcherryshrimp

Introduction

Schwartzi Corydoras is a tropical freshwater aquarium fish which is also referred to as Schwartzi Cory, Schwartz’s Cory, Schwartz’s Cory Cat, and Schwartz Cat etc. It originates in inland waters in South America and it is endemic to the inland waters of the Purus River basin in Brazil. It inhabits sand banks, tributaries, creeks and flooded forests where the water remains fairly quiet and shallow. It prefers water with a pH of a 6.5 – 7.5, a water hardness of 4 –19 dGH and a temperature range of 72 – 79 °F.

Overview
Quick Stats

Schwartzi Corydoras’s Overview

It is a beautiful catfish which bears silver body and transparent fins all with small black spots. Body has two distinct black horizontal stripes that run from just behind the gill plate to the caudal fin base. The eyes are also covered with a black stripe while the head area is tan in color. 3-5 irregular bars are present in caudal fin. The black pigment on the head forms a clear mask over the eye. The Schwartzi Cory Cat is a shoaling fish which prefers to form large social groups in the wild. It is omnivorous fish which eats a wide variety of foods that include both plant and meaty foods. In the wild condition, its food consists of small worms, benthic crustaceans, insects, decaying animal and plant matter that have settled on the river bed. In captive condition, Schwartzi Corydoras cat readily accepts a variety of meaty and vegetable matters including flake, freeze dried, frozen, live foods and pellets. It grows up to 7.0 cm in length and its life span ranges from 5 to 15 years.

Scientific Name: Corydoras schwartzi

Common Name: Schwartzi Cory, Schwartz’s Cory, Schwartz’s Cory Cat, Schwartz Cat

Origin: Brazil, South America

Adult Size: 7.0 cm

Behavior: Peaceful

Tank Level: Bottom

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons

Diet: Omnivore

Breeding: Egg layer

Care level: Easy

Water pH: 6.5 – 7.5

Water Hardness: 4-19 dGH

Water Temperature: 72 – 79°F

Water Movement: Normal to moderate current

Lighting: Moderate – normal lighting

Lifespan: 5- 15 years

Background of Schwartzi Corydoras

Corydoras schwartzi was described by F. Rossel in 1963 and the species name of this genus ‘Corydoras’ is in honour of Willi Schwartz, the Brazilian collector who first exported this species in 1962. The genus name ‘Corydoras’ is composed of the Greek words ‘cory’ meaning helmet and ‘doras’ meaning skin. Corydoras schwartzi is the ‘armoured’ catfish which possesses two rows of bony plates instead of scales that run along the flanks. It belongs to the family Callichthyidae under order Siluriformes of class Actinopterygii.

Housing Schwartzi Corydoras

Schwartzi Corydoras is a very peaceful bottom dwelling fish which is well suited to any community aquarium. It requires at least 10 gallons tank with plenty of space for swimming. The tank should be well planted with pieces of bogwood, a dark substrate and subdued lighting. Schwartzi Corydoras is a shoaling fish which must be kept with 3 to 5 or more individuals. These cats are sensitive to poorly maintained or dirty substrates and can lose their barbels if it is kept in poor conditions. A smooth sand or gravel substrate is needed which helps to protect the barbels from injury. It should not be kept it with very large or aggressive fishes. Good tank mates include small characins, cyprinids, anabantoids, dwarf cichlids and other peaceful catfish.

Recommended Plants

Check out recommended plants for Schwartzi Corydoras

Feeding Schwartzi Corydoras

Schwartzi Corydoras cat is omnivorous fish which eats a wide variety of foods that include both plant and meaty foods. In the wild condition, its food consists of small worms, benthic crustaceans, insects, decaying animal and plant matter that have settled on the river bed. In captive condition, Schwartzi Corydoras cat readily accepts a variety of meaty and vegetable matters including flake, freeze dried, frozen, live foods and pellets. This species is an excellent scavenger that helps to keep the aquarium substrate clean from excess foodstuffs and some decaying plant matters. They are most active at night, so feeding should be offered once before lights out is typically enough.

Breeding Schwartzi Corydoras

Schwartzi corydoras has occasionally been bred in the aquarium. To encourage spawning, the breeding tank should have good water quality with a pH of 6.5, nitrite of 0 ppm, nitrate of 10 ppm and a temperature around 75⁰ F. Before spawning the brooders should be conditioned with live and frozen foods. The tank should also have sand or fine gravel substrate with air powered sponge or box type filtration system and some clumps of vegetation such as java moss. Female lays sticky eggs in dense vegetation and adults do not guard the eggs. After spawning, the parents should be removed from the breeding tank to prevent eating the eggs. The eggs hatch in 3-5 days and when the fry are free swimming they can be fed with newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii.

Sexing Schwartzi Corydoras

It is easy to make differences between the male and female when it is viewed from the above. The female has noticeably rounder and broader body than the male. The male is little smaller with slightly larger pectoral fins than the female.

Schwartzi Corydoras for sale and where to buy

Schwartz’s catfish is very popular now in the aquarium trade for community aquariums due to their favorable size, personality and attractive markings on the body. It is a little more expensive than other Corydoras because they cannot be bred commercially. See below online vendor and ask them about your cory to buy that I would recommend from.

Schwartzi Corydoras Information