Bandit Corydoras Care Guide – Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

Bandit Corydoras are small, charming armoured catfish with a pale silver-beige body, dark fins and a distinctive black stripe running across the eyes. Their pattern gives them their common name and helps them stand out among the leaf litter and shaded stream beds of their native Colombian waterways.

Like other Corydoras, they are social bottom-dwellers that spend much of the day exploring the substrate with their sensitive barbels. They are active and entertaining without being aggressive, often resting together before suddenly setting off in a lively group to investigate the aquarium.

These catfish breathe primarily through their gills but also regularly dart to the surface to gulp air, an adaptation that allows them to tolerate the oxygen fluctuations found in shallow natural waters. This behaviour is normal when occasional and should not be mistaken for a sign that they are purely surface-dwelling fish.

Bandit Corydoras are peaceful, community-minded fish that use their armoured bodies and sharp fin spines as protection rather than seeking conflict. Their compact size, expressive behaviour and striking facial mask have made them a popular choice for planted South American-style aquariums.

Bandit Corydoras come from the upper Río Meta drainage in Colombia, South America. They inhabit clear to lightly stained freshwater streams and tributaries with sandy or fine-gravel bottoms, leaf litter and gentle to moderate currents.

A group of Bandit Corydoras should have an aquarium of at least 60 litres, with a footprint of approximately 60 × 30 cm or larger. Use smooth fine sand or rounded fine gravel to protect their barbels, and provide open areas for foraging alongside driftwood, rocks, live plants and shaded retreats. Leaf litter and gentle water movement can help recreate their natural stream habitat, while secure cover is useful because Corydoras may jump when startled.

Females reach about 5 cm (2 inches) in maximum adult length, while males are usually smaller at around 4–4.5 cm (1.6–1.8 inches).

Bandit Corydoras are omnivores and should receive a varied diet of sinking catfish pellets, high-quality wafers and granules, supplemented with frozen or live foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and mosquito larvae. They search actively through the substrate, but they do not live on scraps alone, so make sure food reaches the bottom and that every fish gets a share. Blanched vegetables can occasionally be offered as an additional food, although meaty foods should form an important part of their regular diet.

Bandit Corydoras are peaceful community fish and can be kept with small, calm tetras, rasboras, pencilfish, peaceful livebearers, small gouramis and other non-aggressive Corydoras. They also mix well with small peaceful loricariid catfish and other similarly gentle bottom-dwellers when the aquarium provides enough space and hiding places. Avoid large or predatory fish, fin-nipping species, aggressive cichlids and boisterous tankmates that may outcompete them for food or injure their delicate barbels.

Bandit Corydoras are egg-scattering spawners that can be encouraged to breed with plentiful high-quality foods, including live or frozen options, followed by a partial water change with slightly cooler, clean water. The female carries a few adhesive eggs between her pelvic fins while the male fertilises them, after which she places them on aquarium glass, plants or other smooth surfaces. Remove the adults or transfer the eggs to a separate hatching container, as the eggs and fry may be eaten. The eggs usually hatch in around three to five days, and the tiny fry can be raised on infusoria or powdered fry food before moving on to newly hatched brine shrimp.

Females are generally larger and broader-bodied than males, particularly when viewed from above. Males are usually slimmer and slightly shorter, while both sexes display the same characteristic dark mask and body pattern.