Corydoras Panda

Scientific name: Corydoras panda

Adult size: about 5 cm

Origin: upper Amazon, Peru

Water: 22–25 °C, pH 6.0–7.4, 1–12 dGH

Group: 6 or more

Diet: omnivore, sinking pellets plus frozen and live foods

Temperament: very peaceful, bottom-dwelling

The panda cory is named for its markings: a pale cream to pinkish body with a black patch over each eye, a black dorsal fin and a black spot at the base of the tail. It reaches about 5 cm. The species comes from cool, clear, fast-flowing streams in the upper Amazon of Peru, and it prefers slightly cooler water than many other cories, which makes it a good match for a room-temperature tropical tank. It is a peaceful bottom-dwelling catfish that forages through the substrate using its barbels, the sensory whiskers around the mouth. Cories are social and should be kept in groups of six or more; singles and pairs stay hidden. Seriously Fish notes that cherry shrimp are used in panda cory breeding tanks to pick fungus off the eggs, which shows the adults take little interest in them. Almost all stock in the trade is farm-bred rather than wild-caught.

Water: 22–25 °C and pH 6.0–7.4, hardness 1–12 dGH. Keep it well oxygenated with a modest flow, and keep the bottom scrupulously clean, since dirty substrate leads to barbel erosion.

Tank and planting: smooth sand or fine rounded gravel, with driftwood, plants and a few shaded retreats. Skip undergravel filtration, which traps waste where the fish feed.

Feeding: sinking pellets or tablets as the staple, plus frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm. Check that food is reaching the bottom rather than being eaten by midwater fish.