Cory catfish are peaceful fish and thrive living with other non-aggressive fish in a community tank. They will remain at the bottom of the tank most of the time as they are bottom dwellers.
Plecos are also bottom dwellers and remain at the bottom of the tank. As they are bottom dwellers, many beginners and aquarists are doubtful about keeping them together. Some think that they can live together and some don’t. So, Can cory catfish live with plecos? Let us find out.
Cory catfish can live with plecos as they both have similar water parameters and conditions requirements. However, plecos can get aggressive under stress because of an overcrowded tank and irregular food supply. Keep them in a large tank with ample bottom space as they are bottom dwellers.
This article will discuss whether we can keep cory catfish and plecos together by comparing their ideal water parameters and conditions requirement, their dietary needs requirement, and the minimum tank size requirement to keep them together. So, let us get into it.
Contents
- 1 Can I add plecos to my cory catfish tank?
- 2 Cory catfish and plecos temperament.
- 3 What are the ideal water conditions requirements of plecos and corydoras?
- 4 Ideal water parameters requirements of cory catfish and plecos
- 5 What do plecos and cory catfish eat?
- 6 What is the minimum tank size requirement to keep plecos and cory catfish together?
- 7 Conclusion:
Can I add plecos to my cory catfish tank?
You can add plecos to your cory catfish tank as they are peaceful creatures.
However, not all pleco species are compatible tankmates of your cory catfish, as some can be much larger than your corydoras.
The best option for you to add to your cory catfish tank is bristlenose pleco.
They can reach up to 5 inches in size and will live peacefully with your cory catfish.
Plecos can turn aggressive when kept in inadequate housing conditions.
Provide them with enough space, a stress-free environment, hiding spots, and a regular food supply to prevent aggression.
Create plenty of hiding spots for your plecos and cory catfish as they both need hiding places in their tank.
Hiding spots will allow your plecos to make their small territory and live comfortably.
Also, both the fishes are bottom dwellers, so you must keep them in a horizontally large tank with ample enough space at the bottom.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Neon Tetras?
Cory catfish and plecos temperament.
It is essential to know about the temperaments of the fish when planning to add them to your home tank.
Temperament plays an essential role in deciding the compatibility of two fishes.
Let us discuss the temperaments of both of the fishes.
Cory catfish temperament:
Cory catfish are peaceful bottom dwellers fish that spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom, searching for food.
They love to live in a large group of their own species as they are schooling fish.
Also, they are social fish and prefer to live with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They are so peaceful that they do not fight back against the fish bullying or chasing them.
They are not threats to your plecos and will live with them peacefully.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Aggressive?
Plecos temperaments:
Bristlenose plecos are the ideal choice to add to your corydoras tank.
They are also peaceful bottom dweller fish that will engage in eating algae and scavenging on the bottom.
They can turn a bit aggressive if kept in an overcrowded tank, stressful environment, and when not feeding properly.
Provide them with their ideal living conditions, and they will live peacefully with your cory catfish.
What are the ideal water conditions requirements of plecos and corydoras?
The water conditions requirement of plecos and cory catfish are similar.
Some aquarists think that plecos are tank cleaners and can live in poor water conditions, but this is not the case.
Plecos eat algae but will not keep the tank completely clean, and they will not be able to eat all algae.
Also, they produce lots of waste which needs to be cleaned by performing a water change and cleaning the substrate.
Plecos and cory catfish are both freshwater fish and prefer clean water conditions to thrive.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish | Plecos |
|---|---|---|
| Water condition | Clean water condition | Clean water condition |
| Ammonia | 0ppm | 0ppm |
| Nitrite | 0ppm | 0ppm |
| Nitrate | Below 20ppm | Below 20ppm |
A slight amount of harmful toxins like ammonia, nitrite, chlorine, and chloramine can make them sick and suffer from life-threatening conditions.
Perform a weekly water change of at least 35% to keep the water clean.
Treat the tap water with a water conditioner to dechlorinate it.
We recommend using the API water conditioner as it will eliminate chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, nitrite, and heavy metals from the tap water.
Consider adding a good filtration system with biofilter media to protect the water from toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and make sure to maintain ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm, whereas nitrate is below 20ppm.
We recommend using the API freshwater master test kit to check your fish tank’s ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH level as it shows accurate results.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
Ideal water parameters requirements of cory catfish and plecos
The parameters of both the fishes should be similar if we want to keep them together in the same tank.
Cory catfish ideal water parameters:
Cory catfish require a water temperature between 70-82 °F.
The water pH requirement of a cory catfish is between 7 and 8.
Water TDS levels should be between 400-600ppm.
And the water hardness should be between 5 and 19dGH.
| Particulars | Cory Catfish | Plecos |
|---|---|---|
| Water Temperature | Between 70-82 °F | Between 74-80 °F |
| Water pH level | Between 7 and 8 | Between 7 and 8 |
| Water TDS level | Between 400-600ppm | Between 300-500ppm |
| Water Hardness | Between 5 and 19 dGH | up to 25 dGH |
Plecos ideal water parameters:
Plecos require a water temperature between 74-80 °F.
The water pH requirement of plecos is between 7 and 8.
Water TDS level should be between 300-500ppm.
And the water hardness should be up to 25dGH.
To keep them together, maintain the water parameters as follows:
- Water temperature between 75-80 °F.
- The water pH level is between 7 and 8.
- Water TDS levels are between 400-500.
- The water hardness should be below 20dGH.
Also, consider adding a heater to your fish tank to stabilize the water temperature, as the unstable water temperature will stress them out.
What do plecos and cory catfish eat?
Cory catfish are omnivore fish that require meat and plant matter food in their daily diet.
The feed on food leftovers, decayed plants, and small dead animals form the bottom of the tank.
But, they will require high-quality nutritional food to ensure their faster growth and development.
Feed them with live and frozen food like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, flake food and pellets, and bottom feeder tablets to fulfill their meat-based nutritional requirement.
To fulfill their plant-based nutritional requirement, provide them with blanched vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, lettuce, and spinach, and also you can feed them with boiled peas.
When it comes to bristlenose plecos, they are herbivore fish but will feed on bloodworms, dead fish, and other live food.
However, feeding them with algae wafers and spirulina wafers once or twice a day will fulfill their ideal dietary needs.
You can also feed them blanched zucchini, lettuce, cucumber, and spinach once or twice a week as a treat.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Eat Bloodworms?
What is the minimum tank size requirement to keep plecos and cory catfish together?
The tank size requirement to keep them together is the one factor that stops many aquarists from keeping them together.
The reason behind that is both of them prefer to live in a group of at least 5-6.
Plecos can get up to 5 inches in size and require a minimum of a 30-gallon tank to live comfortably.
Also, they will produce lots of waste which will not be easy to clean in a big size tank.
Cory catfish will require a minimum tank size of 20-gallon to live comfortably.
So, a minimum of 50-60 gallon tank is necessary that extends more horizontally as they both are bottom dwellers and need enough space at the bottom.
So, if you have space to add a 60-gallon tank or already have a 50-60 gallon tank, you can keep them together.
Just make sure that the bottom of the tank is large enough to house them together and create hiding places to ensure their comfortable living.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In A bowl?
Conclusion:
You can keep plecos and cory catfish together in the same tank.
However, some of the plecos species can be as large as 12 inches in size.
So, you should consider keeping bristlenose pleco as they will reach up to 5 inches in size.
Provide plecos with ideal water conditions, enough space, a stress-free environment, and a regular food supply to prevent aggression.
They both are bottom dwellers and spend most of their time at the bottom of the tank. So, keep them in a large tank that extends horizontally.
A minimum of 50-60 gallon tank is required to keep them together as both are schooling fish and prefer to live in a group of at least 5-6 of their species.
They share similar water parameters and conditions requirements, so there will be no issue regarding that when planning to keep them together.