What tank size does a Skunk Cory need?

A Skunk Cory needs an aquarium of at least 70 litres (18.5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Skunk Cory need?

Skunk Cory does best at 20–28 °C (68–82.4 °F), pH 5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–12 °dGH.

What group size does a Skunk Cory need?

Skunk Cory is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Skunk Cory suitable for beginners?

Skunk Cory sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Skunk Cory

Corydoras arcuatus

Callichthyidae

FishDifficulty: ●●●○○Data: well-established

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About

The skunk cory is a small armoured catfish from the upper Amazon of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, named for the arched black stripe that runs from the snout, through the eye and along the back to the tail. It is a soft-water species from clear and blackwater tributaries, a little more demanding of stable, clean, low-nitrate conditions than the bronze cory. Several look-alikes travel under the same trade name: C. narcissus and the Purus form CW036 'super arcuatus' both grow considerably larger, so check the stripe passes through the eye before you buy.

Care

Keep six or more over soft sand in soft, slightly acidic water with gentle flow and low nitrate. Shops sell corydoras in threes; that is a fragment of a shoal, not a shoal, and the fish will hide.

Diet

Omnivorous forager; sinking dried foods with regular frozen or live bloodworm and Tubifex, fed to the bottom so it reaches the fish.

Tankmate compatibility

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Width from aboveStrong · from about 8 months, once they are adult-sized
Corydoras are sexed from directly above, never from the side. Look down at the group while they rest on the sand.
Bristles and cheek spinesA hint only · from about a year
Male plecos grow odontodes — spiny growths on the cheeks and along the leading pectoral rays. Bristlenose males additionally grow branching tentacles across the snout and over the top of the head.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Skunk Cory need?: A Skunk Cory needs an aquarium of at least 70 litres (18.5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Skunk Cory need?: Skunk Cory does best at 20–28 °C (68–82.4 °F), pH 5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–12 °dGH.
What group size does a Skunk Cory need?: Skunk Cory is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Skunk Cory suitable for beginners?: Skunk Cory sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature20–28°C

Optimal temp.23–26°C

pH5–7.5

Hardness (GH)2–12°d

Carbonate (KH)0–8°d

Adult size5.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 70 L

Min. tank length≥ 60 cm

Group size≥ 6

Swimming zoneBottom

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowModerate

Lifespan~7 yrs

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