Panda corydoras care guide
Also called: Panda cory, Panda catfish, Panda cory catfish, Corydoras panda
The panda corydoras is a small, peaceful cory with a pale body and black eye patch, named after the giant panda. It suits calm community tanks but needs a group of 6 or more, soft sand and cooler water than many tropical fish.
Panda corydoras need a tank of at least 15 gallons (57 L), a group of 6 or more, and water at 21–25°C (70–77°F) with a pH of 6–7.5. They grow to about 4.5 cm (1.8 in) and are peaceful.
Plan a tank with panda corydorasSee all tank mates
Panda corydoras quick facts
| Scientific name | Hoplisoma panda |
|---|---|
| Family | Callichthyidae |
| Origin | Upper Amazon basin in Peru, in cool streams fed by Andean runoff (most sold are farm-bred) |
| Adult size | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) |
| Minimum tank | 15 gallons (57 L), at least 60 cm (24 in) long |
| Temperature | 21–25°C (70–77°F) |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 1–12 dGH |
| Group size | 6 or more (shoaling fish) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims at | Bottom |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Care level | Moderate |
| Lifespan | 5–10 years |
| Safe with shrimp? | Mostly (eats baby shrimp) |
| Safe with plants? | Yes |
- Needs sand or smooth, fine gravel to protect its barbels and belly.
Tank setup
A group of 6 needs at least 15 gallons (57 L) with a floor at least 24 in (60 cm) long, and a bigger footprint lets you keep a larger group. Use fine sand and give them shade under plants, wood or floating plants. Keep the flow gentle to moderate and leave a gap under the lid so they can reach the surface for air.
How many panda corydoras in a tank?
The smallest common tank that suits panda corydoras is a 15 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.
| Tank | Panda corydoras (alone) |
|---|---|
| 3 gallon | Too small |
| 5 gallon | Too small |
| 10 gallon | Too small |
| 15 gallon | 6–17 |
| 20 gallon | 6–22 |
| 20 gallon long | 6–22 |
| 29 gallon | 6–33 |
| 40 gallon | 6–45 |
| 55 gallon | 6–62 |
| 75 gallon | 6–85 |
| 125 gallon | 6–142 |
What you need for panda corydoras
Sized for a 15 gallon tank, the smallest common size that suits a group of 6 panda corydoras. For a different tank or a mix of fish, use the stocking calculator for a list sized to your plan.
Tank and equipment
- 15 gallon aquarium (tank or kit) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Bigger tanks are more stable and easier for beginners. How to choose
- Adjustable heater, 50 W (opens Amazon in a new tab)Holds about 73 °F (23 °C) in a room at 65 °F (18 °C). How to choose
- Aquarium thermometer (opens Amazon in a new tab)Check it daily: heaters can fail stuck on or off. How to choose
- Hang-on-back filter rated 60–90 GPH (opens Amazon in a new tab)Community tank: 4–6 times the tank volume per hour. How to choose
- About 25 lb of aquarium sand (opens Amazon in a new tab)Enough for a layer about 1.5 in (4 cm) deep. Soft sand protects the barbels of corydoras, loaches and other diggers. How to choose
- Water conditioner (dechlorinator) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water. Seachem Prime is a popular, concentrated choice. How to choose
- Liquid test kit (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Liquid kits are more accurate than strips. The API Freshwater Master Test Kit is the common choice. How to choose
- Gravel vacuum (siphon) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Cleans the gravel and does the water change in one go. How to choose
- LED aquarium light, about 24 in long (opens Amazon in a new tab)Match the light to the tank length. Basic LEDs grow easy plants. How to choose
Food and extras for panda corydoras
- Sinking pellets or wafers (opens Amazon in a new tab)Bottom feeders need food that reaches the floor.
- Caves and hides (opens Amazon in a new tab)Gives shy and territorial fish their own space.
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Water parameters
Keep pandas at 21–25 °C (70–77 °F), pH 6.0–7.5 and 1–12 dGH. They come from cool foothill streams, and long spells above about 25 °C (77 °F) stress them and can shorten their lives. They also react badly to high nitrate and dirty sand, so change 25–30% of the water every week.
Best tank mates for panda corydoras
These popular species share panda corydoras' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 73 good matches.
Cherry shrimp
3 cm (1.2 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)
Nerite snail
2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)
Guppy
5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)
Neon tetra
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)
Bronze corydoras
7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)
Zebra danio
5 cm (2 in) · 18–25°C (64–77°F)
Assassin snail
2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)
Ramshorn snail
2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)
Avoid keeping panda corydoras with
- Oscar: Oscar can eat panda corydoras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Bala shark: Bala shark can eat panda corydoras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Boesemani rainbowfish: They need different temperatures: Panda corydoras 21–25°C (70–77°F), boesemani rainbowfish 26–29°C (79–84°F).
- Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful panda corydoras.
- Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful panda corydoras.
- Discus: They need different temperatures: Panda corydoras 21–25°C (70–77°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
Feeding
Feed a quality sinking pellet or wafer as the staple, plus frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp or bloodworm a few times a week. Pandas are small and slow at feeding time, so make sure food reaches the bottom before faster fish take it. Never rely on leftovers to feed them.
Behavior
Very peaceful and a little shy, especially in small groups or brightly lit tanks. They do well with small tetras, rasboras, pencilfish and other gentle midwater fish, which also help them feel safe. Avoid large or boisterous tank mates and fin nippers such as tiger barbs.
Breeding
Use a group with about two males per female and condition them on live and frozen foods. A big change of cool, well-oxygenated water often triggers spawning, and females stick the eggs on glass or in fine plants such as java moss. Move the eggs, which hatch in about 3–5 days, and keep the fry below 26 °C (79 °F) because young pandas handle warm water very badly.
Tips from experienced keepers
- Skip pandas in warm discus or ram tanks. Sterbai corys handle heat far better.
- Buy 6 or more at once. Bigger groups are bolder and much easier to see.
- Vacuum the open sand gently every week. Dirty substrate is the usual cause of worn barbels.
- Shade part of the tank with floating plants. Pandas come out more in softer light.
- In a summer heat wave, a clip-on fan over the open water can lower the temperature by a couple of degrees.
Frequently asked questions
How many panda corydoras should be kept together?
Keep at least 6, and 8 or more is better. Pandas are timid, and a larger group makes them bolder and more active.
What temperature do panda corys need?
About 21–25 °C (70–77 °F). They like cooler water than most tropical fish, and long periods above 25 °C (77 °F) can shorten their lives.
How big do panda corydoras get?
Most reach about 1.75 in (4.5 cm) long. Females grow a little larger than males and look rounder when seen from above.
Is the panda cory still a Corydoras?
Recent research moved it to the genus Hoplisoma, so newer labels may say Hoplisoma panda. It is the same fish, and most shops still sell it as Corydoras panda.
Sources
We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.