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Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras spp. (page covers the common trade group)
Also known as: corydoras, cory, cory catfish (bronze type common)
The default bottom-dweller for community tanks. Peaceful and active in shoals. The classic stocking mistake is buying two or three when you need six.
Corydoras Catfish tank mates · 60L tank size hub
peaceful · beginner care
Sources & confidencehigh · verified · beginner: excellent
Checked against several solid care sources that mostly agree. Numbers here are a careful starting point. Your tap water, tank size, and habits decide the rest. How we evaluate.
Best for: Any peaceful community 60L+ with sand or smooth gravel substrate; especially planted setups.
Avoid if: You only have sharp gravel (it shreds barbels), keep aggressive cichlids, or wanted a solo fish.
Common mistakeBuying a ‘trio’ of three different cory species for variety is how keepers invent permanently shy bottom fish. Each species needs six of its own kind to school; mixed singles do not settle. Soft sand and a real same-species group beat a rainbow of lonely cories on gravel.
Top things that go wrong
- Group welfare — not a solo display fish. Plan at least **6** together for normal behaviour; smaller groups often mean stress, colour loss, or nipping depending on species.
- Shrimp & snails. Cherry shrimp and other dwarfs can coexist with peaceful small fish; baby shrimp are food for almost anything that finds them.
A group, not one species
Shops sell many Corydoras species under one label. This page covers the common community cories as a group; see the individual cory pages for exact species. A 2024 revision also split the genus (Osteogaster, Hoplisoma) — hobby usage still says Corydoras.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Myth: one or two cories of mixed species are fine cleanup crew for any community. Reality: each species needs a real same-species school on soft sand — token mixed trios hide, stress, and never become the floor team people pictured.
- 2.A single cory, or two, 'for cleanup' in a 60L tank. Corys are a shoal, not a cleanup crew. A stressed pair does not even forage, let alone clean.
- 3.Sharp or dirty gravel that abrades the snout and barbels. Sand or smooth gravel is the long-term default.
- 4.Always keep corydoras in groups of at least 6. They stress when kept alone or in pairs. Provide a sand or smooth gravel substrate to protect their barbels.
About this species
Corydoras are small armoured catfish that forage the substrate in shoals. Not a cleanup crew, but a peaceful group fish that needs six or more of one species to settle.
- Julii Corydoras60L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Panda Corydoras60L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Salt and pepper cory / dwarf cory60L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Adolfoi cory80L min · same group, similar adult size
- Glass Catfish80L min · same group, similar adult size
- Peppered Corydoras80L min · same group, similar adult size
- Pygmy Corydoras30L min · same group, similar adult size
- Bronze corydoras100L min · same group, similar adult size
- Amano Shrimpalso beginner peaceful, similar tank size
- Assassin Snailalso beginner peaceful, similar tank size
- Beckford Pencilfishalso beginner peaceful, similar tank size
- Black Neon Tetraalso beginner peaceful, similar tank size
- Black phantom tetraalso beginner peaceful, similar tank size
- Bloodfin tetraalso beginner peaceful, similar tank size
- Adolfoi cory tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
- African freshwater butterflyfish tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
- Agassiz’s dwarf cichlid tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
- Amano Shrimp tank mateslists this fish as a safe and recommended mate
- Apistogramma Borellii tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
- Apistogramma Macmasteri tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
- Apistogramma Trifasciata tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
- Assassin Snail tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
Plan grid
Key limits are above. Here: pH band, swim level, bioload, and activity.
Swim zones
Care snapshot
Quick compare before you buy. Not a score of how “good” the fish is.
- Beginner ease85
- Peacefulness90
- Community fit86
- Small-tank fit100
- Hardiness79
- Energy24
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Example setups
Starting points only. Run the pair checker for every fish you add.
Rough 90L+ layout: one calm centrepiece, 8–12 small tetras/rasboras, 6–8 corydoras-type bottom fish — verify every name in the pair checker before buying.
Safer directions include: Cherry Barb, Guppy, Harlequin Rasbora.
Prioritise 6+ of Corydoras Catfish in 60L+ with filtration sized for messy feeding — add only mates that already pass pair checks with this species.
Compatibility
Tank mates for Corydoras Catfish
Usually safer (engine GOOD): Cherry Barb, Guppy, Harlequin Rasbora, Neon Tetra, Platy. Avoid (RISKY): Green Terror, Jack Dempsey, Oscar. Every name links to a live pair check — the lists are a shortlist, not a stocking plan.
Usually safer
Open a pair page with this fish as the starting point.
Needs planning
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
None listed. Use the pair checker before mixing.
Usually avoid
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
Compare with
Run a real pair check: Corydoras Catfish + Cherry Barb
- Try Cherry Barb — open the pair check.
- Try Guppy — open the pair check.
- Try Harlequin Rasbora — open the pair check.
- Try Neon Tetra — open the pair check.
Behaviour and temperament
Corydoras are strongly social and peaceful. A single cory stops foraging and hides at the back; a group of six or more works the whole floor confidently. They ignore midwater fish and fail on sharp gravel or when kept as mixed singles for ‘variety.’
What sets them off
- Sudden crowding
- Poor water quality
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper; stressed or crowded individuals can still test fins.
Predation: Not a predator toward similarly sized community fish; fry and dwarf shrimp are still fair game for most species.
Territory: Not strongly territorial, but still needs room so its working space does not overlap the next fish.
Planted tanks: excellent — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Six or more of the same species work soft sand together after feeding.
- Barbels stay clean and busy on sand; gravel shreds them over months.
- A lone or mixed-species trio that never forages usually needs a real same-species school.
- Torn barbels point to substrate before a mystery bacterial label.
- None toward tank mates; competition is over sinking wafers inside the group.
- They lose to predatory cichlids and get outcompeted by frantic midwater feeders.
- Consolidate to six of one species before adding another bottom ‘helper.’
- Move them off gravel onto sand if barbels look damaged after a few months.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Water, food, and grouping
Hardness
soft
Diet
omnivore
Corydoras are bottom omnivores that need sinking wafers and frozen foods after the midwater rush. Leftover flake is not a feeding plan. Drop food to soft sand, confirm the slowest fish eats, and keep six or more of the same species so the school forages the whole floor with confidence.
Shrimp & snails
Cherry shrimp and other dwarfs can coexist with peaceful small fish; baby shrimp are food for almost anything that finds them.
Schooling species — buy 6+ together. Smaller groups stress and lose colour.
- Hold 20 to 26 °C steadily on a real thermometer, not the dial on the heater.
- Aim for pH 6 to 7.5 and a hardness you can re-test in two weeks. A one-time strip in the shop car park is not a water test.
- Schooling species. Buy 6 or more from the same tank on the same day before adding any centrepiece fish.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 60L published minimum for adults.
- You can stock at least 6 individuals (group welfare).
- Heater can hold 20–26°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
Explore and stocking hubs
Tank-mates hub, matching guides, category peers, and litre stocking lists around this species’ minimum tank.
Plan with tools
Check mates as pairs first, then add this fish in the tank builder for the full stocking.
Filtration & heating
A 60L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 240L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 20–26°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Corydoras Catfish does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 20–26°C and pH 6–7.5:
Research: verified · Confidence: high · 3 linked source(s). We do not invent citations.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Seriously Fish. Corydoras paleatus
Primary: aquarium size, water chemistry, behaviour, and compatibility (URL verified in upgrade script; recheck if site content changes).
- FishBase. Corydoras paleatus
Secondary: taxonomy, distribution, and maximum length in nature; cross-check with aquarium import lines and measured tank parameters.
- Wikipedia. Corydoras paleatus
Secondary: general species context; verify all husbandry numbers against a dedicated aquarium care sheet and your test kit, not a single table row.
Evidence notes
- The Seriously Fish profile for the binomial in this record was successfully reached as the primary aquarium reference.
- FishBase contributes natural-range size and habitat context. Translate those numbers through your heater, your water report, and your tank footprint before stocking.
- Wikipedia is only cited if the article URL returned OK. Use it for orientation, not as the only care sheet for an import.
- All compatibility text reflects typical hobby experience and the Fishori model. Individual fish, shop stress, and the order tank mates are added in can still defy a single-paragraph label.
Featured compatibility checks
Curated pair pages for Corydoras Catfish. Each opens a full verdict — not just a list label.
- Corydoras Catfish + Guppy
- Corydoras Catfish + Betta
- Corydoras Catfish + Neon Tetra
- Corydoras Catfish + Cardinal Tetra
- Corydoras Catfish + Harlequin Rasbora
- Corydoras Catfish + Rummy Nose Tetra
- Corydoras Catfish + Ember Tetra
- Corydoras Catfish + Lemon Tetra
- Corydoras Catfish + Dwarf Gourami
- Corydoras Catfish + Pearl Gourami
- Corydoras Catfish + Angelfish
- Corydoras Catfish + Bristlenose Pleco
Common questions about Corydoras Catfish
- How big do Corydoras Catfish get?
- Most species reach 4 to 7 cm. Plan stocking by the school. Six corydoras at 5 cm each carry the bioload of one larger fish, spread across the substrate.
- What size tank does Corydoras Catfish need?
- 60L is workable for the smaller species. Footprint matters more than volume. They need at least 60cm of substrate to forage.
- Are Corydoras Catfish aggressive?
- Corydoras are strongly social and peaceful. A single cory stops foraging and hides at the back; a group of six or more works the whole floor confidently. They ignore midwater fish and fail on sharp gravel or when kept as mixed singles for ‘variety.’
- Do Corydoras Catfish need to be kept in a group?
- Schooling species — buy 6+ together. Smaller groups stress and lose colour.
- What is the most common mistake with Corydoras Catfish?
- Buying a ‘trio’ of three different cory species for variety is how keepers invent permanently shy bottom fish. Each species needs six of its own kind to school; mixed singles do not settle. Soft sand and a real same-species group beat a rainbow of lonely cories on gravel.
- What fish can live with Corydoras Catfish?
- The Corydoras Catfish profile lists Cherry Barb, Guppy, Harlequin Rasbora, Neon Tetra among its safer pairings (engine-checked GOOD). Avoid Green Terror, Jack Dempsey, Oscar (RISKY). Run the pair checker for your exact water and tank size before stocking.