Cory catfish are the most common bottom dweller fish aquarists prefer to add to their community tank because of their peaceful temperament.
When looking at cory catfish behavior and way of living, one query in every aquarist’s mind is are they hardy fish. So, Are cory catfish hardy? Let us find out.
Cory catfish are hardy and can live in a wide range of water parameters. They are omnivore fish and will feed on anything you serve. Corydoras are peaceful and easy to take care of, making them the best option for a beginner. Provide them with their ideal living condition, and they will thrive.
This article will discuss whether cory catfish are hardy, and we will also discuss the natural habitat of corydoras. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Is cory catfish hardy fish?
Cory catfish are hardy fish.
They can live in a wide range of water parameters.
Corydoras are easy to take care of as they will not demand anything unique living in captivity.
Provide them with their ideal living conditions, and they will thrive.
They are omnivore fish and feed on almost anything you serve to them.
Also, they are bottom dweller fish and spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom of the tank in search of food.
So, they will take care of their food on their own most of the time.
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and love to live and interact with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They are one of the most common bottom dweller fish aquarists prefer to add to their home aquarium because of their hardy nature and peaceful behavior.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Aggressive?
Corydoras natural habitat.
Corydoras are usually found on the streams, rivers, and ponds of South America.
They are freshwater fish and prefer to live in clean water conditions.
They feed on worms, insects, larvae, and some vegetable matter in their natural habitat.
Corydoras are bottom dweller fish and mostly remain at the bottom, scavenging in search of food.
They use their sensory barbels to search for the food on the bottom, and then they dig and suck up the food using their mouth.
They can live in a wide range of water parameters, where they prefer soft water, which is neutral or slightly acidic, or slightly alkaline.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Bottom Feeders?
Is it easy to take care of a cory catfish?
It is easy to take care of a cory catfish as they are hardy fish and can live in a wide range of water parameters.
Cory catfish are recommended for beginners to keep as they are hardy fish and are easy to take care of.
They are bottom dweller fish and will spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom of the tank, searching for food.
You have to feed them one to two times a day, and they will thrive.
Just provide them with their ideal water parameters and stable water temperature, and they will not demand anything else.
Corydoras are peaceful bottom dwellers so you can keep them in a community tank with other non-aggressive tankmates.
Let us discuss how we can provide an ideal living condition for our cory catfish.
Also read: Why Is My Cory Catfish Not Eating?
How to provide an ideal living condition for our cory catfish?
Ensure all these things to provide an ideal living condition for your cory catfish:
- Good water conditions
- Adequate and stable water parameters
- Avoid adding aggressive fish.
- Avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank.
Good water conditions
Cory catfish are freshwater fish and thrive in clean water conditions.
Perform a weekly water change of at least 35% to keep the water condition clean.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | Clean water condition |
| Water Hardness | 5 and 19 dGH |
| Ammonia | 0ppm |
| Nitrite | 0ppm |
| Nitrate | Below 20ppm |
Consider adding a good filtration system with biofilter media to protect your cory catfish tank from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels and maintain the ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm and nitrate below 20ppm.
We suggest buying the API ammonia test kit to check ammonia levels as it shows accurate results.
You can purchase it from Amazon API TEST KIT.
Also, consider adding plenty of live aquatic plants to your cory catfish tank to keep the tank well oxygenated and clean.
Adequate and stable water parameters
Provide your cory catfish with adequate water parameters to ensure ideal living conditions.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 72-82 °F |
| Water pH level | 7-8 |
Your cory catfish will require a water temperature between 72-82 °F.
Ensure to maintain the water pH level between 7 and 8.
The water hardness should be between 5 and 19 dGH.
Also, consider adding a heater to your cory catfish tank to stabilize the water temperature.
Unstable water temperature will make your cory catfish come under stress and become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Also read: Ideal Water Temperature For Cory Catfish?
Avoid adding aggressive fish.
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
Cory catfish will not even try to fight back and defend themselves when some aggressive fish will chase and try to hurt them.
They will keep running and hiding from the aggressive fish.
Your corydoras will come under stress because of getting constantly chased.
They will become weak and prone to diseases and parasites if being under stress for a long time.
So, consider keeping your cory catfish with other peaceful fish like:
- Neon tetra
- Mollies
- Platies
- Guppy
- Zebra danios
- Shrimps
- Snails
- Gourami
Avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank.
Overcrowding your cory catfish tank will make them suffer from all these issues:
- They will not be able to live and swim comfortably.
- There will be an oxygen deficiency in a crowded tank.
- They will come under stress in an overcrowded tank.
- Their tank will get dirty faster than usual.
- There will be a high risk of an ammonia spike in a crowded tank.
So, you should make sure not to overcrowd your cory catfish tank to prevent them from all these issues.
To ensure that you are not overcrowding their tank, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule, which is one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Corydoras can be as long as 4 inches in size, with an average of 2 inches.
So, consider providing at least 2 gallons of water per cory catfish to ensure you are not overcrowding their tank.
Which corydoras is most hardy?
All corydoras species are hardy and can live in a wide range of water parameters and conditions.
However, albino cory catfish are known to be hardier than other species of corydoras.
Other corydoras like bronze cory catfish, sterbai cory, and pepper cory catfish are among the hardiest corydoras species.
Albino cory catfish
Albino cory catfish are very hardy fish and can live in various living conditions.
They are the best option for beginners to add to their home aquarium.
| Particulars | Albino Cory Catfish |
|---|---|
| Experience level | Beginners |
| Hardiness | Hardy fish |
| Water temperature | Between 72-80 °F |
| Water pH level | Between 6 and 8 |
| Minimum tank size | 20-gallon |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Water hardness | Between 2-20 dGH |
They can be as long as 2.5 to 3 inches in size and require a minimum space of 20 gallons to form a good school.
Bronze cory catfish
Bronze cory catfish are also known as green cory catfish.
They are easy to take care of and are hardy fish that lives in freshwater.
| Particulars | Bronze cory Catfish |
|---|---|
| Experience level | Beginner |
| Hardiness | Hardy fish |
| Water temperature | Between 72-82 °F |
| Water pH level | Between 6-8 |
| Minimum tank size | 10-gallon |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Water hardness | 5-19 dGH |
They are good for beginners as they can live in a wide range of water parameters and are easy to maintain.
However, bronze cory catfish are shy and will not interact much with other fish in a community tank.
They can be as long as 2.5 inches in size and require a minimum of a 10-gallon tank to form a good school.
Sterbai cory catfish
Sterbai cory catfish are also among the hardy species of corydoras.
They are easy to take care of and are the best choice for beginners to add to their community tank.
| Particulars | Sterbai Cory Catfish |
|---|---|
| Experience level | Beginner |
| Hardiness | Hardy fish |
| Water temperature | 75-82 °F |
| Water pH level | Between 6 and 7.8 |
| Minimum tank size | 20-gallon |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Water hardness | 5-19 dGH |
Sterbai cory catfish are peaceful fish and love to live and interact with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They are 2.5 inches in size and require a minimum of a 20-gallon tank to live comfortably in a school of at least 6.
Conclusion:
Cory catfish are hardy fish and can live in a wide range of water parameters.
They are one of the most common bottom dweller fish aquarists love to add to their community tank because of their hardy nature and peaceful temperament.
Cory catfish are easy to take care of and will not require special attention.
Provide them with their ideal living condition, and they will thrive.
They are omnivore fish species and will eat almost anything you serve to them, so there is no worry when it comes to food.
Also, they are bottom dwellers that spend maximum time scavenging on the bottom of the tank, feeding on leftovers and other waste.
Corydoras will help you keep your tank clean, and they are easy to take care of.
Reference: Wikipedia, Britannica