Gold Laser Cory 1inch

A line of light down the back, and it moves with the fish. The Gold Laser carries a narrow metallic gold stripe running from just behind the head along the dorsal ridge to the base of the tail, set against a warm copper-pink body. It is iridescent rather than pigmented, so it brightens and dims as the fish turns through the light — which is where the name comes from and why photographs never quite do it justice.

Underneath the stripe it is a Bronze Cory: hardy, sociable, busy all day, and happy in a group working its way across open sand. That combination is the appeal. You are not taking on a difficult fish to get an unusual one — the care is the same as the commonest cory in the hobby, and the result sits at the front of the tank rather than hiding in a corner.

Care Snapshot

Scientific name	Corydoras aeneus "Gold Laser" (CW010)
Also known as	Gold Laser Cory, Orange Laser Cory, Gold Stripe Cory
Family	Callichthyidae — armoured catfishes
Origin	Tank-bred line; the wild form comes from Peru
Adult size	5–6 cm
Lifespan	5–10 years
Minimum tank	75 litres, minimum 60 cm length — floor area matters
Temperature	22–28 °C
pH	6.0–7.8
Hardness	2–18 dGH — tolerates hard water well
Substrate	Fine smooth sand, dark — non-negotiable
Diet	Omnivore — sinking foods, fed directly
Temperament	Peaceful, shoaling; keep 6+
Care level	Easy — given sand and proper feeding
Swimming zone	Bottom; surfaces periodically to gulp air

Setting Up For It

• Dark sand, and softened light. This matters more here than on any other cory. The stripe is iridescent, so it reads properly against a dark base under moderate light and washes out completely over pale gravel under a bright white LED. You paid a premium for the line — this is how you see it.
• Open sand, and plenty of it. Floor area is what counts for a bottom-dwelling shoal, not water volume. Leave broad clear stretches rather than carpeting the whole base with plants.
• Keep the surface accessible. Corydoras breathe atmospheric air through the gut and must be able to reach the surface. Dashing up and back down is normal behaviour, not distress.
• Shade and shelter. Driftwood, broad-leaved plants and a dimmer light bring them out during the day. In a bright bare tank they hide until the lights go off.
• Siphon the sand at every water change. Food and waste settle exactly where these fish feed. Dirty substrate is the second route to barbel damage after sharp gravel.
• Keep six or more. Fewer than that and they stay hidden and inactive. A group is where the constant foraging behaviour comes from — and a line of six gold stripes moving together is the whole point of buying them.

Tank Mates

Adult dwarf shrimp are generally safe alongside them, though shrimplets on open sand may be taken.

Feeding — They Are Not A Cleanup Crew

The most persistent myth about corydoras is that they live on leftovers. They do not. A group fed only on what drifts past the tetras will decline slowly over months, and because they are hardy fish it takes a long time to become obvious. Feed them deliberately, every day, with food that reaches the bottom.

From the AQA range, use a sinking wafer or granule as the daily staple, with frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp or daphnia two or three times a week. Feed after the tank lights go off if faster fish are clearing everything first — these catfish are perfectly happy feeding in the dark.

Diet drives the stripe as much as lighting does. A well-conditioned adult on varied food carries a markedly brighter line than one running on dry food alone — watch body condition from above, and feed for colour as well as health.

Sexing & Breeding

Females are larger and distinctly broader when viewed from above, particularly when in condition. Males are smaller and slimmer with a more pointed outline. The difference is clear only in mature fish and is best judged looking down into the tank rather than through the glass.

Breeding follows the standard aeneus pattern and is well within reach at home. Condition the group heavily on live and frozen food, then trigger spawning with a large water change using cooler water, imitating the onset of the rains. The female carries eggs in a pouch formed by her pelvic fins and presses them onto glass, filter surfaces or broad leaves. Remove the eggs or the adults, as they will eat them. Fry hatch in three to five days and take baby brine shrimp and powdered food. Because this is a selected line, stripe quality in the fry varies — breeders improve it by keeping back the strongest-marked fish each generation rather than by any change in husbandry.

Keeping It In Indian Conditions

• Hard, alkaline tap water is fine for tank-bred stock. No RO or buffering needed. Room temperature across most of India sits inside the range for most of the year, so a heater is needed only for northern and hill-station winters.
• Summer above 30 °C needs attention. Warm water holds less oxygen and these are bottom fish in the least oxygenated part of the tank. Expect more frequent trips to the surface. Increase surface agitation and run a fan across the water through April and May.
• Substrate is the thing to get right locally. Most Indian aquarium shops sell sharp crushed gravel, which is precisely what damages barbels — and pale gravel also kills the stripe. Fine dark river sand solves both problems at once. Rinse it thoroughly until the water runs clear.
• A large cool water change is a reliable spawning trigger, and in India the first heavy rains often set a group off on their own.