Pink cory (Corydoras axelrodi) care guide

Group

Freshwater fish

Other names

Axelrod's cory, Pink corydoras, Axelrod's corydoras, Axelrod's armoured catfish, Hoplisoma axelrodi

Family

Callichthyidae (armoured catfishes)

Origin

Meta River basin in Colombia, part of the Orinoco drainage (type locality Río Meta).

Water

freshwater

Maximum size

4.2 cm

Temperature

22–26°C

pH

6–6.8

Hardness

Soft to medium (FishBase 2–25 dGH)

Minimum tank

54 litres

Care level

intermediate

Temperament

peaceful

Care

A small, slender cory with a pale pinkish body marked by a thin dark line along the side; it is named after the publisher and fish expert Dr Herbert Axelrod. Like all corys it is social, so keep a group of at least six of the one species. No source gives a tank size; a tank with a base of about 60 × 30 cm (around 54 litres) is our estimate for a small group. Use fine sand so it can sift without damaging its barbels, with plants, wood and shady corners and open sand at the front. PlanetCatfish gives 22–26 °C and pH 6.0–6.8, which we use; FishBase gives a wider pH range of 6.0–8.0 and 2–25 dGH. Soft, slightly acidic, clean water suits it best. Keep nitrate low with regular water changes, keep the sand clean, and use salt and medications with great care. Occasional trips to the surface to gulp air are normal. PlanetCatfish gives a maximum of 4.2 cm standard length (FishBase agrees). As with other corys, females are larger and rounder than males, especially seen from above. Name notes: FishBase now places it in Hoplisoma (Hoplisoma axelrodi) after the 2024 revision of Corydoras; PlanetCatfish also lists it among its Corydoras lineage groups. It is still sold as "Corydoras axelrodi". Both PlanetCatfish and FishBase list it as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (2020), with a small natural range, so captive-bred fish are the better choice. Sources: PlanetCatfish (planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?speciesid=23); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Corydoras-axelrodi.html). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A foraging omnivore. Feed a good sinking pellet or tablet as the staple and add small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and Daphnia several times a week. Make sure food actually reaches the group on the bottom.

Breeding

PlanetCatfish holds several breeding reports. One breeder used nine males and four females in a tank of about 57 litres; eggs were laid on sunken spawning mops and the glass, in small batches of about 25–30, with roughly half hatching after a couple of days. FishBase describes the usual cory method: the female holds 2–4 eggs between her pelvic fins while the male fertilises them, then sticks them to a surface, laying around 100 in total. Use more males than females, condition well, and trigger spawning with a cooler water change. Remove the eggs or the adults and raise the fry on microworm and newly hatched brine shrimp.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and suited to a quiet community of small fish such as small tetras, rasboras, pencilfish, dwarf cichlids and other small catfish, plus shrimps and snails. Avoid large or boisterous fish that could bully it or eat all the food.

Last updated 5 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.