Duplicate cory

Corydoras duplicareus

Also known as False adolfo cory, Hoplisoma duplicareum

FreshwaterFish

Duplicate cory (Corydoras duplicareus) — Marek Kriz · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.2
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Upper Rio Negro system, Brazil
Family: Callichthyidae

Overview

Keep them in a school of at least six, more if you have room, in a tank of 75 liters or larger. They are peaceful bottom dwellers that forage over the sand all day, and they settle and color up better in a group. Hold the water from 22 to 26 C with a pH of 6 to 7.2, soft and on the acidic side, ideally a blackwater setup with leaf litter. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, and the odd algae wafer, and pick small, calm tankmates. The pectoral fin spines can give a painful sting, so net and handle them with care.

In the wild

Duplicate corys come from the upper Rio Negro system in Brazil, soft blackwater streams stained dark by tannins and littered with fallen leaves over a sandy bottom. To match that, give them a soft sand substrate, some leaf litter, driftwood, and dim light over soft, slightly acidic water. Run the tank warm, from 22 to 26 C, with a pH between 6 and 7.2. The sand really matters here, since sharp gravel scrapes and infects their barbels.

Good to know

This is a cory catfish in the family Callichthyidae, staying small at around 5 cm. Breeding is medium difficulty, with the fish laying sticky eggs on glass and plants in the T-position cories are known for, and the parents give no care after spawning. A healthy adult can live several years. Most fish in the trade are wild-caught, though tank-bred ones turn up.

Did you know

This fish is easy to mix up with Corydoras adolfoi, and the two get sold under each other's names all the time. The tell is the black shoulder patch, which sits wider and heavier on the duplicate cory, along with a thicker black band running down the back.