# What is the smallest Corydoras?



## TimsViv

What is the smallest member of the Corydoras species? Due to the small portion of water in my tank, I would like to get the smallest Cory cat available.

Thanks,
Tim


----------



## jhoetzl

I think you would be after corydoras habrosus then. 
They get to about a max of 1".
Some common names for it are Dainty Cory, Pygmy Cory, Venezuelan Pygmy Cory, but a true habrosus is a tiny little thing. Wish I had picked up a few more of them when I found them. 
Fun, active little buggers. Watching their runs to the top in my 37g "tall" is amusing...


----------



## bigpow

jhoetzl was right on the money


----------



## TimsViv

Thanks jhoetzl. Now, any ideas where to get them? Is it likely I'll run accross them at a LFS or do I need to mail order for them? If I need to mail order for them - any suggestions?

Thanks,
Tim


----------



## rwong2k

Hey jhoetz,
how many do you have in your 37g?

i think my LFS got a shipment last month and they had around 400 of those guys in a 40 gallon breeder tank, that was a pretty amazing sight, unfortuantly i can't really afford that many =)

thx
Raymond




jhoetzl said:


> I think you would be after corydoras habrosus then.
> They get to about a max of 1".
> Some common names for it are Dainty Cory, Pygmy Cory, Venezuelan Pygmy Cory, but a true habrosus is a tiny little thing. Wish I had picked up a few more of them when I found them.
> Fun, active little buggers. Watching their runs to the top in my 37g "tall" is amusing...


----------



## Momotaro

Corydoras pygmaeus is the smallest Cory I know of. Wonderful little fish with great little personalities.

If the LFS won't order them, try AquaBid. In fact, there is an auction for some right now.

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwcatfish&1111963585

Mike


----------



## jhoetzl

rwong2k said:


> Hey jhoetzl,
> how many do you have in your 37g?


I only picked up 2 of them before I had any tank larger than a 10g, actually, they were in a 5. When I got the 37 cycled, I moved them in there. 
If I see them locally again, I would probably get 3 more. 
My 37g with the plants doing better seems to be a haven for the livebearer fry to "make it". Sure the angels pick off a few, but the last batch I have 5 that are beyond their scope now. Still not really overstocked in there, so 3 more cory habrosii would be fun, but I am starting to hit the stocking limit in there.

Probably going to do a 10g little puffer tank and wonder how some of them would get along. I know people say Oto's are OK with DP's, but not sure about the habrosus...


----------



## Momotaro

I don't think either fish (the Corys or the Otos) would be very safe with the dwarf puffers. I kept dwarf puffers on their own for a couple of weeks and then moved them into another aquarium. After they tore through the snails, they started tearing through my Corys and Otos. 

Needless to say the dwarf puffers made another move...to the LFS!

Mike


----------



## Overfloater

IME with the habrosus they are great little cories but unlike other cories they spend most of their time cruising the middle of the tank. I have one that schools with brilliant rasboras. Just food for thought.


----------



## jhoetzl

Momotaro said:


> I don't think either fish (the Corys or the Otos) would be very safe with the dwarf puffers. I kept dwarf puffers on their own for a couple of weeks and then moved them into another aquarium. After they tore through the snails, they started tearing through my Corys and Otos.
> Needless to say the dwarf puffers made another move...to the LFS!


The DP's will have their own tiny tank...with enough plants and hiding spots for the oto's to run to...might set it up later. No corys in this one...


----------



## rain-

C. hastatus, habrosus and pygmaeus are the three smallest cories available here in Finland at least. Hastatus acts more like tetras and even looks like them a bit, habrosus and pygmaeus both act more like other cories, but they also like to swim in middle areas of the tank. 

In my experience habrosus is the most fragile one of these three, but it's still my favourite. All of them will spawn easily like most of the other cories. And they are more active in bigger shoals. So, take as many as possible in the tank (of course depending on the tank size and other occupants). I'd recommend keeping them in their own tank without any other fish (well, otos might be ok with them, but they might also eat eggs, but that applies to the cories themselves too in some cases). They look so awesome in a large shoal and if there isn't other fish bothering them or eating eggs/young, you will propably get more of them.


----------

