Pygmy cory

Care at a glance

Overview

Peaceful and very social, so keep a sizeable group, ideally ten or more, in a tank of about 50 liters or larger. They shoal in the mid water as much as on the bottom. Keep them in low to mid 20s C with a pH of 6 to 7.5, and a soft substrate with gentle flow. Feed tiny foods such as micro pellets, crushed flake, and small live or frozen items like baby brine shrimp. Best kept with other small, gentle fish.

In the wild

Pygmy corys come from slow, clear tributaries in Brazil, often over sand or mud among plants and leaf litter. Recreate that with a soft bottom, gentle flow, and plenty of cover. Because they are tiny, keep them away from anything large enough to eat them.

Good to know

A member of the Callichthyidae, the armored catfish, this is one of the smallest corys at around 3.3 cm. Unlike most of its relatives, it spends much of its time up in the water column rather than on the bottom. Spawning is on the tricky side. It is not listed as endangered, though wild habitat loss is a concern.

Did you know

Pygmy corys hover and dart through open water in a tight little group, which is unusual for a cory. That mid-water shoaling is why they read more like a tiny schooling fish than a typical bottom catfish.

Related species

• 

  Dwarf cory

  Corydoras hastatus

  1.3 in (3.2 cm)12 gal (45 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Barred-tail cory

  Corydoras cochui

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)13 gal (50 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Salt and pepper cory

  Corydoras habrosus

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)15 gal (55 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
• Nano cory

  Corydoras gracilis

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Reynolds's cory

  Corydoras reynoldsi

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Evelyn's cory

  Corydoras evelynae

  1.6 in (4 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)