TankBud

Orces's cory

Corydoras orcesi

Also known as Bonita cory, Corydoras pastazensis orcesi

FreshwaterFish

Orces's cory (Corydoras orcesi)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
5.8–7.2
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Rio Tigre system, Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador

Overview

Orces's cory is a peaceful, long-snouted cory from Ecuador for the sandy bottom of a community tank. It is for a keeper ready to move beyond the easiest fish.

Did you know

Orces's cory started out in science as a subspecies of the pastaza cory, a footnote that later got its own name. Careful keepers still get the two confused.

Caring for the Orces's cory

Keep Orces's cories in a shoal of six, in a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). Give them a generous, deep bed of fine sand for their snouts, with wood and leaf litter.

Aim for 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.8 to 7.2. Feed standard cory fare, such as sinking granules and frozen foods.

Orces's cories are peaceful community fish. If you keep both this species and the pastaza cory, house them separately to avoid mixed shoals of the two look-alikes. Ecuadorian exports are few, so the fish is a rarity with no established breeding record.

Good to know

Orces's cory was described by Weitzman and Nijssen in 1970 and named for the Ecuadorian zoologist Gustavo Orces. Most modern lists treat it as a full species, but not every authority agrees. It is told from the pastaza cory by its cleaner body and a differently cut mask. It is also sold as the bonita cory.

In the wild

Orces's cory lives in the Rio Tigre system, in the Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador. It is found over sand in slow forest waters, where this long-snouted forager roots deep into soft bottoms.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Orces'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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Orces's cory need?

An Orces's cory needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Orces's cory need?

An Orces's cory is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 5.8–7.2.

What does an Orces's cory eat?

An Orces's cory eats standard cory fare, such as sinking granules and frozen foods.

How big does an Orces's cory get?

An adult Orces's cory reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Does an Orces's cory need a group?

Yes. An Orces's cory is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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