Article © Heok Hee Ng, uploaded January 01, 2002.

Long before the plethora of books on Corydoras that have sprouted like flowers after a desert shower in recent years, long before C numbers, there was this delightful little book. Dating from almost thirty years ago, Success with Corydoras Catfish was one of the first (if not THE first) books that specifically dealt with this endearing group of catfishes.

The pictures in the book are a far cry from what one is used to in more recent offerings, consisting of both black and white and color drawings. Purists may argue that the color drawings of the Corydoras species featured at the end of the book are not particularly accurate, but I feel that the inaccuracy in a way lends a nostalgic appeal to the book.

The information in the book may be considered basic now, but it was probably the most cutting edge material you could find about Corydoras at that time. That said, much of what is written in there still rings true (although aquarium technology has advanced quite a bit since the book was written). What I find most appealing about the book is the first chapter, which has a delightful account of the history behind Corydoras in the American aquarium trade.

Get this book (not too difficult to find in antiquarian and used bookstores) if you are a cory enthusiast. Not for the quaint drawings, not for the information inside, but for a sense of history.

Back to Book Reviews index.