TankBud

Dirty bandit cory

Hoplisoma loxozonum

Also known as Corydoras loxozonus, Loxozonus cory

FreshwaterFish

Dirty bandit cory (Hoplisoma loxozonum)
Soulkeeper · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–75°F
21–24°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Colombia

Overview

Keep the dirty bandit cory in a shoal of at least six, as it is a peaceful, social bottom fish that frets on its own. It cruises the sand in a group, probing for food with its barbels, and suits a calm community of small tetras, rasboras, or dwarf cichlids that leave the floor alone. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and daphnia, and a little wafer, checking that enough drops to the bottom. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 60 liters or larger.

In the wild

Corydoras loxozonus lives in the Meta River basin of Colombia, in shallow, gently flowing water over sand. Recreate that with a soft sand bed, driftwood, and some leaf litter, plus areas of shade. Keep the water soft and slightly acidic, pH about 6.0 to 7.5, at a moderate 21 to 24 C. Clean, well filtered water with gentle current keeps it in good health.

Good to know

This armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae reaches about 5 cm. Its name loxozonus comes from the Greek for oblique band, after the slanted dark stripe that runs down across the rear of the body. A dark bar also crosses the eye, and small spots freckle the flanks. It has been bred in aquaria but is thought of as difficult, needing soft, cool, clean water and well conditioned adults to spawn.

Did you know

The common name dirty bandit fits a fish that mixes several patterns at once: the eye mask of a bandit cory, a slanted body bar, and a dusting of julii like spots. Its scientific name loxozonus means slanted band, for that diagonal stripe.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Dirty bandit 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 Dirty bandit cory need?

A Dirty bandit cory needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Dirty bandit cory need?

A Dirty bandit cory is comfortable at 70–75°F (21–24°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

How big does a Dirty bandit cory get?

An adult Dirty bandit cory reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

Does a Dirty bandit cory need a group?

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

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