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Banded cory

Scleromystax barbatus

FreshwaterFish

Banded cory (Scleromystax barbatus)
Birger A · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
66–75°F
19–24°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

The banded cory is a big, heavy-bodied cory that shoals near the bottom of a cool water tank. It is a step up from the easiest cories.

Did you know

The banded cory is also called the bearded cory, for its mature males. Rows of golden, bristle-like odontodes along their cheeks give them a lion-like look unlike any other small catfish.

Caring for the banded cory

Banded cories need room, so plan on a tank of at least 40 gal (150 L) for a proper group. Keep a shoal of six or more. Give them open sand or fine gravel, smooth rocks and driftwood.

They want clean, brisk water rather than the warm, still tank many cories tolerate. Run strong filtration with steady current. Keep the water cool, at 66 to 75°F (19 to 24°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Drop toward the low end in summer if you can.

They grub through open sand for food. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and the occasional wafer. Adult males can squabble and posture with each other, but they are no threat to other fish. Pair them with peaceful tank mates that also like cooler water.

Mature males grow bristly odontodes across the cheeks and snout, and the sexes differ sharply in color and finnage. Females and young stay comparatively plain, so a breeding group is easy to sex. Banded cories have been bred in aquariums, but it is challenging. Cool water and conditioning help trigger spawning.

Good to know

The banded cory, Scleromystax barbatus, is one of the largest members of the armored catfish subfamily Corydoradinae. Its genus, Scleromystax, was split off from Corydoras for a handful of robust, sexually distinct southern species.

In the wild

The banded cory lives in cool, fast, well oxygenated coastal streams of southeastern Brazil, between Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The banded cory is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a banded cory need?

A banded cory needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a banded cory need?

A banded cory is comfortable at 66–75°F (19–24°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a banded cory eat?

A banded cory eats sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and the occasional wafer. It grubs through open sand for its food.

How big does a banded cory get?

An adult banded cory reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

Does a banded cory need a group?

Yes. A banded cory is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male banded cory from a female?

Males grow bristly odontodes across the cheeks and snout as they mature, and the sexes differ sharply in color and finnage. Females and young fish stay comparatively plain.

How does a banded cory breed?

Banded cories have been bred in aquariums, but breeding them is challenging. Cool water and conditioning help trigger spawning.

Related species