Care
Scleromystax lacerdai is an ideal bottom dweller for the temperate community aquarium. This species should only be added to a mature tank where the temperature does not exceed 25 °C. As these fish frequently like to root about in search of food items, the aquarium should have a soft sand substrate which will help to protect the delicate sensory barbels. Provide plenty of shady hiding places and visual barriers amongst the decor, which could include driftwood, rocky caves, and robust aquatic plants such as Anubias sp. or Java Fern which can be anchored to the wood. It is important that the tank is well-filtered and has areas of decent current to help provide good levels of oxygenation. High water quality is a must, so regular partial water changes are essential. Although this is a generally considered a peaceful species, keep only one male with several females, unless the tank is more than 3ft long. This is a naturally shoaling species, so it is best to purchase a good sized group, but be aware that mature males can be surprisingly aggressive towards one another, and there will need to be adequate space, territories and visual barriers if more than one male is to be housed in the same aquarium. As the fish come in to spawning condition, the aggression between males can really heighten, and they can cause great damage to each other, and this has even be known to have a fatal outcome on some occasions. This is why many fishkeepers choose to house one male with a harem of females. However, these catfish are completely peaceable towards other fish species and can be kept safely alongside other temperate species such as some of the dwarf cichlids, tetras, danios, and barbs. Scleromystax spp. have the ability to breathe air intestinally, so a small gap should be left between the surface of the water and the cover slides in order for the fish to come up to the surface and take air in. It may do this numerous times per day. This fish was formerly known as Corydoras lacerdai, and you may still see them on sale under this old synonym.
Feeding
Sinking catfish pellets/granules, frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, daphnia, and vitamin-enriched brineshrimp.
Breeding
Has been bred in the home aquarium, but details are few and far between. Likely to breed in a similar manner to the Bearded Cory (S. barbatus).
