Blackback Corydoras - Corydoras metae

The nicely marked somewhat high-backed Blackback Cory or Meta Cory is called by its species name Corydoras metae. The pretty, extremely peaceful and very sociable Cory stands out due to its golden pink to silvery body color, its black mask and its black dorsal stripe, which also extends over the entire dorsal fin and ends at the lower end of the caudal fin base. Corydoras metae is native to the Rio Meta in Colombia, South America.

The small and extremely social Blackback Corydoras is an omnivore and will readily take food flakes or granules in addition to frozen food and sinking live food. Like all Corydoras, the Corydoras does not really eat algae. It is important to have an area of fine sand in the aquarium, which Blackback Corydoras like to chew through in search of food and in which they dig. The gravel should be rounded and have a fine grain. The Blackback Catfish lives primarily in the lower regions of the aquarium, but needs unobstructed access to the water surface at all times to be able to catch their breath as intestinal breathers. Plants in the aquarium are no problem, they are neither nibbled nor dug up.

Male Corydoras metae are conspicuous by a somewhat slimmer body shape, the female Blackback Corydoras have a much thicker waist. Blackback Corydoras grow to a total body length of 5-6 cm. Like all species of the genus Corydoras, Corydoras metae needs the security of a sufficiently large school of conspecifics to feel comfortable ; the recommended group size is at least 6-10 animals .

An aquarium with an edge length of at least 80 cm is very suitable for such a Corydoras group. The aquarium fish need in the tank a structure of wood, caves and ideally some foliage on the bottom as hiding places.

The Blackback Corydoras is a substrate spawner, which means the female attaches her eggs to the aquarium glass, the underside of large plant leaves, or aquarium furnishings such as rocks. Lowering the temperature in the aquarium can promote spawning. After 3-5 days the small blackback armored catfish larvae will hatch. In a separate rearing tank with sand and some plants the yield is higher, in the species tank you can just leave the eggs in place. The larvae of Corydoras metae are first raised with Artemia nauplii and later with live food like Tubifex or Enchyträen.

The Blackback Corydoras metae will live about 10 years in the aquarium under suitable conditions and good care. An aquarium temperature of 21-26 °C, clean water rich in humic substances and a soft to hard water hardness of up to 22 GH and a pH between 6 and 7.8 are ideal for the pretty, peaceful and very social Blackback Corydoras.

Corydoras metae are also well suited for beginners in aquaristics, they show themselves as adaptable and quite robust in the aquarium. Meta Corydoras are nice candidates for a community tank with peaceful small to medium sized danios or tetras. Dwarf shrimp or fan shrimp are also suitable for socialization with the Blackback Cory because the fish do not actively hunt. However, careless shrimp juveniles may be accidentally eaten. Crayfish or crabs of all sizes, like large-armed shrimp, are not suitable aquarium partners for the Corys; unfortunately, the likelihood of them injuring or even killing the bottom-dwelling Corys with their claws is high.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.