Care guide · Freshwater · fish

Panda cory

Hoplisoma panda

Photo: Chronotopian · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0Resized and compressed; no cropping or colour changes.

The panda cory, Hoplisoma panda, combines a striking black eye mask with an inquisitive way of searching for food. A group travels across the substrate together and often rests close together beneath a leaf or piece of wood. It stays small, but is not a solitary cleaner for an overcrowded tank. Give it companions of its own species, a soft, clean substrate and food that actually reaches the bottom. Temperature also matters: pandas suit moderately warm aquaria better than permanently hot discus setups. They are still widely sold under their former name, Corydoras panda. The name change does not alter their need for calm surroundings and a planned place in the community. Designing the bottom for the fish, rather than simply filling it with ornaments, reveals much more of their normal behaviour.

Plan your aquarium →

At a glance

Temperature: 22–24 °C
pH: 6.0–7.2
GH: 2–12 °dGH
Aquarium length: At least 60 cm
Adult size: Approximately 5 cm
Group size: At least 6 individuals
Swimming zone: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Cover: Plants and sheltered areas
Staple food: Sinking tablet, small portions, Small granules
Supplementary food: Live food, Frozen food, Finely crumbled dried natural food

For at least six pandas, we use sixty centimetres as the minimum tank length, with substantial usable bottom space. Eighty centimetres is more comfortable for a larger group or companions. A tall, narrow aquarium does not provide the same working space as an elongated footprint, so volume alone says too little.

About this species

The pale body has dark markings around the eyes, on the dorsal fin and at the base of the tail. Maximum adult standard length is approximately five centimetres, excluding the tail fin. Females are generally stockier and rounder than males; young fish in shops cannot always be sexed reliably.

Hoplisoma panda is an armoured catfish, with bony plates along the body and barbels around the mouth. Its new genus follows the Corydoradinae revision. It is the same species long known as Corydoras panda. Do not confuse it with other masked catfish or pygmy corys: adult size, pattern and swimming behaviour can differ. A shop label saying small cory is not precise enough when choosing a group.

Natural habitat

The species comes from Peru, in the upper Amazon region and Ucayali system. Recorded localities lie around the Andean foothills, where water can be relatively cool. The idea that every Amazonian fish wants permanently very warm, strongly acidic water does not fit this species.

Sandy substrate and sheltered margins provide useful design cues. There is no need to force wild seasonal fluctuations to enable natural behaviour. Instead, provide quiet bottom-level routes, with open feeding patches between shaded resting places. Aquarium plants can serve that purpose even when they do not come from the original region. Such practical planting should not be described as an exact recreation of a particular Peruvian locality.

Aquarium and layout

Choose fine, rounded sand without sharp grains. Wood and stones must be stable and should not form trapping points. Plant mainly the margins and background so the group can forage side by side. Leave a clear route upwards: occasional air gulping is normal. Protect the filter intake against small fish and remove waste between resting places. Substrate that looks clean on top may still collect debris beneath a habitual feeding spot.

Water conditions

The chosen maintenance range is 22–24 °C, pH 6–7.2 and GH 2–12. Specialist temperature recommendations overlap particularly in this moderate range. Permanently high temperatures are therefore not a sound basis for combining pandas casually with heat-loving fish.

Use a biologically mature tank, adequate gas exchange and regular suitable water changes. Check ammonia and nitrite if the fish become unusually sluggish or make many more surface dashes. An occasional gulp is normal; a sudden change across the group warrants investigation. During hot weather, first check the actual water temperature and filter operation. Avoid abrupt cooling in response to a single high reading. Consistent care matters more than chasing a different target every day.

Behaviour and group size

Keep at least six of this species, preferably a larger group when floor space permits. A collection containing one of each of several cory species does not replace their own group. Resting beside companions and setting off to forage together are part of their appeal.

Small peaceful tetras sharing the same moderate temperature needs are logical candidates. Boisterous fin nippers and territorial bottom dwellers may exclude pandas from feeding areas. A breeding dwarf-cichlid pair can claim the bottom even if both species seem calm outside spawning periods. Armour does not make pandas immune to attacks. Small eggs and newly hatched animals may be eaten; peaceful behaviour towards adult fish does not make every breeding project safe.

Feeding

Provide a suitable complete sinking food daily and deliberately. A small tablet that breaks up gradually or small sinking granules allows feeding with the downward-facing mouth. Pandas do not eat faeces or clean the aquarium. Chance scraps missed by fish above are not a dependable meal.

Spread food over several accessible spots and watch smaller pandas join in. Small frozen or live foods add variety when they reach the bottom. Floating dried animals are not automatically useful to bottom feeders without an appropriate presentation method. Avoid leaving a tablet uneaten throughout the night. A gently rounded belly after feeding differs from persistent swelling; monitor condition and behaviour over several days.

Breeding

Mature fish may spawn in a separate peaceful setup. During the familiar T-position, male and female come together, after which the female attaches adhesive eggs to a surface. Moss or a spawning mop can make eggs easier to locate. A documented successful panda breeding used a submerged mop; it is a practical option, not mandatory equipment.

There is no protective parental care. Separate eggs or adults if you intend to raise fry. Use clean water, gentle circulation and a safe intake. Once the yolk sac is consumed, very small foods are needed, such as microworms followed by suitably sized Artemia nauplii. Match food to the smallest fry. Do not force spawning through large sudden temperature shocks in a community tank; the other inhabitants must remain healthy too.