Bearded Cory

Scleromystax barbatus

Overview

Synonyms	Callichthys barbatus, Corydoras barbatus, C. eigenmanni
Distribution	Coastal drainages from Rio de Janeiro to Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Sexual Dimorphism	Mature males display a gold-white stripe down the forehead, a more defined spotted pattern, and beard-like bristles on the cheeks. Mature females will retain the peppered pattern of juvenile fish and will be slightly fuller bodied when viewed from above.
Maximum Size	10cm (3.9”)
Water Parameters	Neutral to slightly soft and acidic. pH: 5.5-7.0, dH: up to 15 degrees.
Temperature	Temperate: 18-25 deg C (64-75deg F)
Compatibility	Temperate community
Lighting	No special requirements

Description

Care

Scleromystax barbatus 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 deg 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 décor, 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 barbatus, 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

S. barbatus has been bred in the home aquarium. To attempt breeding, the water should be soft and acidic with a pH of around 6 and general hardness of <5dH. This species will breed in harder, more alkaline water, but problems can later arise when the fry try to emerge from the eggs. Mature pairs can be triggered into spawning by performing a large, slightly cooler water change. The pair will adopt the classic ‘T position’ where the male fertilises the eggs that are held between the female’s pelvic fins. The adhesive eggs will then be deposited onto plants, décor, or the sides of the aquarium etc and the process repeated until the female is spent of eggs (which can number anywhere from 10-70 depending on size/age of the female). The eggs generally take 4-5 days to hatch, and after a further 2-3 days, the fry will become free-swimming and can be offered finely powdered first foods. A few days later they will be able to take newly hatched brineshrimp and microworm. To avoid predation and ensure a higher success rate, many fishkeepers move the parents to another aquarium after the eggs have all been deposited.