Family: Callichthyidae
A peaceful omnivore callichthyidae from the upper Amazon in South America (Peru and Ecuador) — beginner-friendly.
A Callichthyidae species: Corydoras panda lives bottom; rests and forages low; keep 6+ over clear streams, rivers and still waters. Peaceful. Adults reach 2.7–3.8 cm. It is one of the aquarium-kept Corydoras species we profile, alongside Corydoras aeneus, Corydoras paleatus, Corydoras sterbai.
Yes, but a touch more delicate than bronze corys. The critical rule: keep them cool. Above 26 °C they crash; the ideal band is 20–25 °C. At 3.8 cm adult size, a 38 L tank holds a happy group.
They come from cool upper-Amazon streams in Peru, and high temperatures speed their metabolism while starving water of oxygen — sustained 28 °C can wipe out a group within a week. A fan in hot summers is essential; heat is their number-one killer.
Minimum 6, ideally 10+. Like all corys they're social — small numbers mean stress, clamped fins and lethargy. A classic desktop setup is 6 panda corys with a colony of cherry shrimp.
Omnivorous — small sinking granules, bloodworms and brine shrimp. They're among the weaker cory competitors, so in a community feed the surface fish first, then add sinking food so they actually get some.
Adult shrimp are mostly safe, but shrimplets get eaten. If shrimp-breeding is the goal, choose something else; if fish are the focus, a few cherry shrimp coexist and clean up leftovers.
Ich is their most common disease, usually from temperature swings during water changes. Treat with an ich remedy at 28 °C — typically cured in 5–7 days. Since they dislike heat, watch closely and drop back below 25 °C once recovered.
The usual cory T-position, eggs glued to glass or plants. A light methylene blue dose prevents fungus; eggs hatch in 3–4 days. Panda corys are well established in captivity — fry take microworms or fine baby brine shrimp, and the panda pattern shows at about 2 months.
Fine sand (0.5–1 mm) is best, smooth small gravel also works. Coarse substrate shreds their barbels — obvious on a white-faced panda. Give them 3–4 cm to root through; foraging is their main occupation.
Around 5 years, up to 7 with excellent care — somewhat shorter than bronze corys, and heat shortens them further. For a long life, remember three words: cool, grouped, soft-bottom.
The black-on-white pattern — three black patches (eye, dorsal, tail) on a pale body with a round silhouette, like a little panda. The species name Corydoras panda honors exactly that; discovered in 1968, it's a relative newcomer to the hobby.