Peppered cory

Peppered corys are native to the Upper Orinoco River Basin in South America. Growing up to 2.5cm, these tiny catfish are bottom dwellers that love to forage and sift through fine sand that mimics the floor of the riverbed in their native waters.

Special requirements: Peppered corys are best kept in groups of six or more. Adding a larger group of corys to your tank will reduce shyness and promote natural behaviours. Peppered corys generally thrive best and demonstrate natural behaviour when kept as a single type of cory, as supposed to lots of different types, however it is possible to house different types of corys in one aquarium.
Peppered corys have the ability to breathe intestinally so it is common that they will travel to the surface of the water. It’s best to leave a gap at the top of the tank to give space for them to come to the surface, it’s also best to house them in a shallower tank so that their journey to the surface is shorter. They can live in deeper tanks but benefit from creating mid-way points in the tank for corys to rest in on their journey to the surface of the water – this could be provided by hardscape materials or plants such as Amazon sword. Corys also benefit from being on a tank with a large bottom as the enjoy rooting around and foraging in the substrate. Corys are best kept in a tank with a sandy bottom, this mimics their natural environment. Avoid course gravel substrate in tanks with your corys- the jagged edges can damage their sensitive barbels as they sift the substrate.

Diet: At Wirral Aquatics we feed our Peppered corys EBO Pro Soft Mussel and Insect Meal. Our corys also enjoy a range of live foods including bloodworm and tubifex. Blackworm is known as a trigger for facilitating corys to spawn because it is very good for their overall health, body condition and egg production.

Tank mates: Other peaceful nano fish such as ember tetras and neon tetras.