Emerald Green Corydoras Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

Emerald Green Corydoras are large, striking members of the corydoras group, recognised by their deep-bodied shape and metallic green to emerald sheen. Their colour can shift from green to blue-green or bronze depending on the lighting and angle, while the body is protected by overlapping bony plates rather than conventional scales. They also possess the characteristic barbels around the mouth that help them investigate the substrate.

These peaceful catfish spend much of their time close to the bottom, but they are not exclusively nocturnal. Healthy individuals regularly become active during the day, moving between the substrate and mid-water in short, energetic bursts. They often rest together and use their barbels to search for small food items hidden among sand and leaf litter.

In nature, Emerald Green Corydoras live in warm Amazonian waters where seasonal flooding connects rivers, tributaries and forest pools. Their habitats may contain submerged roots, fallen leaves and gentle currents, creating a varied environment with shaded areas as well as open sandy patches.

Although they are commonly sold under the name Emerald Green Corydoras, this species has also been known in the aquarium trade as Brochis splendens. It is closely related to other long-snouted or robust corydoras types, but its larger adult size and vivid reflective colour give it a particularly impressive presence in a peaceful community aquarium.

Emerald Green Corydoras are native to the western and central Amazon Basin in South America, with records from Peru, Brazil and neighbouring parts of the upper Amazon region. They inhabit slow-moving tributaries, flooded forest areas and quiet margins with soft, sediment-rich bottoms.

A group of Emerald Green Corydoras should have an aquarium of at least 75 litres, with a footprint around 90 cm long by 30 cm wide; a larger tank is preferable for a full-grown group. Use fine, smooth sand or another rounded substrate so their sensitive barbels are not damaged while they forage. Provide open areas for bottom exploration alongside driftwood, smooth stones, hardy plants and shaded retreats. Gentle to moderate filtration, good oxygenation and some water movement suit them, while a secure lid is sensible because Corydoras may occasionally dart to the surface to gulp air.

Adults can reach approximately 7.5 cm (3 inches) in standard length. Females are usually broader and may reach around 8 cm (3.2 inches), while males are generally smaller and slimmer at roughly 6.5–7 cm (2.6–2.8 inches).

Emerald Green Corydoras are omnivorous foragers that eat small aquatic invertebrates, insect larvae, worms, crustaceans and some plant matter in the wild. In the aquarium, provide a varied diet of sinking catfish pellets or tablets, supplemented with frozen or live foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms. Offer food that reaches the substrate rather than relying on leftovers from mid-water fish, and vary feeding times so they receive regular meals without overfeeding the aquarium.

Emerald Green Corydoras are peaceful community fish and can be kept with calm tetras, rasboras, danios, peaceful barbs, livebearers, dwarf cichlids and other non-aggressive South American species. Suitable bottom-dwelling companions include peaceful small plecos and other similarly sized Corydoras, provided there is enough floor space. Avoid large, aggressive or predatory fish, fin-nippers and boisterous species that may outcompete them for food. They should not be housed with fish likely to harass their barbels or swallow them.

Emerald Green Corydoras are egg-scattering spawners that can be encouraged to breed when kept in a mature, well-conditioned group. Offer plenty of high-quality foods, including frozen or live foods, then trigger spawning with a substantial water change using slightly cooler, clean water. The pair or group deposits adhesive eggs on aquarium glass, plants or other smooth surfaces. Remove the eggs or move the adults to a separate breeding tank, as the adults may eat them. Eggs generally hatch in around three to five days, and the fry can be raised on newly hatched baby brine shrimp and suitably small foods once their yolk sacs are absorbed.

Females are typically larger, wider-bodied and more rounded through the abdomen, especially when carrying eggs. Males are usually smaller and slimmer, with a more streamlined profile; these differences are easiest to see when the fish are viewed from above.