Dwarf cory

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep them in groups of at least six, and more is better since they school tightly. Unlike typical bottom-sitting cories, they often hover and swim in midwater like tiny tetras. Feed sinking pellets and wafers, with the occasional frozen or live brine shrimp and bloodworms. They are peaceful and small enough to pair only with calm, similarly tiny tankmates.

In the wild

Dwarf corys live in slow, shallow waters across Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay, in spots thick with plants and soft, sandy or silty bottoms. Sand or fine smooth gravel matters here, since they dig and sift with their barbels and sharp grit wears those down. Plant the tank well and leave open swimming room, because this species spends more time off the bottom than most cories.

Good to know

This is an armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae and one of the smallest in the genus, topping out around 3 cm. The body is covered in bony plates rather than scales. It is an egg layer that scatters eggs onto plants and surfaces, and breeding is tricky in the home tank. It prefers cooler water, roughly low to mid 20s C.

Did you know

Dwarf cories often shoal alongside other small fish like tetras, joining a mixed group for safety rather than sticking to their own kind. In the wild they have been seen mixed in with much larger schools, using numbers as cover.

Related species

• 

  Pygmy cory

  Corydoras pygmaeus

  1.3 in (3.3 cm)13 gal (50 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Barred-tail cory

  Corydoras cochui

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)13 gal (50 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Salt and pepper cory

  Corydoras habrosus

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)15 gal (55 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Nano cory

  Corydoras gracilis

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Reynolds's cory

  Corydoras reynoldsi

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Evelyn's cory

  Corydoras evelynae

  1.6 in (4 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)