Cory catfish are one of the most common bottom dweller fish that aquarists love adding to their tank. They are peaceful fish and like to live with other non-aggressive fish.
They will thrive living with other fish in a community tank. However, there are many things we should consider when planning to add new fish to our cory catfish tank, like the temperament, ideal parameters, dietary needs, and their behavior. So, Can cory catfish live with neon tetras? Do they have similar requirements? Let us find out.
Cory catfish can live with neon tetras as they are peaceful fish with similar water parameters and conditions requirements. However, neon tetras show aggression by nipping fins if not kept in a good school and provided ample space. Consider keeping at least six neon tetras to form a good school.
This article will discuss whether cory catfish can live with neon tetras and how much space they need to live in the same tank. Also, we will discuss the best tankmates for our cory catfish. So, let us get into it.
Contents
- 1 Can I keep cory catfish and neon tetra together in a tank?
- 2 Cory catfish and neon tetra natural behavior
- 3 What are the ideal water parameters of cory catfish and neon tetra?
- 4 What are the ideal water conditions for cory catfish and neon tetra?
- 5 What are the ideal dietary requirements of cory catfish and neon tetra?
- 6 What is the ideal tank size required for keeping them together?
- 7 Other best tankmates of cory catfish
- 8 Conclusion:
Can I keep cory catfish and neon tetra together in a tank?
When we plan to add some new fish to our tank or make a community tank, we should consider all these things:
- The natural behavior of a fish.
- The ideal water parameters of a fish
- The ideal water conditions for a fish
- Ideal dietary requirements of a fish
- The tank size requirement of a fish
We cannot keep aggressive fish with peaceful fish as it will result in them getting bullied and chased by the aggressive ones.
If the water parameters of the fish don’t match with the other fish, one of them will be living in inadequate water parameters, which will affect their health.
The same goes for water conditions and dietary requirements.
When we talk about cory catfish and neon tetra, you don’t have to worry about anything as they are the best tankmates.
They both have similar requirements of parameters and conditions.
Let us get further and discuss the compatibility of cory catfish and neon tetras.
Cory catfish and neon tetra natural behavior
The behavior of a fish is something we should consider first when planning makes a community tank or when adding some new fish to a tank.
If you keep aggressive fish with a peaceful fish, the aggressive fish will constantly chase the peaceful fish and try to hunt them down.
Your fish will keep hiding and running from the aggressive fish, making them come under stress and become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Cory catfish natural behavior:
Cory catfish are peaceful bottom dweller fish that spends most of their time scavenging on the bottom in search of food.
They are schooling fish and prefer to live in a large group of their species.
They love to live and interact with other peaceful and social fish in a community tank.
They are hardy fish and can live in a wide range of water parameters, making them the best choice for beginners.
You can keep cory catfish in a community tank with other peaceful fish as they will love to live with other fish and thrive in a community tank.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Aggressive?
Neon tetra natural behavior:
Neon tetras are peaceful fish that prefer to live in a large group of their species.
They need ample space to live and swim comfortably.
If you keep them in a crowded tank, they can show aggression by nipping other fish in a tank.
So, when keeping neon tetras in a community tank or with other fish, ensure enough space to live and swim comfortably.
Also, when not kept in a good size school, they will show aggression by nipping at other fish fins.
Neon tetras are beautiful fish that can be kept in a community tank as they are peaceful in nature and love to live with other non-aggressive fish in a community tank.
You just have to ensure enough space for them by not overcrowding their tank, and they will thrive.
What are the ideal water parameters of cory catfish and neon tetra?
Cory catfish and neon tetra both require similar water parameters to thrive.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish | Neon Tetra |
|---|---|---|
| Water Temperature | Between 70-82 °F | Between 70-81 °F |
| Water pH level | Between 7 and 8 | Between 6 and 7 |
| Water TDS level | Between 400-600ppm | Up to 500ppm |
| Water Hardness | Between 5 and 19 dGH | Between 2 and 10 dGH |
Cory catfish ideal water parameters:
Cory catfish requires a water temperature between 70-82 °F to thrive.
The water pH level of your cory catfish tank should be between 7 and 8.
They will thrive between the water TDS level of 400-600ppm.
The water hardness of your cory catfish tank should be between 5 and 19 dGH.
Consider adding a heater to your cory catfish tank to stabilize the water temperature. The unstable water temperature will make them come under stress and prone to various diseases and parasites.
Also read: Ideal Water Temperature For Cory Catfish?
Neon tetra ideal water parameters:
The water temperature of your neon tetra tank should be between 71-81 °F.
Neon tetra will thrive in the water pH level between 6 and 7.
Make sure that the water TDS level doesn’t rise above 500ppm.
The water hardness of your neon tetra tank should be between 2 and 10 dGH.
So, we can see that there is a minor difference between the parameters requirement of cory catfish and neon tetra, so to keep them together, consider maintaining these water parameters:
- Water temperature between 70-80 °F.
- The water pH level of 7
- The water TDS level between 400-500ppm
- Water hardness between 5 and 10
What are the ideal water conditions for cory catfish and neon tetra?
Cory catfish and neon tetra have similar water condition requirements, making them good tankmates.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish | Neon Tetra |
|---|---|---|
| Water condition | Clean water condition | Clean water condition |
| Ammonia | 0ppm | 0ppm |
| Nitrite | 0ppm | 0ppm |
| Nitrate | Below 20ppm | Below 20ppm |
Cory catfish ideal water conditions:
Cory catfish are tropical freshwater fish and require clean water conditions to thrive.
The ammonia and nitrite level of your cory catfish tank should be at 0ppm, whereas the nitrate should be below 20ppm.
While performing a water change, treat the water with a water conditioner to dechlorinate the water.
Provide your cory catfish with their ideal water conditions, and they will thrive.
Also read: Ideal pH level For Cory Catfish?
Neon tetra ideal water conditions:
Neon tetras also have the same ideal water conditions requirement as cory catfish to thrive.
They are freshwater fish and need clean water conditions to thrive.
Your neon tetra tank’s ammonia and nitrite level should be at 0ppm, whereas the nitrite should be below 20ppm.
We recommend using the API master test kit to regularly check the tank’s ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH level.
You can buy it from amazon: API FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT.
Water with chlorine can make neon tetra suffer from various issues, so consider treating the water with a water conditioner while performing a water change.
We recommend using the API water conditioner to treat the water as it will eliminate chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, ammonia, and nitrite from the water.
You can buy it from Amazon API TAP WATER CONDITIONER.
What are the ideal dietary requirements of cory catfish and neon tetra?
Cory catfish and neon tetra are omnivore fish and feed on meat and plant matter food to fulfill their dietary needs.
| Cory catfish – Tetra Food | Serving Quantity | No Of Times |
|---|---|---|
| Bloodworms | One small pinch | 1-2 times a week |
| Brine shrimp | One small pinch | 1-2 times a week |
| Veggie pellets | One small pinch | 1-2 times a day |
| Flake food | One small pinch | 1-2 times a day |
| Tubifex Worms | One small pinch | 1 time a week |
| Mosquito larvae | 10-15 pieces | 2-3 times a week |
| Blanched zucchini | One small slice | 1-2 times a week |
| Blanched cucumber | One small piece | 1-2 times a week |
| Boiled peas | One pea per fish | 1-2 times a week |
Cory catfish ideal dietary requirements:
Corydoras are omnivore fish and require meat and plant-based food in their daily diet.
They love to feed on worms, insects, and larvae.
Some foods are specially made for bottom feeders like sinking pellets and flakes, bottom feeder tablets, and wafers. So, you don’t have to worry about their feedings.
Feed your cory catfish with bloodworms, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, blackworms, tubifex worms, shrimp pellets, and sinking flake food to fulfill their meat-based nutritional requirement.
You can also feed them with bottom feeder tablets as they are bottom feeders and spend most of their on the bottom of the tank.
Also, feed them with blanched vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, and lettuce to fulfill their plant-based nutritional requirement.
Feed them in a quantity that they can finish eating in one to two minutes to ensure you are not overfeeding or underfeeding them.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Eat Brine Shrimp?
Neon tetra ideal dietary requirements:
Neon tetras are also omnivore fish and feed on plant and meat-based food in their daily diet to fulfill their dietary needs.
They love to feed on live food such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae.
Also, they will happily feed on blanched vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, and lettuce.
Neon tetra will feed on every food that cory catfish will feed on.
However, neon tetras swim in the middle of the tank, and cory catfish are bottom dwellers who spend most of their time at the bottom.
So, you will not find it hard to feed them as they will not feed on each other meals.
Your cory catfish will feed food that will sink at the bottom. However, they can also swim at the top to grab food sometimes.
But, both will not fight or chase each other for food as they are peaceful fish, and chasing and fighting are against their nature.
So, you don’t have to worry about feeding them as they will not create chaos and will feed their food peacefully without making any disputes.
What is the ideal tank size required for keeping them together?
When we talk about a fish’s ideal tank size requirement, the only thing we have to consider is the size of the fish.
Cory catfish can be as long as 4 inches in size, with an average of 2-2.5 inches.
They prefer to live in a large group of their species as they are schooling fish.
Ensure keeping cory catfish in a group of at least 5-6.
Follow the one-inch one-gallon rule to fulfill a fish’s ideal tank size requirement and avoid overcrowding.
The one-inch one-gallon rule means one inch of fish per gallon of water.
So, by all that calculations, your cory catfish will require a minimum 20-gallon size tank to live comfortably.
We should always take some gallons extra as plants, substrate, and decors will take some of the space.
Neon tetras can be anywhere between 1.5 inches in size.
They are schooling fish and prefer to live in a group of at least 6.
So, you will need a 10-gallon tank to provide enough space for your neon tetra to live and swim comfortably.
So, a 30-gallon tank is the ideal tank size requirement for keeping cory catfish and neon tetra together.
Also read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 10-Gallon Tank?
Other best tankmates of cory catfish
Cory catfish are peaceful bottom dweller fish that spends most of their time on the bottom of the tank.
If you add any aggressive fish to your cory catfish tank, they will constantly chase and try to hunt down your cory catfish.
Your cory catfish will not fight back and will keep running and hiding from the aggressive mate.
They will come under stress and become prone to diseases.
So, when deciding to add mates to your cory catfish tank, go for choosing only peaceful and social fish like:
- Guppies
- Gourami
- Mollies
- Platies
- Snails
- Shrimps
- Kuhli Loach
- Zebra danios
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Guppies?
Conclusion:
Cory catfish and neon tetras can live together as they have similar tank conditions requirements.
They both are peaceful fish that love to live and interact with other non-aggressive fish in a community tank.
Keep at least 5-6 cory catfish and six neon tetras to form a good school for them.
Ensure that neon tetras have enough space to live as they can show aggression by nipping the fins when kept in an overcrowded tank.
Consider keeping your cory catfish and neon tetras in a minimum 30-gallon tank to fulfill their ideal tank size requirement.