Blue cory

Corydoras nattereri

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–73°F (20–23°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.6 in (6.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Brazil
Family: Callichthyidae

Overview

The blue cory is a peaceful, active shoaler that should be kept in a group of at least six to look and behave its best. It patrols the bottom in a loose pack, sifting sand for food, and mixes happily with small, gentle community fish that favor similar cooler water. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and daphnia, and the odd algae wafer, and make sure the food gets past faster mid water fish. Give a group a tank of around 75 liters or larger.

In the wild

Corydoras nattereri lives in cooler coastal rivers of southeastern Brazil, from Espirito Santo to Parana, over sand and among roots and leaves. It prefers water on the cooler side, roughly 20 to 23 C, so avoid a hot tank. Provide a soft sand bed, driftwood, and shaded planting, with pH around 6.0 to 7.5 and clean, well oxygenated water kept moving gently.

Good to know

This armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae grows to around 6.5 cm and takes a metallic blue green sheen along the flanks, brightest across the gill covers. It is named for the Austrian naturalist Johann Natterer, who collected the first specimens in Brazil. It has been spawned in aquaria but is regarded as tricky, responding best to cool, clean water and live foods to bring the adults into condition.

Did you know

The blue cory earns its name from the soft metallic blue sheen that washes over its body, with green highlights around the gills. It honors Johann Natterer, the Austrian explorer whose long expedition through Brazil turned up many of the region's fishes.