What fish can live with Sterba's Corydoras?

Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Sterba's Corydoras against your own reading before you buy.

What tank mates should you avoid with Sterba's Corydoras?

Avoid Oscar, Jack Dempsey, White Cloud Mountain Minnow based on size, temperament, or predation risk on file.

What size tank do Sterba's Corydoras need for a community?

100L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload headroom. Long-term, a 122L+ tank lets adults use the full footprint without crowding the next species. Footprint, meaning length and front-to-back depth, matters as much as raw volume for active or territorial species.

Sterba's Corydoras tank mates

The standard warm-water cory for discus and apistogramma tanks. Tolerates 28–30 °C without the health decline that affects most corydoras at those temperatures.

Evidence: partially verified

Confidence: high

Lists below are built from this species record (safest, best with, risky, unsafe) — each link opens a pair-level check, not a guarantee.

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Best tank mates (on file)

Merged from conservative safest and best with fields — de-duplicated by species.

Cardinal Tetra Pair check
The Sterba's Corydoras profile lists Cardinal Tetra as both safe and a recommended pairing. Cardinal Tetra schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Cardinal Tetra swims in the middle zone while Sterba's Corydoras stays in the bottom, so the two will not crowd the same water column.
Discus Pair check
The Sterba's Corydoras profile lists Discus as both safe and a recommended pairing. Discus schools in groups of 4 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Discus grows bigger than Sterba's Corydoras (20cm vs 7cm). Stock the Sterba's Corydoras group large enough to outnumber the Discus, or the smaller fish ends up bullied or off food. Discus swims in the middle zone while Sterba's Corydoras stays in the bottom, so the two will not crowd the same water column.
Dwarf Gourami Pair check
The Sterba's Corydoras profile lists Dwarf Gourami as both safe and a recommended pairing. Dwarf Gourami swims in the top zone while Sterba's Corydoras stays in the bottom, so the two will not crowd the same water column.
Rummy Nose Tetra Pair check
The Sterba's Corydoras profile lists Rummy Nose Tetra as both safe and a recommended pairing. Rummy Nose Tetra schools in groups of 8 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Rummy Nose Tetra swims in the middle zone while Sterba's Corydoras stays in the bottom, so the two will not crowd the same water column.

Risky or situational

From risky tank mates and broad avoid with (excluding “unsafe” below). May work with species-only setups, more water, or mature systems — read the pair page.

None on file beyond the safe list.

Fish to avoid with Sterba's Corydoras

From the unsafe list — predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile.

Oscar See why (pair)
Oscar reaches 35cm and is flagged predatory. Sterba's Corydoras at 7cm is prey-sized for it. Oscar needs at least 300L, far above the 100L minimum for Sterba's Corydoras. The tank that houses one stresses the other. Oscar is rated aggressive and Sterba's Corydoras is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.
Jack Dempsey See why (pair)
Jack Dempsey reaches 25cm and is flagged predatory. Sterba's Corydoras at 7cm is prey-sized for it. Jack Dempsey is rated aggressive and Sterba's Corydoras is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow See why (pair)
White Cloud Mountain Minnow conflicts with Sterba's Corydoras on temperament, predation, or footprint. The juvenile size in a shop tank is not the figure that matters here.

Tank size and groups

Published minimum for Sterba's Corydoras: 100L — group minimum 6 (schooling).
Compatibility changes when the tank is too short for turning, too little for a real school, or too warm for one species and not the other — that is why pair checks include tank context, not only temperament.
Nearest litre hub to this minimum: 100L hub.

Plan before you buy

Pair checks for every mix, then multi-species stocking in the builder.

Open compatibility checker Tank builder

Filtration & heating

A 100L minimum tank for Sterba's Corydoras needs a filter rated for at least 400L/hr turnover and a heater maintaining 24–30°C.

Filter buying guide →Heater buying guide →Beginner plants guide →