- Common name
- Albino corydoras
- Scientific name
- Osteogaster aenea (domestic albino form)
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- Corydoradine catfish
- Environment
- Freshwater aquarium
- Origin
- Domestic albino form of Osteogaster aenea, a species complex distributed east of the Andes from Colombia and Trinidad to the La Plata basin
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- Up to 7.5 cm standard length
- Expected lifespan
- Plan for 8–12 years; long-lived individuals make correct shoal size, smooth substrate and oxygenation permanent obligations.
- Minimum housing
- At least 100 L with an 80 cm or longer sand footprint for eight or more
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
- pH
- 6.0–8.0
- Hardness / minerals
- 5–19 °dH (approximately 89–339 mg/L as CaCO₃)
- Salinity
- Freshwater; 0 ppt routine salinity
- Lighting
- Subdued to moderate with shaded cover
- Placement / zone
- Bottom and lower water; surface for intestinal air breathing
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult albino corydoras group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow gentle to moderate with well-oxygenated bottom water where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
Identity and search names
Single-profile scope for Osteogaster aenea (domestic albino form). Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 20, slug albino-corydoras and route species/albino-corydoras/index.html; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
Search names: Albino corydoras, Albino bronze cory, Albino cory, Osteogaster aenea domestic albino form, Corydoras aeneus albino form
Environment and housing
Smooth sand or fine rounded substrate, clean oxygenated water, shaded cover, open foraging space and unobstructed surface access
Social structure: Keep at least eight compatible albino bronze corydoradines; a pair or trio is not a substitute for a shoal
Feeding and nutrition
Feeding ecology: Sinking omnivore foods, worms, crustaceans, insects and some plant matter
Feeding routine: One or two measured meals daily; confirm food reaches every fish
Breeding, reproduction or spread
T-position spawning with adhesive eggs placed on glass, plants or décor
Detailed care and app-ready planning
- Identity scope
- Single-profile scope for Osteogaster aenea (domestic albino form). Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 20, slug albino-corydoras and route species/albino-corydoras/index.html; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
- Adult size and space
- Expected adult size: Up to 7.5 cm standard length. Minimum permanent housing: At least 100 L with an 80 cm or longer sand footprint for eight or more. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression, oxygen demand and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Keep at least eight compatible albino bronze corydoradines; a pair or trio is not a substitute for a shoal
- Swimming zone or placement
- Primary zone: Bottom and lower water; surface for intestinal air breathing. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding, refuge and escape.
- Feeding ecology
- Sinking omnivore foods, worms, crustaceans, insects and some plant matter
- Feeding plan
- One or two measured meals daily; confirm food reaches every fish
- Water stability
- Maintain 22–27 °C; pH 6.0–8.0; hardness or minerals: 5–19 °dH (approximately 89–339 mg/L as CaCO₃); salinity: Freshwater; 0 ppt routine salinity. Stability, oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact value.
- Habitat structure
- Smooth sand or fine rounded substrate, clean oxygenated water, shaded cover, open foraging space and unobstructed surface access
- Compatibility plan
- Peaceful fish that do not monopolise bottom food or repeatedly disturb the group
- Breeding or reproduction plan
- T-position spawning with adhesive eggs placed on glass, plants or décor Parental care: None; adults may eat eggs.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new livestock in a separate cycled system for at least 30 days. Observe appetite, respiration, waste, skin, fins and behaviour; use dedicated equipment and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. This is a domestic colour form, not a separate wild species. Albino colour does not remove the need for a real shoal, smooth sand, direct sinking food, oxygenated water and unobstructed surface access.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- This is a domestic colour form, not a separate wild species. Albino colour does not remove the need for a real shoal, smooth sand, direct sinking food, oxygenated water and unobstructed surface access.
- Adult projected load
- Project biological load from the full adult albino corydoras group, adult body mass, feeding pattern, activity and social requirement rather than juvenile sale size. A shoal of at least eight concentrates sinking food and waste at the substrate, so floor hygiene matters.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult albino corydoras group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow gentle to moderate with well-oxygenated bottom water where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
- Aeration
- Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
- Maintenance
- Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
- Overridable warnings
- Non-overridable: do not accept persistent ammonia or nitrite, oxygen distress, starvation, chronic aggression or inadequate adult space. Different equipment, stocking or maintenance methods may be used only when measured water quality and adult welfare remain equivalent or better. The domestic albino form still requires a true shoal, smooth sand, direct food and unobstructed surface access.
Compatibility, welfare and risk
Compatibility: Peaceful fish that do not monopolise bottom food or repeatedly disturb the group
Welfare: Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. This is a domestic colour form, not a separate wild species. Albino colour does not remove the need for a real shoal, smooth sand, direct sinking food, oxygenated water and unobstructed surface access.
Main warning: This is a domestic colour form, not a separate wild species. Albino colour does not remove the need for a real shoal, smooth sand, direct sinking food, oxygenated water and unobstructed surface access.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.