How to care Corydoras virginae

Marshel · Post by **Marshel** » 09 Mar 2004, 07:06

I have met a trouble to keep them alive.

It seems it is a large-size corydoras.

Anybody has the experience? Could share it?

Thanks in advance.

Post by **Coryman** » 09 Mar 2004, 18:18

Marshel,

Please read the introduction to this section and give us some details of the conditions that you are trying to keep your C. virginiae.

Ian

Achim · Post by **Achim** » 09 Mar 2004, 19:39

Hi Marshel,

I have experienced C. virginae as a very skittish and easily stressed species. Thus large tanks (at least 80x40cm "floor space", the larger the tank the better), with a lot of hiding places are suitable.Best place the tank where is not too much "traffic" in front of it.
They are also more sensitive to polluted water than most other Cories, so frequent waterchanges are advisable. Also they like some current.
Mine didn't eat flake food and wafers only very halfhearted but did feed well on frosted food like Artemia, blood worms etc.

I hope this may have helped at least a little,

Achim

Marshel · Post by **Marshel** » 10 Mar 2004, 07:08

Ian, sorry for it.

Condition is:

I just imported 100 C. Virginae from Peru. Due to the delay of Lufthansa in Frankfurt, most of them died on arrival. I only have 10 or so alive and put them together with other C. Arcuatus. In last 2 days, I also lost 5 of them. Quickly I moved the remaining from the mixed tank to another tank with current and good filters.(Both tanks have good filter.) But today I still find only one survive with broken fins. I think I may lost them all.

Achim, thank you.

I don't know they are so sensitive and skittish. My ones are all those with size 8cm+.

philtre · Post by **philtre** » 10 Mar 2004, 11:11

Hi Marshel,

Sorry to hear about your losses. I've got two virginaes in my 3ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft. Had them for a few months already (probably approx 6mths or more?)

Dont have much details for you cept that the last time I measured my pH was about two months ago and found it to be about pH6. I have since put in a few pieces of coral chips to act as a buffer.

I'm surprised to read about the details that Achim has shared, maybe coz I've only got experience with the two in my tank.

The two fellas in my tank has never given me any trouble, active, always ready to eat, they're about TL 6-7cm ?

I feed them almost exclusively on dried food, pellets etc. Some of the food I have used in no particular order
King British catfish pellets
JBL NovoTabs
Tetra Tabimin
Sera Viformo

Hope you have better luck with the shipment next time round.

Regards

Charly EON · Post by **Charly EON** » 10 Mar 2004, 22:17

C. virginaie is a sensitive species compared to other cories. Recently imported fish are often anemic, weak (no food for several weeks or at least this is what it looks like) and heavily loaded
with parasites (cestodes and trematodes larval stages mainly). I've witnessed similar losses with this species.

Charly

Marshel · Post by **Marshel** » 12 Mar 2004, 06:09

Thanks for Charly's tips.

Maybe I'd better not import them recently.

Personally, I want to catch the season end.