Elegant cory

Care at a glance

Overview

A peaceful, beginner-friendly bottom fish that schools, so keep at least six in around 60 liters or more. Males often hover and swim in midwater more than other cories, especially when active. Feed sinking pellets and wafers plus occasional frozen or live foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp, and make sure food reaches the bottom. It mixes well with other calm community fish that like the same cooler, soft water.

In the wild

Elegant cories come from slow, soft waters across Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil, over sandy and silty bottoms with leaf litter and plant cover. Use sand or smooth fine gravel so they can sift and dig without scraping their barbels raw. A planted tank with driftwood, some shade, and gentle flow suits them, kept on the cooler side in the low to mid 20s C with a soft, slightly acidic pH.

Good to know

This is an armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae, reaching about 5.4 cm. Bony plates cover the body in place of scales. It is an egg layer that deposits eggs on plants and surfaces, and home breeding is difficult. It prefers cooler water than many tropical fish, doing best in the low to mid 20s C.

Did you know

Like other cories, it can gulp air at the surface and pass it through its gut to absorb oxygen, a backup that helps it cope when water gets low on oxygen. A quick dash to the top and back is normal behavior, not a sign of trouble.

Related species

• 

  Julii cory

  Corydoras julii

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Skunk cory

  Corydoras arcuatus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Spotted cory

  Corydoras melanistius

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Threestripe cory

  Corydoras trilineatus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Violet cory

  Corydoras similis

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)
• Burgess's cory

  Corydoras burgessi

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)