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The Smudge Spot Cory is such a fun little Corydoras species, and honestly, the name fits perfectly. These fish have a bold dark “smudge” near the back half of the body, right before the tail, that can show up with a bluish or purplish tone. That is why you may also see them called Violet Corydoras
They usually grow to about 1.5-2 inches as adults, so they stay a really nice size for community tanks. They are small enough to work in many setups, but still big enough to be easy to spot as they wiggle around the bottom!
Like most corys, Smudge Spot Corys are peaceful, social, and fun to watch. They spend their day cruising along the bottom of the tank, sifting through the substrate, and hanging out with their group. They are not aggressive at all, which makes them a great choice for peaceful community aquariums.
Cory Similis are highly social fish, so we recommend keeping them in groups. A group of 6 or more is a great place to start, but with corys, bigger groups are almost always more fun. They feel safer with friends and are way more likely to show off their natural behavior when they have a little crew.
Fine sand is our favorite substrate for corys because they love to sift through it looking for food. They will shove their little faces into the sand like they have very important business to attend to, and it's one of the best parts of keeping them! Smooth gravel can work too, but avoid anything sharp since corys spend so much time on the bottom.
They also appreciate a peaceful tank with plants, driftwood, leaf litter, and some open areas for foraging. You may occasionally see them dart up to the surface for a quick gulp of air and then zoom right back down. That is totally normal cory behavior and just adds to their goofy little personality.
Smudge Spot Corys are omnivores, but they should not be treated like “cleaner fish” that can live off scraps. They may help pick up leftover food, but they still need to be fed like any other fish.
A good diet for Violet Corydoras should include sinking foods like quality pellets, wafers, frozen foods, and occasional live foods. We really like using NorthFin foods like NorthFin Community, NorthFin Nano Bits, because they are high quality, easy to feed, and give them a more balanced diet than just whatever happens to hit the bottom of the tank.
Feed them after lights out or target feed near the bottom if faster fish are stealing everything first.
All fish orders are covered by our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee when shipped with Overnight shipping. We quarantine our fish before shipping so you can feel confident adding them to your aquarium.
