Sterbai corydoras care guide
Also called: Sterbai cory, Sterba's cory, Sterba's corydoras, Corydoras sterbai
The sterbai corydoras is a peaceful, white-spotted cory with bright orange front fins. It copes with warmer water than most corys, which makes it the usual choice for discus and ram tanks. Keep 6 or more on soft sand.
Sterbai corydoras need a tank of at least 20 gallons (76 L), a group of 6 or more, and water at 23–28°C (73–82°F) with a pH of 6–7.5. They grow to about 6.5 cm (2.6 in) and are peaceful.
Plan a tank with sterbai corydorasSee all tank mates
Sterbai corydoras quick facts
| Scientific name | Hoplisoma sterbai |
|---|---|
| Family | Callichthyidae |
| Origin | Rio Guaporé region of Bolivia and Brazil (most sold are farm-bred) |
| Adult size | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) |
| Minimum tank | 20 gallons (76 L), at least 60 cm (24 in) long |
| Temperature | 23–28°C (73–82°F) |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 1–15 dGH |
| Group size | 6 or more (shoaling fish) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims at | Bottom |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Care level | Easy |
| 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 20 gallons (76 L) with a floor at least 24 in (60 cm) long. Use fine sand to protect their barbels, and add wood, leaf litter and plants for shade. Keep the water well oxygenated with moderate flow, and leave a gap under the lid for their trips to the surface.
How many sterbai corydoras in a tank?
The smallest common tank that suits sterbai corydoras is a 20 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 | Sterbai corydoras (alone) |
|---|---|
| 3 gallon | Too small |
| 5 gallon | Too small |
| 10 gallon | Too small |
| 15 gallon | Too small |
| 20 gallon | 6–13 |
| 20 gallon long | 6–13 |
| 29 gallon | 6–19 |
| 40 gallon | 6–26 |
| 55 gallon | 6–36 |
| 75 gallon | 6–49 |
| 125 gallon | 6–82 |
What you need for sterbai corydoras
Sized for a 20 gallon tank, the smallest common size that suits a group of 6 sterbai corydoras. For a different tank or a mix of fish, use the stocking calculator for a list sized to your plan.
Tank and equipment
- 20 gallon aquarium (tank or kit) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Bigger tanks are more stable and easier for beginners. How to choose
- Aquarium stand for 20 gallons (opens Amazon in a new tab)The water alone weighs about 167 lb (76 kg), before glass, gravel and rock. How to choose
- Adjustable heater, 75 W (opens Amazon in a new tab)Holds about 78 °F (25.5 °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 80–120 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 sterbai 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 sterbai at 23–28 °C (73–82 °F), pH 6.0–7.5 and 1–15 dGH. They come from warm creeks and flooded forest pools and handle heat better than most corys. Farm-bred fish adapt to most tap water, but stable, clean conditions with weekly 25–30% water changes matter more than exact numbers.
Best tank mates for sterbai corydoras
These popular species share sterbai corydoras' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 97 good matches.
Betta fish
6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)
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)
Dwarf gourami
7.5 cm (3 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)
Neon tetra
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)
Panda corydoras
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)
Bronze corydoras
7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)
Avoid keeping sterbai corydoras with
- Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Sterbai corydoras 23–28°C (73–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
- Oscar: Oscar can eat sterbai corydoras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful sterbai corydoras.
- Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful sterbai corydoras.
- Electric yellow cichlid: Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid. It needs a Lake Malawi tank: hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5–8.5), plenty of rockwork and other cichlids from the same lake. Sterbai corydoras don't belong in that setup.
- Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful sterbai corydoras.
Feeding
Feed a sinking pellet or wafer as the staple, plus frozen or live bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp a few times a week. In busy tanks, drop food near their resting spot so faster fish do not take it all. Do not expect them to survive on leftovers.
Behavior
Very peaceful and active by day, usually seen sifting sand in a loose group. They live well with small tetras, rasboras, pencilfish, dwarf cichlids and discus. Avoid fish big or aggressive enough to bully or swallow them.
Breeding
Sterbai are among the easier corys to spawn. Use about two males per female, condition them on frozen and live foods, then do a large, slightly cooler water change. Eggs are stuck to the glass or plants and hatch in about 3–5 days; move them away from the adults, which eat eggs, and feed the fry microworms or baby brine shrimp.
Tips from experienced keepers
- The best cory for warm tanks with discus or rams. Most other corys prefer cooler water.
- Buy 6 or more. Sterbai are bolder and more active in a bigger group.
- A varied diet with frozen foods brings out their orange fins and white spots.
- Females look wider and rounder than males when seen from above.
- Keep the sand clean. Dirty substrate wears down their barbels.
Frequently asked questions
Can sterbai corydoras live with discus?
Yes, they are the cory most often kept with discus because they tolerate water up to about 28 °C (82 °F). Run the tank at about 28 °C, which is the warm end of the sterbai range and the cool end of the discus range.
How many sterbai corydoras should be kept together?
Keep at least 6 of the same species. A group of one species shoals and behaves more naturally than a mix of single corys.
How big do sterbai corydoras get?
Most reach about 2.5 in (6.5 cm) in aquariums. Females grow a little larger and wider than males.
Is the sterbai cory still a Corydoras?
Recent research moved it to the genus Hoplisoma, so newer labels may read Hoplisoma sterbai. It is the same fish, and most shops still call it Corydoras sterbai.
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.