Pygmy (Hastatus) Corydoras

Pygmy corys break the genus mold in a genuinely interesting way: instead of spending most of their time rooting along the substrate, they spend a surprising amount of it hovering mid-water in loose schools, more like a tetra than a typical bottom-hugging Corydoras. At under an inch fully grown, they're among the smallest catfish in the hobby, which makes that open-water schooling behavior even more of a visible novelty in a planted tank.

Care level: Easy · Temperament: Peaceful, schooling · Max size: ~1" · Min tank: 10 gal · Diet: Omnivore, micro pellets + baby brine shrimp