Ornate cory

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep ornate cories in a group of six or more over smooth sand at 22 to 26 C in soft, slightly acidic water. They are peaceful and need open room to forage. Offer sinking pellets and small frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia.

In the wild

The ornate cory lives in clear, soft tributaries of the lower Tapajos. It forages over sand in slow, shaded water among wood and leaf litter. It is a larger, high bodied cory that uses open floor space.

Good to know

The name ornatus means adorned, a nod to its clean pattern of a black eye bar and three bold black stripes along the flanks. The 2024 revision placed it in the genus Brochis as Brochis ornata. It is one of the larger members of the group and has no widely documented aquarium spawning record.

Did you know

The ornate cory carries three bold black stripes down a clean white body, which is where its name meaning adorned comes from.

Related species

• 

  Agassiz's cory

  Corydoras agassizii

  2.8 in (7 cm)24 gal (90 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Leopard cory

  Corydoras leopardus

  2.8 in (7 cm)24 gal (90 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Mosaic cory

  Corydoras haraldschultzi

  2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Peppered cory

  Corydoras paleatus

  2.8 in (7 cm)21 gal (80 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Schwartz's catfish

  Corydoras schwartzi

  2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Fowler's cory

  Corydoras fowleri

  2.8 in (7 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)