Threestripe cory

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep it in a school of six or more on the bottom of a tank around 60 liters or larger. Water should be soft to neutral, pH 6 to 7.5, at 22 to 27 C. Feed sinking pellets, frozen foods, and the occasional algae wafer, and don't count on it to clean up after other fish; it needs its own food. It is peaceful and busy, a good active bottom group for a community tank.

In the wild

The threestripe cory comes from the upper Amazon in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, living over sand and fine sediment in slow, warm tributaries. It forages the bottom by sifting mouthfuls of sand. Give it a fine sand substrate so it can dig safely, plus driftwood, plants, or leaf litter for shade. Keep the water warm, roughly 22 to 27 C.

Good to know

This is an armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae, reaching about 5.5 cm. It is often confused with the false julii cory; the threestripe is told apart by its reticulated, net-like head pattern and the stripe down the side. It is an egg-layer that spawns in the typical cory fashion, and it breeds with moderate effort. Like its relatives it has bony plates and stiff fin spines.

Did you know

It is often sold mixed up with the false julii cory because their markings are so similar. The reliable tell is the pattern on the head: the threestripe shows connected, maze-like lines, while the false julii shows separate spots. Worth checking if you care which one you're actually buying.

Related species

• 

  Julii cory

  Corydoras julii

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Skunk cory

  Corydoras arcuatus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Spotted cory

  Corydoras melanistius

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Violet cory

  Corydoras similis

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)
• Burgess's cory

  Corydoras burgessi

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• False network catfish

  Corydoras sodalis

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)