Cory catfish are known to be tank cleaners as they feed on leftovers and other waste, but they don’t feed on aquarium algae. On the other hand, everybody knows that shrimps are great algae eaters and feed on almost every type of algae, especially green and hair algae.
So, it is good to house them together as it will help you keep your tank clean from every waste. But can they live together? So, Can cory catfish live with shrimps? Let us find out.
Cory catfish can live with shrimps as they both are peaceful and have similar water conditions and parameters requirements. However, sometimes cory catfish can eat small shrimp or baby shrimp when they are completely out of food, but this is rare, and their population will increase.
This article will discuss whether cory catfish and shrimp live together and things to take care of when keeping them together. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Can I keep corydoras and shrimp together in a tank?
You can keep cory catfish and shrimp together in a tank as they are good tankmates.
They pose no threat to each other and will live peacefully.
Both of them are peaceful and require similar water conditions to thrive.
Keeping shrimps in your corydoras tank will also help you get rid of algae.
So, you can consider adding them together in a tank as they will comfortably live with each other.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Bettas?
Will cory catfish eat shrimp?
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and will never try hunting down shrimps or other tankmates.
Hunting down live creatures is not their nature, and they will never perform that.
Cory catfish are so peaceful that they will not even try to fight the aggressive fish and keep running and hiding from them.
Attacking or hunting down is not their natural behavior, and they will never do that.
However, they can munch on small shrimps or baby shrimp if they are starving and no food is available.
But this is rare, and you don’t have to worry about it as the population of your shrimp will increase.
So, adding shrimp to your cory catfish tank is completely safe as they will live happily together in the same tank.
Also read: Do Cory Catfish Eat Snails?
Which shrimp are best for my corydoras tank?
These all are the best shrimp option you can consider adding to your corydoras tank:
- Red cherry shrimp
- Amano shrimp
- Crystal red shrimp
Red cherry shrimp
Red cherry shrimp come under the list of best tankmates of your corydoras.
Being a peaceful creatures, they will live peacefully with your cory catfish.
They are algae eaters and will feed on soft and brown algae from your tank.
They prefer the water temperature between 72-78 °F.
They require a water pH level of between 7-7.8.
Amano shrimp
Amano shrimp is the most common shrimp aquarist prefer to add to their home tanks.
They are very hardy and can live in a wide range of water parameters and conditions.
They are excellent algae eaters and will feed on green algae and hair algae.
Keeping them with your cory catfish is a good choice as they will live peacefully together.
They require a water temperature between 70-80 °F and a pH between 6 and 7.5.
Crystal red shrimp
If you have a good setup tank and keep pygmy cory catfish in it or any other small corydoras species, then crystal red shrimp is for your tank.
They are somewhere challenging to take care of comparing red cherry and Amano shrimps.
But, they will thrive living in a well-settled tank with small size fishes like pygmy cory catfish.
The ideal water temperature requirement for crystal red shrimp is 70-78 °F and a water pH level of 6.2 and 7.2.
How to keep corydoras and shrimp together in the same tank?
To keep them together in the same tank, you have to take care of all these things:
- Water parameters
- Tank size
- Feeding
- Substrate
Water parameters
Cory catfish and shrimps can live together as they have similar water parameter requirements.
Maintain the water temperature between 70-75 °F.
The water pH of your corydoras-shrimp tank should be between 6 and 7.5.
Consider adding a heater to your fish tank to stabilize the water temperature, as fluctuating water temperatures can harm them.
Keep the water clean by performing a weekly water change of 35% regularly.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
Tank size
Cory catfish require a big size tank to live comfortably.
Also, they are schooling fish that prefer to live in a large group of their species.
So, you have to keep at least 5-6 cory catfish to form a good school for them.
Cory catfish will require a minimum of 20-gallon tank to house 5-6 cory catfish together.
When we talk about shrimps, they don’t need a lot of space and can live comfortably in the minimum size of a 5-gallon tank.
So, to keep them together in the same tank, you can consider a minimum tank size requirement of 25-30 gallons.
Also read: Do Cory Catfish Need A School?
Feeding
There will be no issue feeding cory catfish and shrimps together.
They are not food competitors and will feed on their food peacefully.
When feeding, spread the food all over the tank so that your shrimp can easily feed on them without interacting with cory catfish.
Cory catfish are bigger than shrimps, so your shrimp may find it hard to eat with them.
Spreading the food all over the tank will eliminate the issues.
Substrate
Consider adding a soft substrate like soft sand, or go for rounded pebbles or rocks.
However, soft sand is the best option as it will not harm your cory catfish.
Cory catfish are bottom dwellers and spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom, searching for food.
They use their barbels to navigate the food under the substrate and then use their mouth to dig into it and suck it up.
Keeping sharp rocks or hard objects as a substrate can harm your cory catfish’s barbles.
Also, consider adding plenty of live aquatic plants in the tank, as shrimps and cory catfish love plants in their tank.
Shrimp will feed on algae that are attached to plants, and plants will provide a good hiding spot for your corydoras.
Also read: Best Substrate For Corydoras.
Other best tankmates for my corydoras tank
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and prefer to live with other non-aggressive and social fish.
Your cory catfish will thrive living with other fishes in a community tank.
These are some best tankmates you can consider adding to your corydoras tank:
- Guppies
- Mollies
- Platies
- Gourami
- Snails
- Zebra danios
- Neon tetras
All these tankmates will live peacefully with your cory catfish, and your cory catfish will be comfortable living with them.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Plecos?
Conclusion:
Cory catfish and shrimp can live together as they both are peaceful with each other and share similar water parameter requirements.
You will require a minimum of 25-gallon tank to house them in the same tank.
Keep cory catfish in groups of 5-6 as they are schooling fish and prefer to live in a large group.
Maintain the water temperature between 70-75 °F and a pH between 6 and 7.5.