PlanetCatfish.com

Hi all,
I am new to the list and have a quick question.

Has anyone had success breeding the Fowleri? If so, are there any tips you can give me to trigger eggs being laid. Last evening and again today(for two straight hours) I have watched a trio of my fish (2 males, 1 female) chase eachother, tumbling around the tank (in typical Cory spawning fashion), but there haven't been any eggs laid. Any tips?

I am keeping 7 Cory Fowleri (at least 2 females) and 5 Cory Ashers in a 30 gallon with temps at 76 and no hardness whatsoever (I use rainwater and RO water exclusively). I had the Ashers in the tank seperately and the 2 females were real plump, but they never laid eggs, even though I tried 30 straight days of huge cool water changes and blackworm feeding. So I thought putting the Fowleri in with them might bring out the exhibitionist in them, with no luck.

Rick

Rick,

What you may have been watching is not so much Cory courtship but Cory aggresiion C. fowleri are one of the most aggressive Corys I have come accross, females will also get involved in scurmishes. Males in breeding condition become very teratorial and are capable of killing each other. They are obviously full of the joys of spring and ready for breeding. They are in fact sorting out who's boss. Males in breeding condition show prominant bristling on the pectoral fin spines. My sugestion would be to secect a pair and put them together in a tank of their own and keep an eye on them.

Ian

Thank you Ian for your input.

Do you know of the sure way of sexing the fish? From what I can tell the fish that were tumbling around were 2 males and 1 female, but I want to make sure of that. I do notice some of the fish having a darker line on the pectoral fin than the others. Could this be another way to sex them?

Rick

When in breeding condition the males have pronounced bristles on the pectoral fin spines. Failing that look at the from above, females are normally widest at the ventral fins, males are widest just behind the pectoral fins.

Ian