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Julii Corydoras

Corydoras julii

The *Corydoras julii* is one of the rarest and most misunderstood small bottom-dwelling fish in fishkeeping. Often confused (and regularly sold misleadingly) with the very common *Corydoras trilineatus* (the False Julii), the true *C. julii* is distinguished by the total absence of fused lines or reticulated patterns on the snout: its head is immaculately studded only with very fine and distinct black dots on a bright silver background. Reaching 5 cm (2 inches), it is a peaceful and tireless explorer of the seabed. Equipped with armored plates along the sides (hence the Greek name 'Korys', helmet) and the characteristic tactile barbels to sift the sand, it is the perfect choice to give vitality to the lower part of a South American aquarium without any risk to tank mates.

Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Sud America (Bacino inferiore del Rio delle Amazzoni in Brasile, nei fiumi costieri scarsamente esplorati del nord-est)
Tank use
Used in 0 tanks
Temperature

23 °C - 26 °C

pH

6 - 7.2

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona inferiore. Perlustrano il fondo, ma periodicamente guizzano fulminei in superficie per prendere una boccata d'aria atmosferica.

Adult size

5 cm

Description

Air Sharks:

Do not be alarmed. Almost all Corydoras possess a modified intestine that allows them to breathe oxygen from the air in case the pools of water dry up or overheat. You will very often see them dart very fast to the surface like missiles, swallow an air bubble and dive back to the bottom in less than a second. It is an essential natural behavior.

Care and observations

The Condemnation of Fake Gravel (Sand Only):

The number one cause of death worldwide for this beautiful little fish is the aquarium. Corydoras have very soft fleshy whiskers around their mouths (barbels) to flush out worms under the fine sand. If you have bought the classic gravel for plants, sharp stones or colored quartz in your aquarium, the Corydoras will scrape their whiskers to look for food until they wear them out completely. The mouth will become infected, swell like a white balloon and they will die of septicemia in excruciating pain. Buy them ONLY if you have a bottom of very fine sand.

They Do Not Eat Poop:

Another deadly myth is calling them "Cleaners" thinking they eat excrement or algae on the glass cleaning your aquarium. False. They are insectivorous schooling fish. If you do not buy specific sinking bottom tablets (Shrimp pellets or carnivorous tablets to throw at night), these fish will literally starve to death looking for invisible crumbs on the bottom.

The Prison of Isolation (Schooling Fish):

They are hyper-social fish. They do not feel safe unless they feel the vibrations and pushes of their companions in a group. Inserting 1 or 2 to "clean the bottom" is an unbearable psychological cruelty for them. You MUST buy a group of 6 (better 10) all the same. If kept in a confident school, they will ignore threats and move compactly through the tank like cute little dogs sniffing every single leaf.

Fish profile

Temperament
Estremamente pacifico, inoffensivo e rigorosamente gregario. Ignorano totalmente qualsiasi pesce nuoti sopra di loro e non hanno mezzi o istinti per difendersi.
Diet
Onnivoro bentonico. NON sono spazzini mangia-escrementi. Hanno bisogno di una dieta mirata: compresse da fondo ad affondamento rapido ricche di proteine, chironomus vivo o congelato, tubifex e enchitrei. Se nutriti solo con gli avanzi in fiocchi degli altri pesci deperiranno lentamente.
Tank level
Zona inferiore. Perlustrano il fondo, ma periodicamente guizzano fulminei in superficie per prendere una boccata d'aria atmosferica.
Minimum group
6
Adult size
5 cm
Minimum tank
60 L
GH
2 dGH - 12 dGH
KH
n/a
TDS
n/a
Conductivity
n/a
Sex ratio
Branco stretto obbligatorio (minimo 6, idealmente 10 o più). In solitudine muoiono di stress fulminante. Le femmine sono notevolmente più corpulente, larghe e arrotondate dei maschi visti dall'alto, specialmente se cariche di uova.
Feeding frequency
1-2 volte al giorno, somministrando il cibo alla sera o quando le luci sono basse per assicurarne il pasto senza furti.
Bioload
Basso
Flow
Corrente da Debole a Moderata. Possono tollerare vasche mosse ma necessitano di ampie zone di stanca sul fondo per riposare.
Reproduction
Dispersori di uova 'a T'. La femmina raccoglie il seme del maschio tenendolo tra le pinne pelviche (posizione a T) e lo trasporta per incollare piccoli grappoli di uova fortemente adesive sulle foglie larghe (es. Anubias) o direttamente sui vetri dell'acquario (spesso nei punti a forte corrente).
Compatibility
Esemplari 'Dither Fish' perfetti. Mantenimento superbo con piccoli Caracidi (Tetra Cardinale), Discus, Apistogramma e Rasbore. DA EVITARE la convivenza con Ciclidi scavatori o aggressivi e immensi pesci gatto che li infastidirebbero o tenterebbero di ingoiarli (rischiando il soffocamento reciproco a causa delle spine pettorali del Corydoras).

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.