Can Cory Catfish Live Alone? (Complete Information)

Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish that every aquarist prefers to add to their home aquarium because of their peaceful nature. They are easy to take care of, making them the perfect option for beginners.

Just provide your cory catfish with their ideal living conditions, and they will thrive. Of course, when we talk about ideal living conditions, the first thing that comes to mind is whether we should keep them in a large group or a community tank. Are they social or schooling fish? So, Can cory catfish live alone? Let us find out.

Cory catfish cannot live alone as they are schooling fish and prefer to live in a large group. Your cory catfish will come under stress alone and become prone to various diseases and parasites. Consider keeping at least 5-6 cory catfish together to form a good school for them.

This article will discuss whether cory catfish can live alone and how many cory catfish should we keep together in a tank. Also, we will discuss the ideal tank size requirement for a cory catfish. So, let us get into it.

Can cory catfish survive living alone?

Cory catfish will not survive long living alone.

They are schooling fish and like to swim and live in a large group of their species.

Also, they are social fish too that love to live and interact with other fishes.

Your cory catfish will thrive if you keep them in a large group and with other peaceful fishes in a community tank.

Living alone will make your cory catfish come under stress.

They will start avoiding food and will barely move from one corner to another.

Also, you must know that fish being under stress for a long time will become prone to various diseases and parasites.

So, we don’t recommend keeping your cory catfish alone as it is against their natural behavior and can make them suffer from various critical issues.

Also read: Do Cory Catfish Need A School?

Cory catfish natural behavior.

Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish and spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom in search of food.

Sometimes they come to the water’s surface to gulp the air from the mouth, which is their natural behavior.

They are peaceful and hardy fish that can be kept in a community tank with other non-aggressive fish.

They will not chase or disturb other fishes in a community tank and will spend their time on the bottom grinding the substrate and searching for food.

If any aggressive mate tries to chase and fight with them, they will not fight back and will keep running and hiding from the aggressive fish.

Cory catfish are omnivore fish and feed on meat and plant matter food with mostly meat matter food.

They feed on bottom-dwelling insects, larvae, and worms in their natural habitat. Also, they feed on some vegetable matter.

Cory catfish are schooling fish and thrive living in a large group.

Also, they will do great with other peaceful tankmates as they love to interact and live with other non-aggressive fish.

Also read: Are Cory Catfish Tropical Fish?

How many cory catfish should we keep together?

Keeping at least 5-6 cory catfish together is necessary to form a good school for them.

Cory catfish are schooling fish and prefer to swim in a group.

Keeping less number of cory catfish or single cory catfish in a tank will make them come under stress, and they will become prone to diseases and parasites.

They are peaceful bottom dweller fish and will do great in a community tank with other non-aggressive tankmates.

Keeping your cory catfish with other fish will allow them to interact and swim with them, which your cory catfish will love to do as they are social fish too.

What is an ideal tank size requirement for a cory catfish?

Cory catfish can be as long as 4 inches in size, with an average of 2-2.5 inches.

When you plan to add fish to your aquarium, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule to ensure you are not overcrowding your tank.

The one-inch one-gallon rule means one inch of fish per gallon of water.

With an average size of 2-2.5 inches and the necessity of keeping at least 5-6 cory catfish together, a 20-gallon tank is the ideal tank size requirement for a cory catfish. 

Some of the space in a tank will be covered by substrate, plants, and other decors.

So, consider keeping your cory catfish at least in a 20-gallon tank as it is the minimum size they will require to live and swim comfortably.

If you want to make a community tank, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule, and you will not end up overcrowding your tank. 

Also read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 10 Gallon Tank?

What other tankmates can we add to our cory catfish tank?

Corydoras are peaceful fish species and prefer to live with other non-aggressive fish in a community tank.

These are some of the best tankmates you can consider adding to your cory catfish tank:

  1. Guppy
  2. Zebra danios
  3. Neon tetra
  4. Gourami
  5. Mollies
  6. Platies
  7. Shrimp
  8. Snails

All these tankmates will require similar water conditions and parameters that cory catfish need to thrive.

They all are peaceful fish and will love to live and interact with your cory catfish.

Your cory catfish will happily live with them and will do great.

However, ensure you don’t overcrowd your tank as it can cause several issues and trigger aggressiveness in some fish.

Also read: Are Cory Catfish Aggressive?

Conclusion:

Cory catfish cannot live alone.

They are schooling fish and like to live in a group of at least 5-6.

Also, they do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.

Never keep your cory catfish alone or in a small group of 2-3 as they can come under stress being alone and will become prone to various diseases and parasites.

Cory catfish are the most common bottom dweller fish that people love to add to their home aquarium.

They will not harm any other fish as they are peaceful and friendly.


Reference: Wikipedia

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