Nain dwarf cory

Care at a glance

Overview

The nain dwarf cory is a small, peaceful shoaler that needs a group of at least six to stay confident and active. It forages over the sandy bottom with its barbels and suits a calm community of small fish that will not crowd the floor. Feed sinking pellets, frozen daphnia and bloodworm, and crushed wafers, checking that enough reaches the substrate. A group settles well in a tank of around 60 liters or larger with soft sand to sift.

In the wild

Corydoras nanus is native to the Guianas, including the Maroni drainage of Suriname, living over sand in warm, soft, slightly acidic water. Recreate that with a soft sand bed, driftwood, dried leaves, and shaded planting, using clean, gently moving water. Keep the temperature between 22 and 26 C and the pH from about 6.0 to 7.5, with regular water changes.

Good to know

A small armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, the nain dwarf cory reaches only about 4.5 cm. A dark stripe runs along the flank toward a blotch at the tail base, over a pale, faintly patterned body. Two rows of bony plates armor each side. Regular aquarium spawning is not well documented, though cories of this type lay sticky eggs the female holds briefly between her pelvic fins.

Did you know

Both its names stress how little it is: the species name nanus is Latin for dwarf, while nain is simply the French word for dwarf, a nod to the small, slender build of this Guianan cory.

Related species

• 

  Blackfin Cory

  Corydoras leucomelas

  1.8 in (4.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)73–79°F (23–26°C)
• Nijssen's cory

  Corydoras nijsseni

  1.8 in (4.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Blacktop cory

  Corydoras acutus

  1.7 in (4.4 cm)13 gal (50 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
• Sychr's catfish

  Corydoras sychri

  1.7 in (4.3 cm)16 gal (60 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Dirty Bandit Cory

  Corydoras loxozonus

  2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)70–75°F (21–24°C)

• 

  Duplicate cory

  Corydoras duplicareus

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)