Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish and are the most common fish aquarists prefer to add to their tank. However, It is essential to know about the temperament of a fish before adding them to your home aquarium. So, Are cory catfish aggressive? Let us find out.
Cory catfish are not aggressive and prefer to live with other peaceful fish in a community tank. They are bottom dwellers who spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank in search of food peacefully. Keep at least six cory catfish together to form an ideal school for them.
This article will discuss whether cory catfish are aggressive and what can encourage aggression in our cory catfish. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Cory catfish temperament.
Cory catfish are peaceful fish species and do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They are bottom dweller fish and spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom of the tank in search of food.
Some of the corydoras species are shy and don’t interact with other fish in the tank.
Cory catfish will not even try to fight back when some aggressive fish try to chase and bully them.
So, with such behavior, we can say they are the most peaceful bottom dweller in your tank.
They will thrive when you keep them in a large group of at least six and provide them with their ideal living conditions.
Are cory catfish territorial
Cory catfish are not territorial fish and do great in a community tank.
When it comes to cory catfish, they are very peaceful and friendly fish that loves to interact and swim with other fishes.
They will never harm any other fish and will live peacefully with them.
They are not territorial and spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank in search of food.
Cory catfish are active fish and stay active during the daytime.
They also remain active at night and take a nap of 10-15 minutes anytime they want.
You can keep cory catfish with other peaceful fish as they will not harm anyone.
Why are my cory catfish chasing each other?
Many cory catfish owners confuse playing with aggression when they see their cory catfish chasing each other.
Cory catfish are non-aggressive fish and will not chase each other because of aggression.
They interact and play with each other by chasing and swimming together.
So, whenever you see your cory catfish chasing each other, relax as they are playing; it is not a sign of aggression.
Cory catfish prefer to live in a large school and will come under stress if you keep them in a group of just 2-3.
Cory catfish are schooling fish; you must keep them in a large group of at least 6 to complete their school.
What factors can encourage aggression in cory catfish?
We all know that cory catfish are peaceful bottom dweller fish and do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
However at last, they are animals and can show some strange behavior when kept in inadequate living conditions.
These are some factors that encourage aggression in a fish, so we can count cory catfish in such fishes and ensure to prevent them from such issues:
- Your cory catfish is living in poor water conditions.
- The parameters of your cory catfish tank are not adequate.
- There is the presence of aggressive fish in your cory catfish tank.
- Your cory catfish tank is overcrowded.
Poor water conditions
Poor water conditions can encourage aggression in fish.
Dirty water conditions will have a high level of ammonia and will also lack oxygen.
In such conditions, fish come under stress and suffer from ammonia burns.
Such water conditions can encourage aggression in your cory catfish.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
How to fix it?
Perform a weekly water change of at least 35% to keep the water clean.
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels and ensure to keep ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm, whereas nitrate below 20ppm.
Consider adding a filter to your cory catfish tank to protect the water from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
Also, add plenty of live aquatic plants to your cory catfish tank to keep the water well-oxygenated and clean.
Inadequate water parameters
Inadequate and unstable water parameters can encourage aggression in your fish.
Inadequate water temperature will put your fish under stress, and they can show strange aggressive behavior.
Inappropriate pH levels will make your fish prone to various diseases and parasites, and they can show aggression due to stress.
How to fix it?
Provide your cory catfish with their ideal water temperature of 72-82 °F.
Make sure to maintain the water pH level between 7 and 8.
Consider adding a heater to your cory catfish tank to stabilize the water temperature.
Avoid adding aggressive fish.
Cory catfish will hide and run from the aggressive fish chasing and nipping.
However, sometimes they can defend themselves using their sting and become aggressive.
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and prefer to live with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
Adding aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank will make your cory catfish come under stress because of constant chasing and fighting.
Consider keeping your cory catfish with peaceful fish like:
- Neon tetra
- Gourami
- Mollies
- Platies
- Guppy
- Zebra danios
You can also keep invertebrates like shrimps and snails in your cory catfish tank.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Bettas?
Overcrowded tank
An overcrowded tank can encourage aggression in a fish.
A crowded tank will not let your cory catfish swim and live comfortably.
Also, a lack of oxygen in a crowded tank will make your cory catfish suffer breathing.
All these can make them show strange aggressive behavior sometimes.
Also read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 10-Gallon Tank?
How to fix it?
To ensure that you are not overcrowding your cory catfish tank, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule.
The one-inch one-gallon rule means one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Cory catfish can be as long as 4 inches in size with an average of 2 inches.
So, consider providing 2 gallons of water at least per cory catfish.
Can cory catfish live with other tankmates?
Cory catfish will thrive with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They are peaceful and non-territorial fish and prefer to live in a large group of at least 6.
You can add other peaceful fish to your cory catfish tank, as they will love to live with them.
These are some best tankmates you can consider adding to your cory catfish tank:
- Neon tetra
- Gourami
- Zebra danios
- Guppy
- Mollies
- Platies
- Snails
- Shrimps
Don’t keep your cory catfish in a small group as they will stress out living in a group of 2 or 3 of their species.
Consider keeping at least a group of 6 corydoras to form an ideal school for them.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Plecos?
Conclusion:
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and prefer to live with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
You can keep your cory catfish in a community tank as they are peaceful and not territorial fish.
They will not harm any other fish and will live peacefully.
Keep at least six cory catfish together to form a good school for them.
Keeping fewer cory catfish will make them come under stress, and they can become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Avoid keeping your cory catfish with aggressive fish as they can harm your cory catfish.
Reference: ScienceDirect, Wikipedia, Wikipedia