They prefer soft, slightly acidic water. However, they can also be kept well in medium-hard water.
The adjustment from soft water to harder water must be done very slowly.
The water must also be fresh, clean, clear and rich in oxygen.
Suitable water values:
Corydoras sterbai tolerate temperatures above 26°C, but do not need such high temperatures. On the other hand, they also tolerate cooler temperatures of up to around 15°C.
In a suitably sized aquarium, they can be kept alongside Corydoras paleatus and Brochis splendens.
Food for Corydoras sterbai
Dry food should only make up a small proportion of the diet. It is primarily used for variety or balance. Because it is very filling, small amounts are sufficient for these purposes.
The main thing that should be fed is live food and frozen food that sinks to the bottom.
Suitable feed:
- Tetra Ruby Flakes
- Sera discus granules
- green fodder tablets
- Red mosquito larvae
- daphnia
- Cyclops
- mayfly larvae
- frozen food
Yellowfin Mailer Catfish Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 2.5 Author: Susanne Möller-Neukäter
There have been some bad experiences with feeding Tubifex and saltwater animals such as Artemia.
The amount of feed required can only be determined by careful observation. At times the animals eat very little.
They rarely touch leftovers later. At these times the amount of feed must be reduced. At other times they eat constantly.
The corresponding times probably coincide with the spawning periods.
During the spawning period they need a lot of energy and a lot of nutrients.
The animals should then be given as much feed as they need.
The gender differences
Adult females are almost twice the size and much thicker than adult males. The fin shapes hardly differ.
Recommended book: Armored Catfish AZ*
– All information ✚ key data in one book ✅
– Incl. plenty of illustrations ✅
– Suitable for beginners as well as advanced ✅
– The ultimate standard work for armored catfish ✅
Notes on Breeding
Corydoras Sterbai Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: Public domain Author: Matthew Mannell
More males than females are used for breeding. The females then look for a new partner for each egg packet. This supposedly increases the fertilization rate considerably. Females that are ready to spawn get really fat.
Corydoras sterbai like to eat red mosquito larvae. These often represent a good conclusion to the feeding before spawning. However, only mosquito larvae are not enough for feeding. After a few days they even leave them lying around. The basic food can consist of proven dry or frozen foods. Red mosquito larvae are fed. In the last few days before the planned spawning, only bloodworms are given.
It also happens that Corydoras sterbai suddenly hardly eat at all. Then they are simply overfed and not hungry. They are then fat, but not in the mood to spawn. In such cases, a few starvation days will help. Possibly several times, only interrupted by a few days with food. After two weeks at the latest, they eat normally again.
Sterba’s mailed catfish, orange-finned mailed catfish, yellow-finned mailed catfish Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Tino Strauss
Corydoras sterbai can spawn for 4 to 6 hours. The males in particular often hang in the plants for minutes or lie on their side after the sperm has been released and do not move. There is sometimes a break of 5 to 6 days between spawning.
Young females often only lay a few eggs, eg 15′.
Like all armored catfish, Corydoras sterbai are spawn predators.
They eat their own eggs when they find them. Therefore, eggs and parents must be separated.
Antifungal agents increase the hatch yield somewhat. First and foremost, the hatch yield depends on the fertilization rate.