July armored catfish - Corydoras julii (trilineatus)

The high-backed July Corydoras julii is native to the tropics of South America. The gregarious Corydoras species has a silvery shiny, silvery brown, silvery blue or silvery green body. The central black longitudinal band is spotted, and the markings of the July Corydoras are also black, but irregular. It consists of reticulated and straight lines and dots. The dorsal fin ends in a black tip that fills the upper third. The caudal fin is black cross-striped, although these stripes may also dissolve into dots. Short pairs of barbels are located on the mouth.

Male Corydoras julii only grow to about 5 cm in size, females reach a body length of 6 cm, they are also much plumper than the males. Like all Corydoras, the July Corydoras needs the security of a group of conspecifics of at least 6-10 animals. The bottom dweller Corydoras julii prefers the lower water layers, but as a gut breather it still needs a clear path to the surface of the aquarium water at all times.

Breeding is possible in the aquarium, but Corydoras julii is quite demanding concerning the water quality. Breeding is only successful if the conditions are right. The female of the substrate spawner attaches up to 100 eggs individually to plants, decoration or the aquarium glass after courtship and after mating. The armored catfish larvae hatch after only a few days. The parents should be removed from the breeding aquarium, otherwise they may eat their own offspring. The larvae of the July Cory can be raised with Artemia nauplii.

The July Cory can live up to 10 years. At a temperature of 22-26 °C and in soft to medium hard water and a total hardness up to 15 °dGH and a pH between 6 and 7.5 he feels well. The aquarium should have at least one sandy corner, which the armored catfish can chew through for fine food. Hiding places are also important. The lively Corydoras should not be kept in aquariums smaller than 80 liters.

The very robust and easy to keep Corydoras julii fits well in a community tank with other peaceful fish like characins or danios that do not grow too large. It can also be perfectly socializedwith shrimp. Crayfish inhabit the same aquarium zone and can severely injure the Corydoras by pinching them, so you should not necessarily keep them in the aquarium with them.

This beautiful armored catfish gladly accepts animal food: frozen food, sinking live food such as shiny worms or tubifex and of course special food for armored catfish. Food flakes or food granules for omnivores are also eaten. Even if the July Cory does not actively chase fry, it is possible that a careless fry will walk into its mouth and then be eaten.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Catfish Feed is a professionally formulated complete food especially for all sucking catfish. The food tabs contain important dietary fibers such as chitin and plant fibers, which are essential for the survival of catfish for a well-functioning digestion. With strong proteins from insect larvae as well as carbohydrate-rich vegetables NatureHolic Catfish Feed provides all sucking catfish optimally with all important building materials for a fast and healthy growth. The extra hard chips can be scraped off by the catfish close to nature - here they really have to do something for their food! An occupation like in nature.

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.