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Brochis splendens are often called "emerald corys" -- my LFS bills them this way -- but I gather they're not actually true corys. How do they stack up against "real" corys? Are there any major differences?

(They're easier to find around here, and the corys I do see supposedly wouldn't do as well in our water, which has an 8.0-8.1 pH.)

Brochis splendens are not cories, you're correct- they are a very close relative, though. These Brochis are by far the most common of the three Brochis species, and are almost as widespread as Corydoras aeneus. They grow longer than most cories (almost three inches), and are fatter and broader as well. Also, Brochis have wider dorsal fins than Corydoras catfish do, and Brochis splendens is no exception. These guys have dorsals that are almost an inch wide, and fairly tall as well. This is what makes them easily discernable from C. aeneus, at least to the trained eye.

As for care, they really aren't different than the typical cory. They like to be kept in shoals of at least six, and are active, hardy fish. They do take up a little bit more room than most cories do, which means that a shoal of adult B. splendens should have at least twenty gallons to roam around in. All in all, a very nice community fish.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

I have eight Brochis in my tank amongst the many other cories I have and you wouldn't see any difference to how they act, a beautiful fish

Last edited by RustyBlade at 23-Mar-2005 20:47

Thanks! based on the feedback I was getting on the board and from other hobbyists I know, I took the plunge yesterday afternoon in a big way -- I bought out my LFS's entire stock of emeralds! (I'd planned to get a half dozen, but there were only seven in the store tank, and I didn't want to leave one little shoaling fish all alone.)

They're now going nuts in my 30-gallon -- digging in the gravel, swarming all over the bogwood. They're really hilarious. I had no idea they were so active!

Eventually, they'll go into a 55 with some pearl gouramis and platys.

its always nice to hear corys going to good homes but honestly speaking....platys in a 55gal? dun u wanna use ur space for other interesting and rarer fish? *imo*....hope it doesn't offend

I'm not offended. The 55 gallon is really for the pearl gouramis ... the platys are the accent color!

(They were all in the 30 galllon where the emeralds are now in quarantine, but the pearls were fighting and needed a bigger space ...)

well as long as ur happy with ur fish, and ur fish are happy, all's well that ends well