Araguaia Cory Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Araguaia Cory is a small, attractive armoured catfish with the familiar rounded body, underslung mouth and paired barbels typical of the Corydoras genus. Its body is marked with contrasting dark and pale patterning, giving it a refined appearance among sand and leaf litter, while its sturdy bony plates provide protection rather than scales.

The Araguaia Cory is native to the Rio Araguaia basin in Brazil, South America. It inhabits freshwater environments associated with the wider Tocantins–Araguaia river system.

A group of Araguaia Corys should be kept in an aquarium of at least 60 litres, with a footprint of roughly 60 cm by 30 cm or larger. Use fine aquarium sand or another smooth, rounded substrate so their sensitive barbels are not damaged, and provide open areas for foraging alongside plants, driftwood, leaf litter and shaded retreats. Gentle to moderate water movement, effective filtration and well-maintained, oxygen-rich water suit their riverine background.

Up to around 5 cm (2 in) overall, with females usually reaching about 5 cm (2 in) and males commonly remaining nearer 4–4.5 cm (1.6–1.8 in).

Offer a varied bottom-focused diet of good-quality sinking catfish or carnivore pellets, with frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp and tubifex used as supplements. They are opportunistic omnivores that search through the substrate, but should not be expected to survive on leftover food alone. Feed enough for every fish to find food, particularly when kept with faster midwater feeders.

Araguaia Corys are peaceful community fish and can live with small tetras, rasboras, peaceful danios, small livebearers and other calm South American species. They also mix well with other peaceful Corydoras when the aquarium is spacious enough. Avoid large cichlids, boisterous or aggressive fish, fin-nippers and predatory species that may harass or swallow them.

Araguaia Corys are egg-scattering spawners that can be encouraged to breed when mature fish are well fed with live or frozen foods and receive partial water changes with slightly cooler, clean water. The female carries a few adhesive eggs between her pelvic fins while the male fertilises them, after which the eggs are placed on aquarium glass, plants or other smooth surfaces. Remove the adults or protect the eggs from being eaten, and raise the fry on infusoria or finely powdered food before offering newly hatched brine shrimp.

Females are generally broader-bodied and slightly larger, especially when viewed from above, while males are slimmer and shorter. The differences are most noticeable in mature, well-conditioned fish.