Golden stripe Corydoras - Corydoras schultzei

The gold stripe armored catfish or gold shouldered armored catfish Corydoras schultzei looks different from the metal armored catfish Corydoras aeneus, but these two species are considered synonyms in science despite all their differences. Scientifically they are the same species of fish, but in practice various aquarists have doubts about this - the fish are too different.

The golden stripe armored catfish comes from South America, where it is widespread like Corydoras aeneus. The interesting coloration of this cory consists of longitudinal stripes. Head and back are copper to brownish, in the middle along the lateral line Corydoras schultzei is dark to black colored, while the belly up to the tail fin is bright golden orange. The whole fish has a metallic shimmer. Its fins are brownish and slightly transparent. On the mouth Corydoras schultzei has paired, relatively long barbels.

The males of Corydoras schultzei are somewhat slimmer and grow only about 5 cm, while the females are almost real hummers with 8 cm and a much rounder body shape. The golden stripe armored catfish is a really sociable, very social group fish. A keeping without conspecifics is not species-appropriate, we recommend a group size of at least 5-10 animals. The Golden Stripe Corydoras mainly lives on the bottom of the aquarium. Since Corydoras schultzei is a gut breather, it needs free access to the water surface in the aquarium.

The Gold Striped Corydoras schultzei is a peaceful, fun aquarium inhabitant that fits very well in the company of other peaceful aquarium fish, as long as the requirements match. Also the attitude with dwarf shrimps is problem-free possible. Possibly once a baby shrimp is eaten, which accidentally gets lost in the mouth of a gold stripe armored catfish - this pretty cory does not actively hunt. As a rule, Corys should not be socialized with crayfish, their preferred regions in the aquarium are too similar. Crayfish like to prey on bottom-dwelling fish, so this aquarium company should be avoided.

In the aquarium gold stripe armored catfishes were already frequently multiplied. They like to lay their eggs on plants or the glass. Unfortunately, in the community tank their young usually do not grow up, but in a separate breeding aquarium corys are very productive. Feed the chosen pair of Gold Striped Corys well with high quality live food or good frozen food to stimulate spawning. A large water change with cooler water simulates the beginning of the rainy season and thus the mating season. The female of Corydoras schultzei sticks up to 100 individual eggs on hard surfaces in the aquarium during mating. The minismall larvae of the gold stripe armored catfish hatch after a few days. After spawning, the parent fish are returned to their original aquarium. The fish larvae of the golden stripe catfish are fed in the rearing tank with fine live food - first with infusoria, then with Artemia nauplii and microworms.

The golden stripe armored catfish can live an amazing 8 to 10 years in the aquarium. A water temperature of 22-27 °C and soft to medium hard aquarium water are ideal. For Corydoras schultzei the pH should be between 6 and 7. A group of 10 animals can be kept in an aquarium with a length of 80 cm or more. For substrate choose round-grained sand or set up at least one sand corner. Corydoras like to dig for food in the fine substrate and use the sand to clean their gills. Sufficient hiding places are also necessary.

The golden stripe armored catfish prefers animal food, but is counted among the omnivores. High quality Live food and good Frozen food are popular, but gold-shouldered corydoras also take plant de bris and sometimes nibble on algae. Also good for feeding are special food tabs for armored catfish, as well as commercial flake food or soft granulated food for omnivorous aquarium fish in the community aquarium.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic main feed is a professional staple feed for all aquarium fish. We supply Hauptfeed in the form of soft granules, which, thanks to its grain size of half a millimeter, can be easily absorbed by small to medium-sized fish. The soft consistency resembles the texture of insect larvae in nature and protects the fish mouth from micro-injuries.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free from algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.