Cory catfish are the most common bottom dweller fish that aquarists prefer to add to their community tank. They are peaceful fish and easy to take care of, making them the best bottom dweller fish for beginners too.
Oxygen is essential for fish to breathe and live comfortably, but do cory catfish need oxygen? So, Do cory catfish need oxygen? Let us find out.
Cory catfish do need oxygen to breathe and live comfortably. A low amount of oxygen level will make your cory catfish come under stress and become prone to various diseases. Consider adding an air pump to your cory catfish tank and ensure good water conditions to make sure enough oxygen in the tank.
This article will discuss whether cory catfish need oxygen and how we can ensure enough oxygen in our cory catfish tank. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Do cory catfish require oxygen to live?
Cory catfish and every other fish requires oxygen to live.
Ensuring enough oxygen in a tank is essential for our cory catfish’s good health and longer lifespan.
Other things also make it essential to have a good oxygen level in a tank.
You must know that good bacteria present in our aquarium require oxygen to break down harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
When there is no oxygen, good bacteria will not get able to break down such harmful toxins, resulting in an ammonia spike.
So, oxygen is very much essential, and we should ensure enough oxygen in our cory catfish tank.
How to ensure enough oxygen in a cory catfish tank?
These things will ensure enough oxygen in a cory catfish tank:
- Add an air pump or air stone to your cory catfish tank.
- Avoid overcrowding your cory catfish tank.
- Ensure good water conditions of your cory catfish tank.
- Add live aquatic plants to your cory catfish tank.
- Avoid keeping your cory catfish in a too hot water temperature.
Add an air pump
Adding an air pump to your cory catfish tank will ensure enough oxygen in the water.
An air pump will help in creating a movement on the water’s surface, helping in oxygen exchange.
We recommend using the Tetra whisper air pump as it is very silent and easy to use.
This product is available for 10 to 100 gallons of the tank, so you can choose according to your tank size.
You can buy this product on amazon: Tetra Whisper Air Pump.
However, you can also use a filter to create a movement at the water’s surface by pointing the nozzle from where the water is coming out towards the water’s surface.
Avoid overcrowding
An overcrowded tank will lack oxygen.
To ensure that your cory catfish tank is not overcrowded, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule: one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Cory catfish can be as long as 4 inches in size, with an average of 2 inches.
So, consider having 2 gallons of water per cory catfish to avoid overcrowding.
Good water conditions
Ensuring good water conditions will help make sure enough in a tank.
Perform a weekly water change of at least 35% to keep the water clean from waste and other debris.
Consider adding a good filtration system with biofilter media to protect the water from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
Keep a regular check on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels and ensure to maintain the ammonia and nitrite at 0ppm, whereas nitrate below 20ppm.
We recommend using the API ammonia test kit to check the ammonia levels as it shows accurate results.
Add live aquatic plants.
Adding live aquatic plants to your cory catfish tank will help ensure enough oxygen.
Also, plants will help you clean the water by absorbing harmful toxins.
Add plenty of live aquatic plants to your cory catfish tank.
Your cory catfish will not do any harm to the plants.
However, you will notice your cory catfish munching on plants, but they will not eat it.
Avoid too hot water temperature.
Hot water temperature will contain less oxygen level.
So, make sure not to keep the water temperature too hot.
Cory catfish live in a water temperature between 72-82 °F.
Maintain the water temperature between 72-82 °F.
Consider adding a heater to your cory catfish tank to stabilize the water temperature.
What are the reasons behind the lack of oxygen in the tank?
These are the reasons behind the lack of oxygen in the tank:
- Lack of movement on the tank’s surface
- Poor water conditions
- Live aquatic plants
- Overcrowded tank
- Hot water temperature
Lack of movement on the tank’s surface
When there is no movement on the aquarium’s surface, the gas exchange process will not be possible.
There should be a continuous movement on the water’s surface to ensure enough oxygen in the water.
Water movement helps dissolve more oxygen in the water and releases carbon dioxide outside.
Poor water conditions
Poor water conditions are also the leading cause behind the lack of oxygen in your cory catfish tank.
Bad water quality will lack oxygen. Too much fish waste and algae growth will reduce the oxygen level.
Poor water conditions will also make your cory catfish prone to various diseases and parasites.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
Live aquatic plants
We all know that plants produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide.
However, you must know that this process becomes vice versa in the dark.
The plants will absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide in the dark.
So, having too many live aquatic plants in the tank can deplete the oxygen level, as the plants will absorb most of the oxygen at night.
The algae in your tank will absorb oxygen in the dark and produce carbon dioxide.
Also read: Do Cory Catfish Need live Plants?
Overcrowded tank
An overcrowded tank will also result in oxygen deficiency.
Overcrowding is known to be the primary reason behind the low level of oxygen in the aquarium.
A crowded tank will also get polluted faster than a regular one.
Your cory catfish will not be able to live and swim comfortably in a crowded tank.
Also read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 10-Gallon Tank?
Hot water temperature
Too hot water temperature will hold less amount of oxygen.
Hot water temperature will also boost the metabolism of your cory catfish, making them hyperactive.
Hyperactive cory catfish will swim erratically, coming under stress.
Conclusion
Cory catfish do need oxygen to live comfortably in a tank.
If your tank does not have enough oxygen, cory catfish will suffer breathing and come under stress.
They will become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Swimming at the top of the tank, gasping for air constantly, lethargy and stress are the symptoms of low-level oxygen.
An overcrowded tank, no movement on the water’s surface, and poor water conditions are the common cause behind the deficiency of oxygen in a tank.
Adding an air pump, plenty of live aquatic plants, avoiding overcrowding, and ensuring good water conditions will help keep the tank well oxygenated.
Reference: ResearchGate, NCBI