TankBud

Tailspot cory

Hoplisoma caudimaculatum

Also known as Corydoras caudimaculatus, Tail spot cory

FreshwaterFish

Tailspot cory (Hoplisoma caudimaculatum)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–81°F
20–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg layer · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Callichthyidae
Origin
Bolivia, Brazil

Overview

The tailspot cory is a small, fully peaceful cory and a solid choice for the bottom of a calm community tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The tailspot cory has the odd habit, like other corys, of dashing to the surface to gulp a mouthful of air. It absorbs the air through its gut. This is normal behavior, not a sign of bad water.

Caring for the tailspot cory

Keep tailspot corys in a group of six or more, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or larger. They get nervous and inactive in small numbers. Use a fine sand bottom so they can dig without wearing down their barbels. Add wood, plants or leaf litter for shade and cover.

Keep the water soft to neutral, at 68 to 81°F (20 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. If the whole group is gulping air constantly, check your oxygen and surface flow. Feed sinking pellets, frozen foods such as bloodworms and daphnia, and the occasional algae wafer.

Tailspot corys are peaceful and safe with other community fish. They lay eggs, but they are harder to breed at home than most other corys.

Good to know

The tailspot cory is an armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae, and one of the smaller corys. Overlapping bony plates cover its body. It carries fine speckling and a dark mark at the tail base, which gives it its name.

In the wild

The tailspot cory comes from the upper Amazon drainage in Bolivia and Brazil. It lives over soft, sandy bottoms in warm, slow streams and spends its time sifting the substrate for bits of food.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The tailspot 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 tailspot cory need?

A tailspot cory needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a tailspot cory need?

A tailspot cory is comfortable at 68–81°F (20–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a tailspot cory eat?

A tailspot cory eats sinking pellets, frozen foods such as bloodworms and daphnia, and the occasional algae wafer.

How big does a tailspot cory get?

An adult tailspot cory reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

Does a tailspot cory need a group?

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

How does a tailspot cory breed?

The tailspot cory lays eggs, but it is harder to breed at home than most other corys.

Related species