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Corydoras are small armored catfish that spend the day sifting the bottom for food. They are peaceful, sociable and endlessly entertaining, and they suit almost any community tank of small, non-aggressive fish.
Two rules are non-negotiable. They are social: keep a group of at least 6 of the same species; mixed singles do not school together as well. And they need a fine, smooth substrate, ideally sand, because they dig with their sensitive barbels, which can be damaged by sharp gravel.
- Temperature: panda, bronze and peppered corys prefer 72-77 °F (22-25 °C); sterbai tolerate warmer water, which makes them good partners for discus and rams.
- Feeding: they are not scavengers that live on leftovers. Give sinking pellets or wafers in the evening and frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp now and then.
- Size: pygmy and habrosus corys stay under an inch (2.5 cm) and fit planted nano tanks; most others reach 2-3 inches (5-7 cm).
Corydoras are sensitive to nitrate and to salt-based treatments. Keep the substrate clean with regular gravel vacuuming and avoid adding them to an uncycled tank.
Corydoras catfish
| Species | Min. liters | Size | Temp. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bronze cory Corydoras aeneus | 21 gal (80 L) | 2.6 in (6.5 cm) | 72–81 °F (22–27 °C) | Easy |
 Panda cory Corydoras panda | 16 gal (60 L) | 1.8 in (4.5 cm) | 68–77 °F (20–25 °C) | Moderate |
 Peppered cory Corydoras paleatus | 21 gal (80 L) | 2.6 in (6.5 cm) | 64–75 °F (18–24 °C) | Easy |
 Pygmy cory Corydoras pygmaeus | 11 gal (40 L) | 1 in (2.5 cm) | 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) | Moderate |
 Salt and pepper cory Corydoras habrosus | 11 gal (40 L) | 1.2 in (3 cm) | 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) | Moderate |
 Sterbai cory Corydoras sterbai | 21 gal (80 L) | 2.6 in (6.5 cm) | 75–82 °F (24–28 °C) | Easy |
 Three-stripe cory Corydoras trilineatus | 18 gal (70 L) | 2.2 in (5.5 cm) | 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) | Easy |
No species match those filters.