Corydoras hastatus is a very small “mid-water shoaling” Cory that doesn't spend as much time on the substrate as other Cory's do, and seems to prefer to sit on the leaves of aquarium plants rather than sitting on the bottom. 

House these dwarf Cory's with each other in a shoal of about 10 being a nice number in a species tank. These small Corydoras will not do well in a community tank with large, robust tankmates> They would prefer to be housed with small unagressive Characins.

This is one of the smallest Cory to date and the females usually are a bit bigger than the males. They are similar to Corydoras pygmaes, another dwarf Cory, but the black diamond shape in the caudal peduncle and into the tail of hastatus, with the top and bottom of this diamond ringed with white, sets them apart. Pygmaes sports a black band that runs the full length of the body, ending just short of the tail end, and ending in a slightly broader band. The specific epithet hastatus means with a spear, in reference to the spearhead-like spot on the tail root.

Akin to most of this genus, this is a very peaceful fish, and is best housed with small to medium tankmates such as Tetras, Rasboras and Danios or in a species tank due to their small size.

Bred as early as 1988, set-up in a 16” x 8” x 8” tank furnished with a thin layer of sand, Java Moss and a sponge filter. They spawned after a cool water change, laying their eggs on the glass sides and in the Java Moss. They also laid eggs on a small piece of bogwood in the tank. Eggs were removed to a small container, they hatched 6 days later and started on Liquifry for egglayers for 3 days, then on to brine shrimp.

Small pieces of food are needed for this Cory such as brine shrimp, crushed flake food, tablets, freeze dried blocks of tubifex stuck on the sides of the tank and any such food that will fit in to their tiny mouth's.

Although the fish is generally a mid-water dweller, a fine gravel or sand substrate should be provided since it will occasionally burrow.

 Symbols
Legend:

Maximum
Temperature:

79°F

Minimum
Temperature:

72°F

pH
Range:

6 - 7.2

dH
Range:

5 - 19

Swimming
Level:

Water
Movement:

Community tank.
Generally peaceful.

Predator.
Generally aggressive.

Moderate to
bright light. 

Low
Light.

Moderate to heavily planted tank.

Rock, or
bogwood.

Open sand or gravel. 

Active or
surface swimmer.

Likes hideaways and cover.

Live foods,
only.

Live or
prepared foods.