How big does Sterbai Cory get?

Sterbai Cory reaches an adult standard length of 5.5–7 cm (excluding the caudal fin). Size the tank for that, not for the juvenile you bring home — the difference is often several times over, and upgrading later costs more than buying once.

What water does Sterbai Cory need?

24–28 °C, pH 6–7.5, 2–12 dGH. That is only 4 °C wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

What is the smallest tank for Sterbai Cory?

At least 60 L, and no shorter than 60 cm. That is the floor for long-term keeping, not for short-term survival: volume buys water stability and length buys swimming room, and neither substitutes for the other. It is a schooling fish: keep at least 6 together. Fewer than that and it hides, loses colour, and aggression has nowhere to spread.

What is Sterbai Cory like to keep?

Temperament: peaceful. Difficulty: beginner. It occupies the bottom and is omnivore. With plants it is "Leaves plants alone".

Can Sterbai Cory be kept with its most common tank mate?

The checker returns "Keep with care". The shared temperature window is only 27–28 °C (1 °C wide). A heater fault or a summer heatwave will push the tank past one side's limit — run a separate thermostat as a backup.

G-01 / 34Freshwater

Sterbai Cory花椒鼠

Corydoras sterbai · Callichthyidae

An orange-finned corydoras that tolerates 28 °C and is the standard bottom fish for discus tanks.

Illustration to come

G-01 / 34 · Sterbai Cory Corydoras sterbai

SpecificationsFish atlas

Name: 花椒鼠
Scientific name: Corydoras sterbai
Family: Callichthyidae
Origin: Guapore river basin, Brazil
Adult size: 5.5–7 cm
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Water level: Bottom
Level: Beginner
School size: ≥ 6
Min. tank: 60 L
Min. length: 60 cm
Plant safe: Leaves plants alone

Water requirementsFreshwater

Temp.24–28 °C

pH6–7.5

Hardness2–12 dGH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Tolerates warmer water, making it the standard bottom fish for discus tanks at 24-28 °C.
2Keep six or more; a group sifting fine sand together is the highlight of the tank.
3Omnivorous with a meaty lean on sinking pellets and bloodworm, and active at night as well.
4Less cold-tolerant than most of its genus and prone to ich below 22 °C.

Check a tank mate

Jump straight to the verdict for Sterbai Cory against this one — no need to pick it again.

Frequently asked questions

How big does Sterbai Cory get?: Sterbai Cory reaches an adult standard length of 5.5–7 cm (excluding the caudal fin). Size the tank for that, not for the juvenile you bring home — the difference is often several times over, and upgrading later costs more than buying once.
What water does Sterbai Cory need?: 24–28 °C, pH 6–7.5, 2–12 dGH. That is only 4 °C wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
What is the smallest tank for Sterbai Cory?: At least 60 L, and no shorter than 60 cm. That is the floor for long-term keeping, not for short-term survival: volume buys water stability and length buys swimming room, and neither substitutes for the other. It is a schooling fish: keep at least 6 together. Fewer than that and it hides, loses colour, and aggression has nowhere to spread.
What is Sterbai Cory like to keep?: Temperament: peaceful. Difficulty: beginner. It occupies the bottom and is omnivore. With plants it is "Leaves plants alone".
Can Sterbai Cory be kept with its most common tank mate?: The checker returns "Keep with care". The shared temperature window is only 27–28 °C (1 °C wide). A heater fault or a summer heatwave will push the tank past one side's limit — run a separate thermostat as a backup.