FTC Disclosure: Fishpondinfo contains affiliate links, and, if you click on such a link and make a purchase, and I meet their minimal requirements, then I will be compensated.

Sterba's Cories

Last Updated: 7/18/21

Quick Information
Description
Setup and Water Preferences
Sexing
Breeding
My Sterba's Cories
Links and Pictures

I am new to these fish, so most of the sections below are empty until/unless I have time to fill them in.

Quick Information

Common names: Sterba's Cory
Scientific/Latin name: Corydoras sterbai
Maximum length: 3 inches
Colors: Black and white with some yellowish
Temperature preference: 70 to 82 degrees F
pH preference: 6 to 7
Hardness preference: Soft
Salinity preference: Low to medium
Compatibility: Good
Life span: 10 years
Ease of keeping: Moderate
Ease of breeding: Moderate

Description

Setup and Water Preferences

Sexing

Breeding

Sterba's Cories

On 1/27/21, I bought six Sterba's cories for my newly renovated 65 gallon aquarium. It did not go well. See that link for details. I will only put cory-specific information here so I am not just repeating the information.

Five of the initial six Sterba's cories died rather quickly for an unknown reason, perhaps shock of some sort even though they were drip acclimated. One was removed on 1/28/21, one on 1/29/21, 2 rotted ones on 1/30/21, and one was never found. The survivor was rarely seen.

On 2/23/21, I bought five more Sterba's cories and quarantined them in a 20 gallon tank. After five days, they are all still alive! Keep your finger's crossed! I released them in to the 65 gallon tank on 3/6/21. The lone survivor came out of hiding to join them!

Oh, no! I found one of the cories dead and stuck to the intake of the UV filter on 3/15/21. I think this was probably one of the newer cories.

Double oh no! I found another dead Sterba's cory stuck to the main filter intake on 3/16/21. He/she was anorexic. I tried putting in a bunch of extra sinking shrimp pellets but the congo tetras are big enough that they grab them in their teeth and eat them. I overfeed the tank so I would think the cories would not be starving to death. I love the cories! I have a dozen or so panda cories in my 20 gallon tank that are self-sustaining. I never find dead ones but they also have babies, and the tank is dense with plants. I feel so bad about the Sterba's cories dying. I just do not understand it. Maybe it is too warm for them.

I do not know why they are dying but they keep dying while the other fish are thriving. I lost another cory on 4/7/21. Yet another one was dying on 4/11/21, and then I never saw him/her again! As of 4/13/21, there are only two left out of the 11 I bought. I feel so bad. The other fish are doing great.

On 5/6/21, I removed another dead cory. That leaves just one in the tank. I treated the tank with erythromycin for four days as the cory's mouth looked infected. I also have a UV sterilizer on the tank (off during treatment) to try to bring down the bacterial load. The water has been nearly crystal clear with zero ammonia or nitrite but fish just keep dying.

The surviving cory seems to be doing better the week after treatment. I named her Stella as it is close to Sterba's. Stella does not have any barbels left and has some minor fin damage but her color is good, and she is finally growing in size. I think Sir Spamalot (male German ram) has been nipping her but I have only seen it once.

Well, Stella was finally growing, and it seemed like she was going to be left alone. I was saddened to find her floating dead on 7/17/21. Her fins were chewed off. And so, my adventures with Sterba's cories comes to an end. They were beautiful cories but just not a good fit in my tank. It is not true that other fish will leave them alone. I think many of them died as a result of being nipped at by my congo tetras, German ram, and/or discus.