Description
🐟 Sterbai Cory (Corydoras sterbai)
📌 Basic Info
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Scientific Name: Corydoras sterbai
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Family: Callichthyidae
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Origin: South America (Brazil & Bolivia, upper Rio Guaporé)
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Size: 2.5 – 3 inches (6 – 7.5 cm)
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Lifespan: 7 – 10 years
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Tank Zone: Bottom
🌊 Water Parameters
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TDS: 80 – 200 ppm
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pH: 6.0 – 7.5
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Temperature: 24 – 28°C (75 – 82°F)
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Hardness: 2 – 12 dGH
🐟 Characteristics
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Peaceful, hardy, and very social bottom dwellers.
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Attractive dark body with white spots and orange pectoral fins.
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Active and playful, especially in groups.
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Helps keep the bottom clean by scavenging leftover food.
🍽️ Food
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Type: Omnivorous (bottom feeder)
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Diet: Sinking pellets, algae wafers, frozen/live foods (bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp), blanched veggies.
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Feeding: 1–2 times daily – make sure food reaches the bottom.
🛠️ Maintenance
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Tank Size: Minimum 30 gallons for a group.
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Filtration: Gentle to moderate – avoid strong currents.
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Substrate: Fine sand preferred to protect their barbels. Avoid sharp gravel.
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Decor: Plants, caves, driftwood, shaded hiding spots.
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Water Change: 25–30% weekly.
👥 Social Behavior
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Minimum Group Size: At least 6 (shoaling species).
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Tank Mates: Peaceful community fish – tetras, rasboras, guppies, angelfish, dwarf cichlids, discus.
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Avoid: Large aggressive cichlids or fin-nippers.
✅ Do’s
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Keep in groups for natural behavior.
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Provide soft sandy substrate.
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Maintain stable warm water.
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Feed a variety of sinking foods.
❌ Don’ts
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Don’t keep them alone – they get stressed.
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Don’t expose to rough gravel.
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Don’t mix with aggressive tank mates.
⭐ Quick Tips
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Sterbai Corys are one of the best corydoras for warm tanks (they can live with Discus).
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Hardy and beginner-friendly yet loved by advanced aquarists too.
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Their striking spotted pattern makes them stand out in planted aquariums.
