Adolfo’s Cory Care Guide
Adolfo’s Cory (Corydoras adolfoi, recently reclassified as Hoplisoma adolfoi) is a striking blackwater catfish from the Upper Rio Negro, easily spotted by its bright orange shoulder patch and sharp black eye-mask over a silvery body. Like all cories, it is a peaceful, social bottom-dweller that brings constant movement to the lower levels of a soft-water community tank. This is a quick-reference care guide; for a deeper rundown of its biology and breeding, see our in-depth care profile.
Quick Stats
- Scientific name: Corydoras adolfoi (Hoplisoma adolfoi)
- Adult size: 2 to 2.4 inches
- Minimum tank: 20 gallons for a group
- Temperature: 72–79°F
- pH: 6.0–7.0 (soft, slightly acidic)
- Hardness: 2–12 dGH
- Diet: Omnivore, a foraging bottom-feeder
- Temperament: Peaceful, gregarious schooler
- Lifespan: 5–8 years
Tank and water
Adolfo’s Cory comes from the soft, acidic, tannin-stained blackwater of the Upper Rio Negro in Brazil. Recreate that and they reward you: dim lighting, driftwood and roots, smooth stones, and dried Indian almond or oak leaves over a bed of fine sand. The sand is not optional. Coarse or sharp gravel wears down their delicate barbels and leads to infections, so fine sand is the right substrate every time.
Keep them in a group of at least six, and more if you have the room. A lone or paired cory is a stressed cory; a proper group is confident, active, and far more fun to watch. Filtration should be gentle but give good oxygenation, because cories do not tolerate stagnant, low-oxygen water. Stable, well-aged water matters more than chasing an exact number, and they are sensitive to old, nitrate-heavy water, so keep up with weekly changes.
Tankmates
Adolfo’s Cory is completely peaceful and suits the same soft, blackwater community as our tetras. Excellent tankmates include small tetras (neon, cardinal, ember, rummynose), hatchetfish, pencilfish, otocinclus, dwarf rasboras, and peaceful dwarf cichlids like Apistogramma. Avoid large or boisterous fish, aggressive cichlids, and sharp gravel or pushy bottom-feeders that would outcompete them for food. One important note: cories are sensitive to copper-based medications, so avoid them or use a reduced dose.
Diet
Despite the persistent myth, cories are not cleaners and will starve in a tank without their own food. They are foraging omnivores that sift the sand for small prey, so feed a quality sinking pellet or wafer as the staple and supplement several times a week with frozen or live bloodworm, tubifex, daphnia, and baby brine shrimp. Make sure enough food reaches the bottom, especially in a tank with quick mid-water feeders.
Ordering from us
Adolfo’s Cories ship well in moderate weather and arrive at roughly 0.75 to 1 inch. We follow our standard Shipping & Acclimation procedure with a 45 to 60 minute drip acclimation, and we recommend quarantining new arrivals for two to four weeks before they join your display. For matching water chemistry, see our Water Chemistry guide. All orders are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee. Email help@jojoaquatics.com with any questions before ordering.
— The JoJo Aquatics team, Key West, Florida
