TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / Catfish & Plecos / Adolf's cory
★New · no ratings yetPicture coming

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Adolf's cory

Hoplisoma adolfoi · Corydoras adolfoi, Adolfoi, Adolfo cory, Black-top cory

Peaceful and active when kept in groups of 6 or more; likes soft, slightly acidic water.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
6 cmBody length, without tail ✓
20–26 °CTemperature ✓
4–7pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Adolf's cory only grows to 6 cm.
Not recommended
  • Oscar eats animals up to about 12 cm. Adolf's cory only grows to 6 cm.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (20–26 °C vs 27–30 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

346 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–5 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2–3.5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and active when kept in groups of 6 or more; likes soft, slightly acidic water.

  • sand

Food

Sinking micro-pellets, wafers, frozen bloodworms and daphnia, fed after lights-out.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Females grow larger and, when mature, are noticeably rounder and broader-bodied than males, especially when full of eggs; easiest to see from above.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer (sticky eggs) · Hard

Spawns like most corys: with about two males per female, a large (50-70%) cooler water change once females are full of eggs triggers spawning; eggs go mainly on the glass. Fry are not easy to raise and need excellent water quality.

Pairing

Keep a group with more males than females; condition with live and frozen foods. Males chase females in a 'T-position' before spawning.

Setup

40 L tank with a sponge filter, fine sand and java moss or spawning mops; a cool water change is often what sets them off.

What starts it

A large cool (3-5 C) water change, lower barometric pressure feel, and heavy feeding of live foods.

Eggs

Sticky eggs placed mainly on the glass (or fine plants/mops); they hatch in 3-4 days and breeders add methylene blue or alder cones to stop fungus.

Raising the fry

Move eggs to a hatching tub with an air stone and a pinch of methylene blue or alder cone. Feed microworms and newly hatched brine shrimp; keep water spotless.

Common mistakes
  • Dirty sand that causes barbel erosion
  • Not removing eggs from hungry adults
  • Skipping the cool water change trigger
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouth America – upper Rio Negro, Brazil
Rivers and lakesUpper Rio Negro near São Gabriel da Cachoeira
HabitatSoft blackwater streams with sandy bottoms
Native rangeAbout 200 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the adolf's cory

Named after collector Adolfo Schwartz, who discovered it in 1982 and first made it available to aquarists. Endemic to the upper Rio Negro, Brazil, it is a pale cory with an oblique black bar along the back and an orange patch on the nape.

Warren Burgess described this cory in 1982 and named it after Adolfo Schwartz, an ornamental fish exporter in Manaus who helped bring many new catfishes to the hobby. Its bright orange forehead patch and black band make it one of the most eye-catching cories. It stayed a rare collector's fish for years before captive breeding became more common.

First described by Warren E. Burgess in 1982. Named for Named after Adolfo Schwartz, an ornamental fish exporter in Manaus.

  • The orange patch on its head is one of its best-known features.
  • It lives in very soft, acidic blackwater in the wild.
  • Like all cories, it can gulp air at the surface and absorb oxygen through its gut.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources