Salt and pepper cory

Hoplisoma habrosum

Also known as Corydoras habrosus, Dwarf Spotted Cory

FreshwaterFish

Salt and pepper cory (Hoplisoma habrosum) — D.W. · CC0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F; 20–26°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.4 in; 3.5 cm
Minimum tank: 10 gal; 38 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Shoaling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Egg depositor · Hard
Rarity: Rare
Family: Callichthyidae
Origin: Colombia, Venezuela

Overview

The salt and pepper cory is a peaceful dwarf catfish for a smaller community tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Salt and pepper corys often hover and swim partway up the tank, almost like a tiny shoaling tetra. Most corys hug the bottom instead. That midwater habit makes a group of them easier to see than their larger relatives.

Caring for the salt and pepper cory

Keep salt and pepper corys in a group of at least six, and more if you can. They are far more confident and active in a shoal. A tank of 10 gal (38 L) gives a group decent room, and they fit smaller setups better than most corys. Give them a soft, sandy substrate so they can sift it without damaging their barbels, plus plants and gentle flow.

Keep the water soft to neutral, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed sinking pellets and wafers, plus occasional live or frozen brine shrimp and daphnia. Make sure the food reaches the floor.

Salt and pepper corys are peaceful, so keep them with small, calm tank mates. They scatter their eggs and stick them on surfaces, then give them no parental care. The eggs hatch in roughly three to five days, and captive breeding is hard.

Good to know

The salt and pepper cory is an armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae and one of the smallest Corydoras, a true dwarf cory. Its pale body carries scattered black blotches, which give it the salt-and-pepper look. Wild populations are not currently listed as threatened.

In the wild

Salt and pepper corys come from the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela. They live in shallow, slow streams and pools with sandy or fine-gravel bottoms and lots of plants. The water there is soft and runs from slightly acidic to neutral.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The salt and pepper 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 a salt and pepper cory need?

A salt and pepper cory needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a salt and pepper cory need?

A salt and pepper cory is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a salt and pepper cory eat?

A salt and pepper cory eats sinking pellets and wafers, with occasional live or frozen brine shrimp and daphnia. Make sure the food reaches the floor.

How big does a salt and pepper cory get?

An adult salt and pepper cory reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

Does a salt and pepper cory need a group?

Yes. A salt and pepper cory is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a salt and pepper cory breed?

Salt and pepper corys scatter their eggs and stick them on surfaces, and they give no parental care. The eggs hatch in roughly three to five days, and breeding them in captivity is hard.