So Guess What I Found

[qoftheq]

So, I was wandering through the local Petsmart looking for a tiny heater for my betta, and of course I stop to look at the cory tanks. What do I see but a little black cory with a white stomach swimming around with the peppered cories. So I call over a fish person and ask them what it is, they of course have no clue, and say that because it isn't in their books they can give it to me for free. Now the little guy has no barbels and only one eye, but how on earth could I resist that offer? So I went home with my new fish, put him in the little tank I cycled and kept just because I knew I would run into a fish a simply had to buy on the spot and I didn't want to put him in with my cories in case he had something. I go online to research and it turns out he's a venezuelan black cory, that I can't find in any other fish stores or on aquabid and there's very little info about, so I think I got a really rare fish for free. Now the question is where can I get five more? I'm rapidly becoming attached to this little guy and I don't want him to get depressed and lonely.

 

[Sp00ky]

Venezulan blacks rock!! i currently have 8. They are not easy to find and are sometimes called Black Aeneus or just Black Corys

You will find some sooner or later. I have someone looking for some adults for me so i can breed them. There not overly rare, but i paid about £5 each for mine imported and picked 2 up at an auction a while back for £7 for the pair. The auctioneer there refered to them as "Black Corys".

As soon as he said that, i know what they were and jumped straight up to bid !

 

[qoftheq]

Is it true that there's two kinds? I remember reading somewhere that the black aeneus had no patterns in their black and brown fins while the venezuelan blacks had patterns and were all black. My fish (I think his name is Dracula) has little patterns in his black if you look closely, and his fins are black.

 

[Betterbettas]

Actually, they are 3 kinds and sorry to say but the chances yours is a "Venezuelan Black" are slim to none. Your local PetSmart gets it's fish from a Florida fish farm which leads me to the 3 kinds:

"Venezuelan Black Aeneus" which are the "true" version
"Czech Black Aeneus" which are man-made
"Florida Fish Farm Black Aeneus" which are man-made

Of the 3 I would guess 99.99% yours is the last.

 

[qoftheq]

I'm in California though. The Petsmart manager guy said that there were separate suppliers for the east and west coast. How can one tell the different species apart?

 

[Sp00ky]

i thought the czech and florida didnt have so much of a white stomach? maybe you could get some pics of them for us goftheq ?

 

[qoftheq]

I can't get pictures onto my computer yet, but he looks just like this guy, except for he has some white tracing around his gills.

http/www.nettaigyo.com/corydoras/encyc/c...ckvenezuela.jpg

 

[jollysue]

I hope you find out, but Great little find. I'm sure he will be happier with you than with PetSmart. There's a good chance with his little disabilities he might not have found a home at all. We wait expectantly to see him when you get Dracula loaded onto your PC.

 

[Bozza]

Damn! Why cant australia get rare corys!!! I suppose i will just have to make do. Or just search around more in every place i know sells fish. It would help if i was in the country i suppose hehe. Back on topic, great find. Cant wait to see the picture of the little guy. Glad u got him safe and sound instead of in petsmart

 

[Junk123]

What a coincidence!
I also went to Petsmart in Socal a few days ago and found this little guy. Unfortunately, there was only one and he didn't seen to plend in with the rest of of spotted cories.

 

[jollysue]

most adorable!

 

[Sp00ky]

Ian (Fuller) gave a very good write up on C.Aeneus in the December 2006 edition of PFK. He specifically focused on the "black" aeneus. maybe worth your whilst having a read of it. I just had a read and its very informative and interesting.