TankBud

Bannertail cory

Brochis robineae

Also known as Corydoras robineae, Flagtail cory

FreshwaterFish

Bannertail cory (Brochis robineae)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–79°F
23–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2.6 in
6.5 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Rio Negro basin, Brazil (South America)

Overview

The bannertail cory is a peaceful cory that sifts the bottom of a soft water community tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The bannertail cory's delicate barbels are working sensors that taste and feel for buried food in clean sand. On gravel or in a dirty tank, they wear down and get infected. A cory with stubby barbels has lost much of how it finds a meal.

Caring for the bannertail cory

Keep bannertail cories in a group of at least six, and more if you can, in a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). Smaller groups make them shy and stressed, so they hide instead of foraging in the open. Give them smooth sand or a very fine substrate, some driftwood and dried leaves, and gentle shade from plants.

Soft, slightly acidic water suits them best, at 73 to 79°F (23 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They like well oxygenated water with a bit of current, so aim some of the filter flow across the bottom. They are sensitive to poor water quality and dirty substrate, so keep the sand clean and stay on top of water changes.

Feed sinking pellets and small frozen foods such as daphnia or bloodworm. Bannertail cories are peaceful, so pair them with small, gentle tank mates. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The bannertail cory, Brochis robineae, is a cory catfish in the family Callichthyidae. It is named for the bold stripes on its tall caudal fin. Sources disagree on its size. FishBase lists close to 4.4 cm standard length. Care guides report roughly 6 to 7 cm total length, and up to about 8.5 cm for large females.

In the wild

Bannertail cories come from the Rio Negro basin in Brazil. They live in blackwater stained dark by tannins, over sandy beds and leaf litter.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The bannertail cory is a 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 bannertail cory need?

A bannertail cory needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a bannertail cory need?

A bannertail cory is comfortable at 73–79°F (23–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a bannertail cory eat?

A bannertail cory eats sinking pellets and small frozen foods, such as daphnia or bloodworm.

How big does a bannertail cory get?

An adult bannertail cory reaches about 2.6 in (6.5 cm).

Does a bannertail cory need a group?

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

Related species