Fowler's cory
Corydoras fowleri
Also known as Huanta cory, Milagros cory, Fowler cory
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Adult size
- 2.8 in
- 7 cm
- Minimum tank
- 26 gal
- 100 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Shoaling
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Callichthyidae
- Origin
- Upper Amazon in Peru, including the rios Napo, Nanay and Ampiyacu near Iquitos.
Overview
Fowler's cory is a peaceful catfish for the bottom of a soft-water community tank, and a step up from the easiest cories.
Did you know
The color of Fowler's cory varies quite a bit from one river population to the next.
Caring for the Fowler's cory
Keep Fowler's cories in a group of six or more over smooth sand, in 26 gal (100 L) or larger. Give them soft, acidic water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. They need good water quality.
Fowler's cories can be picky eaters and often turn down dried food, so offer a varied menu. Feed frozen bloodworm and small live foods, and add sinking pellets once they accept them.
They are peaceful with other community fish, though males can be pushy toward each other. Breeding them is hard.
Good to know
Fowler's cory is a long-snouted species of the family Callichthyidae, with a silvery to olive body, a variable dark side blotch and fine speckling. It kept its place in the genus Corydoras after the 2024 revision. Other names for it include Huanta cory and Milagros cory.
In the wild
Fowler's cory lives in soft, slightly acidic tributaries of the upper Amazon in Peru, including the Napo, Nanay and Ampiyacu rivers near Iquitos. It forages over sand and leaf litter in slow, shaded water.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The Fowler's 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.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Congo tetra
Phenacogrammus interruptus
Freshwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Spotfin hatchetfish
Thoracocharax stellatus
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Porthole catfish
Dianema longibarbis
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Fowler's cory need?
A Fowler's cory needs at least 26 gal (100 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Fowler's cory need?
A Fowler's cory is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.
What does a Fowler's cory eat?
A Fowler's cory eats frozen bloodworm and small live foods, and sinking pellets once it accepts them. It is often picky and turns down dried food.
How big does a Fowler's cory get?
An adult Fowler's cory reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).
Does a Fowler's cory need a group?
Yes. A Fowler's cory is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
Related species
2.8 in (7 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–77°F (23–25°C)Long nosed arched cory
Corydoras narcissus
2.8 in (7 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)22 gal (85 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Pastaza cory
Corydoras pastazensis
2.8 in (7 cm) · 22 gal (85 L)
3 in (7.5 cm)26 gal (100 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Geoffroy's cory
Corydoras geoffroy
3 in (7.5 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)
2.6 in (6.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Fuller's cory
Corydoras fulleri
2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2.6 in (6.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Ourastigma cory
Corydoras ourastigma
2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2.6 in (6.5 cm)24 gal (90 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Peru black cory
Corydoras semiaquilus
2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)