Venezuelan Cory
Corydoras venezuelanus
Callichthyidae
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About
The Venezuelan cory is a stocky, high-backed member of the bronze cory complex from the rivers and lake basins of northern Venezuela, usually sold as the bright 'Venezuelan orange' line-bred form whose grey-green body carries a warm copper wash from head to tail. Its taxonomy is unsettled: Seriously Fish treats the name as an invalid synonym of Corydoras aeneus, while Planet Catfish now lists it as a distinct species, Osteogaster venezuelanus. For the keeper the practical care is identical to a bronze cory: a peaceful, sand-sifting shoaler that spends its day working the bottom on three pairs of sensitive barbels.
Care
Keep a shoal of at least six over soft sand in a tank of 80 cm or more; three fish from a shop bag is not a group. Undemanding about pH and hardness, but insists on clean substrate and stable water.
Diet
Omnivorous bottom forager; sinking wafers and micro-pellets plus frozen or live daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp, delivered so the food actually reaches the floor.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (57)
Possible with care (168)
Avoid (46)
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Venezuelan Cory need?
- A Venezuelan Cory needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (19.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 80 cm (31.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Venezuelan Cory need?
- Venezuelan Cory does best at 21–28 °C (69.8–82.4 °F), pH 6–8 and a general hardness of 2–18 °dGH.
- What group size does a Venezuelan Cory need?
- Venezuelan Cory is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Venezuelan Cory suitable for beginners?
- Yes — Venezuelan Cory is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.