Wild Trinidad Bronze Cory (Corydoras aeneus)

The Wild Trinidad Bronze Cory (Corydoras aeneus) is the bronze cory as it lives in nature: wild-collected fish from Trinidad, where the species was first described. Expect a metallic green to bronze sheen over a pinkish-tan body. They are peaceful, social bottom dwellers that spend the day sifting the sand in a busy group. These are medium-sized fish. Browse the rest of our freshwater fish and supplies.

Why Wild Trinidad Matters

Almost every bronze cory in the hobby is commercially farmed, and the fish sold under the name are a mix of closely related lines. Trinidad is the type locality of Corydoras aeneus, so these are as close to the true species as you can get, which matters to cory keepers and breeders who want a clean line.

Wild fish also ask a bit more of you than farmed ones. They can be shy for the first weeks, may want frozen foods before they take wafers, and are less forgiving of dirty water. That is why we rate them intermediate rather than beginner.

Care Guide

• Tank size: starts in a 20 gallon long. Floor space matters more than height because they live on the bottom.
• Substrate: fine sand is ideal; smooth, rounded gravel works if it is kept clean. Sharp gravel and dirty substrate wear down their barbels.
• Water: 70 to 79°F, pH 6.0 to 8.0, soft to moderately hard. Keep nitrate low with regular water changes, since they live in the layer where waste collects.
• Diet: omnivore. Sinking wafers and pellets that reach the bottom, plus frozen bloodworms. Wild fish often start on frozen food first; feed after lights out at first if they are shy.
• Group size: six or more. A lone cory hides and stresses; a group forages out in the open.
• Acclimation: slow. Wild fish handle sudden changes in temperature and pH worse than farmed fish.

Specifications

Compatibility

Completely peaceful with fish, shrimp and snails. Good tank mates include Neon Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Otocinclus and Cherry Shrimp. They also school with other cories like the Orange Venezuela Cory.

What goes wrong: large cichlids and anything that grabs at the bottom will bully them, and a cory that gets swallowed can lodge its spines in a predator's throat. Aggressive bottom fish like larger loaches or crayfish push them off the food. If you breed this line, keep it apart from farmed bronze cories.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Sinking Wafers as a staple that actually reaches them
• Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Formula for variety
• SFBB Mini-Bloodworms to start shy wild fish eating
• Estes Natural Aquatic Sand to protect their barbels
• Seachem Prime for water changes

FAQ

What is the difference between this and a regular Green Cory?
Same species name, different source. Regular green and bronze cories are farmed; these were collected wild in Trinidad, the home of the original species. They look very similar. The difference matters most to breeders and collectors.

Why is my new cory hiding all the time?
Wild fish are shy at first, and any cory hides when kept in a small group. Keep six or more, give them some cover and feed after the lights go down, and they come out within a few weeks.

Why does my cory dart to the surface?
Cories gulp air from the surface now and then; that is normal. Constant trips, or gasping at the top, point to low oxygen or poor water, so test and change water.

Their whiskers look short or worn. What happened?
Barbel erosion comes from sharp gravel or dirty substrate. Switch to sand or keep the gravel clean, and the barbels usually grow back.

Can I keep just one or two?
Not happily. They are social and need a group of six or more to feel safe and behave normally. You can mix them with farmed bronze cories for numbers, but not if you plan to breed the line.