Salt & Pepper Pygmy Cory, Habrosus

It is a peaceful fish and can be kept in a community aquarium of smaller fish species such as ember tetras, clown panchax, endler guppies and small species of rasbora. It should be kept in groups of at least 6 individuals, ideally 10 or more. Salt and pepper catfish can be fed most small sinking foods including pellets, flake food and preserved baby brine shrimp. Frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, rotifers and cyclops can also be fed either regularly or exclusively.

Breeding

In captivity, breeding can be difficult to achieve. Some aquarists report that large water changes with relatively cold water can stimulate habrosus in to spawning.^[3]

Spawning is marked by obvious behaviours; males will swim close to the female, if multiple males are present they will surround the female swimming from side to side quickly. The female holds an egg visibly under her ventral fin ready for fertilising. The female can then be seen to 'massage' the males belly. The female will then choose an appropriate place to deposit her egg, usually on plants near the substrate, particularly on the underside of the leaves but can also be found on the aquarium glass and decor. Eggs are rarely placed on the top of the leaves or close to the water surface. The spawning male will protect the female from other males attempting to spawn with her.