Cory catfish are the most common bottom dweller fish aquarist prefer to add to their tank. They are peaceful fish and do great with other peaceful fish, which makes them great fish for a community tank.
Cory catfish will do great when you keep them in good living conditions and provide enough space to swim comfortably. But unfortunately, we always end up overcrowding our tank with no proper knowledge of how many fish to keep in a tank. So, How many cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank? Let us find out.
As a general rule, you can keep four cory catfish of 2 inches in a 10-gallon tank. Consider providing one gallon of water per inch of fish to ensure enough space. However, we don’t suggest keeping corydoras in a 10-gallon tank as they will not be able to live in their ideal size group of 6-8.
This article will discuss how many cory catfish we can keep in a 10-gallon tank and which cory catfish is the best to keep in a 10-gallon tank. Also, we will discuss how many cory catfish should be kept together in a tank. So, let us get into it.
Contents
- 1 How many cory catfish can I keep in my 10-gallon tank?
- 2 Which cory catfish can I keep in my 10-gallon tank?
- 3 How many cory catfish should be kept together?
- 4 How much space do cory catfish require?
- 5 Other best tankmates to keep with cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank.
- 6 What is the best tank size to keep cory catfish?
- 7 Conclusion:
How many cory catfish can I keep in my 10-gallon tank?
Depending on their size, you can keep 2-4 cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank.
Follow the one-inch one-gallon rule when keeping fish in your tank to ensure that they get enough space to live comfortably.
The one-inch one-gallon rule means one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Cory catfish can be as long as 4 inches in size.
So, if we take an average of 2 to 2.5 inches, you can keep four cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank.
However, we don’t recommend keeping your cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank, as they prefer to live in a large group of at least 6.
A 20-gallon tank is the ideal size of tank your cory catfish will require.
You can keep 7-8 cory catfish in a 20-gallon tank.
Always consider taking 2-3 gallons extra as the substrate, plants, and other decors will take up the space.
Also read: Do Cory Catfish Need A School?
Which cory catfish can I keep in my 10-gallon tank?
You can keep these species of cory catfish in your 10-gallon tank.
| Corydoras | Size Ranges | 10-Gallon Tank |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarf corydoras | 1-1.4 inches | 5-6 dwarf corydoras |
| Emerald corydoras | 3 inches | 3 emerald corydoras |
| Albino corydoras | 2-2.5 inches | 3-4 albino corydoras |
| Threestripe corydoras | 2.5 inches | 3-4 threestripe corydoras |
| Bronze corydoras | 2.5-2.75 inches | 2-3 bronze corydoras |
| Julli corydoras | 2-2.5 inches | 4 julli corydoras |
| Pygmy corydoras | 0.75-1 inches | 6-8 pygmy corydoras |
Looking at the table, you can see that only pygmy and dwarf corydoras will form an ideal school in a 10-gallon tank.
You cannot keep other species of corydoras in a 10-gallon tank as you will not be able to form an ideal group of them which is at least 5-6 corydoras.
So, consider keeping your corydoras in a 20-gallon tank instead of a 10-gallon to ensure their comfortable living.
How many cory catfish should be kept together?
You should keep at least 5-6 cory catfish together, as they are schooling fish and prefer to live in a large group.
Such things make a 10-gallon tank inappropriate for a cory catfish.
You can only keep up to 4 cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank as one cory catfish will require at least 2 to 2.5 gallons of water to live comfortably.
Keeping a small group of cory catfish can make them come under stress and become prone to various diseases and parasites.
So, consider keeping 5-6 cory catfish together to form a good school.
How much space do cory catfish require?
When it comes to the space requirement of any fish, follow the one-inch one-gallon rule.
The one-inch one-gallon rule means one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Cory catfish can be anywhere between 1-4 inches in size, with an average size of 2 inches.
So, your cory catfish will require 2 gallons of water on average, depending on their size.
If you are keeping a 4-inch cory catfish, you will require 4 gallons of water per fish.
So, the space requirement of a fish entirely depends on the size of the fish.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live Alone?
Other best tankmates to keep with cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank.
These are some tankmates you can consider to add in your cory catfish tank:
- Neon tetra
- Guppy
- Gourami
- Mollies
- Platies
- Shrimp
- Snails
- Zebra danios
Cory catfish are peaceful fish and will do great with other peaceful fish in a community tank.
They will not hurt or interfere with any other fish and will peacefully live on their own.
Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish and spend most of their time searching for food on the bottom of the tank.
So, you can keep much other peaceful fish with your cory catfish without any issues.
However, we don’t recommend keeping any other tankmate with your cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank as it will become overcrowded.
Even we don’t suggest keeping your cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank.
Consider keeping your cory catfish in a 20-gallon tank to ensure that you keep a large group of them and they live and swim comfortably.
You cannot keep more than four cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank, which doesn’t fulfill the ideal number of cory catfish to keep together.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live With Bettas?
What is the best tank size to keep cory catfish?
Consider keeping your cory catfish in at least a 20-gallon tank.
Providing one gallon of water per inch of fish is essential to ensure their comfortable living.
Cory catfish can be as long as 4 inches, with an average size of 2 to 2.5 inches.
Also, cory catfish like to live in a group of at least 5-6.
So, you will need a 20-gallon tank to keep 7-8 cory catfish together.
Keeping only 2 or 3 cory catfish together will make them come under stress.
They will lose their appetite because of stress and become prone to various diseases and parasites.
Conclusion:
You can keep an average of 4 cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank.
If you have a 10-gallon tank and you want to keep corydoras, go for dwarf or pygmy corydoras, as they range between 1-1.4 inches.
So, you can keep 5-6 dwarf corydoras or pygmy corydoras in a 10-gallon tank.
Cory catfish will like to live in a group of at least 5-6.
So, you should not keep other cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank because they are larger and need more space to live comfortably.
A 20-gallon tank is ideal for your catfish as you can keep 6-8 cory catfish together in a 20-gallon tank.
Consider providing one gallon of water per one inch of fish to ensure enough space for them.
Reference: Wikipedia, ScienceDirect,