One of the most spectacular Corydoras in the hobby, the Orange Laser Cory (Corydoras sp. CW010) is a wild-type bristletooth-style cory from the Peruvian Amazon known for the bold electric-orange lateral stripe that runs from snout to tail across a metallic-bronze body. They’re busy, peaceful schoolers that hoover the bottom of your tank for uneaten food while showing off colors that pop in any planted aquarium — a true centerpiece bottom dweller. Available in two sizes. Choose Medium (typical young adult, ~1.5–2″) or Large (fully colored adult, ~2–2.5″) above. Either way, plan for a school of 4 to 6 or more — corys are obligate shoalers and stress in smaller groups. Browse all our freshwater fish or shop the rest of our freshwater section for tank mates, food, and supplies. Care Guide Tank size: 20 gallons minimum for a school of 4 to 6. Long footprints beat tall, narrow tanks — corys live on the bottom. Water: 72–78°F, pH 6.5–7.5, soft to moderately hard. Stable parameters matter more than chasing exact numbers. Substrate: Smooth sand or rounded fine gravel only. Sharp or coarse substrate damages their delicate barbels (sensory whiskers) and can lead to infection. CaribSea Super Naturals sand works beautifully and makes their orange stripe really pop. Filtration & flow: Gentle to moderate. Corys appreciate well-oxygenated water but don’t enjoy a current-blasted tank. Aquascape: Open sand floor for foraging plus driftwood, broad-leaf plants (anubias, java fern), and a few caves or hides for daytime resting. Diet: Omnivore. Feed sinking foods at lights-out so they reach the bottom — Seachem NutriDiet sinking tabs, frozen bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, and quality flake that drifts down. They’ll also clean up spillage from mid-water feeders. Maintenance: 25–30% weekly water changes with Seachem Prime. Keep nitrates low — corys are sensitive to dirty water. No salt: Corydoras are scaleless on parts of their body and intolerant of aquarium salt. Do not add salt as a remedy. Lid required: Corys occasionally dart to the surface for a gulp of air. A snug lid prevents jumps. Specifications Common Name Orange Laser Cory / Orange Laser Corydoras Scientific Name Corydoras sp. CW010 Family Callichthyidae (armored catfish) Origin Peruvian Amazon, South America Care Level Beginner Diet Omnivore — sinking foods preferred Lifespan 8–10+ years Max Size ~2.5 inches Water Type Freshwater, tropical Compatibility Orange Laser Corys are textbook peaceful community fish — they ignore everything that isn’t food on the substrate. Great tank mates: neon tetras, ember tetras, harlequin rasboras, zebra danios, black skirt tetras, dwarf gouramis, peaceful livebearers, otocinclus, kuhli loaches. Other corys: mix happily with our Panda Corys or Mixed Cory Catfish — corys often shoal as a mixed group. Inverts: safe with snails (nerite, ramshorn) and adult shrimp. Fry may be eaten. Avoid: aggressive cichlids, fin-nippers (tiger barbs, serpae tetras), large predatory fish, anything that will outcompete them at meals. Recommended Foods & Supplies Seachem NutriDiet Sinking Tabs — bottom-feeder staple CaribSea Super Naturals Sand — barbel-friendly substrate Seachem Prime — water conditioner for every change Hikari Dark Rock Cave — resting hide Browse all fish food · water care & treatments · live plants Frequently Asked Questions What size should I buy?Both sizes ship the same care, just different stages of life. Medium fish color up over a few months in your tank; Large fish are already showing their full adult orange stripe. Mixing sizes in one school is fine. How many do I need?Four to six is the minimum. Corys are obligate schoolers — in groups smaller than that they get stressed, hide constantly, and stop foraging. Eight to ten is the sweet spot. Is this the same fish as the Green Laser Cory?Closely related — both are CW010 forms or close cousins of Corydoras aeneus. The Orange Laser shows a vivid orange lateral stripe; the Green Laser shows an iridescent green stripe. Different color forms, same care. Do I really need sand?Strongly recommended. Corys forage by sifting substrate through their gills, and sharp gravel files down their barbels over time, leading to infection and reduced sense of smell. Smooth fine sand or polished pea-size gravel is fine. Do you quarantine your Corydoras?Yes — every Corydoras is observed and quarantined for health before being made available for sale. Local pickup only?Yes. Squeaky’s Aquatics livestock is sold for in-store pickup at our Lawrenceville, Georgia showroom only.
