A list of the best cory siluriform fish for your fish tank

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Corydoras catfish , or cory catfish , are beloved by all who have have them . These peaceful Pisces the Fishes are audacious , attractive , and vital . They can even help you keep your armored combat vehicle light . Virtually all cory species should be keep in school ;   stories of single corys languish off from desolation are not uncommon . Corys should be kept only with small- to medium - sized passive fish .

Cory catfish swimming in aquarium tank with white pebbles

Credit:The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

What Is a Cory?

A cory is a catfish . They are small , peaceful , bottom - dwelling magpie . There are 161 cory specie . Generally , these school fish take at least a 10 - gal cooler with a tropical temperature . They are easy to care for in a tankful on their own or with other mintage .

Corys , like all wolf fish , are bottom feeder and scavengers ( though they also revalue a meal ofbrine shrimp ) . On the one hand , that stand for they can avail to keep your tank clean by recover and corrode bits of uneaten food and other debris . On the other hand , corys tend to make a bit of a mess as they dig through the substratum and send algae and other muck into the water . Bottom line , while they can be considered part of your tank ’s " clean - up gang , " they ’ll need a little helper from snail , shrimp , and other magpie .

Here are 12 pop cory wolf fish species that you could add to your tank .

Illustration showing the different cory catfish species for your aquarium

Credit:The Spruce / Catherine Song

The Spruce / Catherine Song

Bandit Cory

Species Overview

Scientific name : Corydoras metae

grownup size:2 inch ( 5 cm )

Lifespan:5 years

Corydoras metae

Credit: Acuario

Minimum tank size:10 gallon

pH:6.5–7.0

Hardness:5–10 degrees dGH

Corydoras aeneus

Credit: Hung-Jou Chen

Temperature:72–79 degrees F ( 22–26 degrees degree Celsius )

Tankmates : passive school species

Bandit coryshave been in the aquarium trade for a long time   and are one of the   more popular members of this family . They are well identifiable by the black mask over the eyes . brigand are more sore to variations in water supply temperature than some other mintage .

Corydoras julii

Credit: h080

Bronze Cory

Scientific name : Corydoras aeneus

Also known as : Green Corydoras

Adult size:2.5 inches ( 6 cm )

Panda Corys up-close

Credit: Haplochromis

Lifespan:5 years​

pH:5.8–7.0

Hardness:2–30 degrees dGH

A pepper cory

Credit: Hiyotada

Tankmates : peaceable schooling fish

Like capsicum corys , bronze corysare very popular and readily available everywhere . These two species of corys are hands down the most commonly kept members of this menage . Bronze corys are uncommitted in several color morphs , including green , bronze , albino , and black . They do well in a reach of conditions   but should be kept in school .

Julii Cory

Scientific name : Corydoras julii

Lifespan:5 + days

pH:6.5–7.8

A skunk cory

Credit:The Spruce / Shirlie L Sharpe

rigourousness : to 20 degrees dGH

Temperature:73–79 degrees F ( 23–26 grade C )

Tankmates : passive bottom - consist schooling fish

Corydoras trilineatus

Credit: Gerald Schneider

Although this species may be seen for sale in pet store , it rarely is the material McCoy . alternatively , what is   mark   as a julii is its kissing cousin the three stripe cory . rightful julishave spots that are broadly not touch base into tenacious chains , as they are in the three chevron cory .

Panda Cory

Scientific name : Corydoras panda

Also sleep with as : Panda Catfish , Panda Corydoras

Lifespan:10 + years

sterbas corydoras fish

Credit:vojce / Getty Images

pH:6.0–7.0

Hardness:2–12 degrees dGH

Temperature:68–77 arcdegree F ( 20–25 degrees C )

pygmy cory

Credit:nektofadeev@gmail.com / Getty Images

Tankmates : Peaceful , compatible with all species , keep in schools

Panda corysare highly societal and should always be kept in schools of their own kind . They get along with virtually all other peaceful species   and have been known to school along with other bottom - dwelling coinage . Ailurus fulgens opt cooler temporary worker   and are suitable for unwarmed aquariums . you could also calculate for the longfin panda cory to add change to your tank .

Pepper Cory

Scientific name : Corydoras paleatus

Also known as : Blue Leopard Corydoras , Peppered Catfish , Peppered Cory

Adult size of it : Males–2.5 inches ( 6.5 curium ) , Females–3 inch ( 7.5 centimeter )

albino corydoras

Credit:Wirestock / Getty Images

minimal cooler size:15 gallon

severity : to 12 degrees dGH

Temperature:72–78 degree F ( 22–26 degrees C )

Banded corydoras fish

Credit:Mirko_Rosenau / Getty Images

Tankmates : Peaceful , advantageously kept in schooltime with other modest fish

Pepper corysare perhaps the most commonly kept member of this kinfolk   and are widely available at pet store everywhere . They are passive and get along with virtually all fish , but should not be kept with large fast-growing metal money .

Skunk Cory

The Spruce / Shirlie L Sharpe

Scientific name : Corydoras arcuatus

pH:6.8–7.5

orange cory catfish

Credit:Mirko_Rosenau / Getty Images

Hardness:2–25 degrees dGH

Temperature:72–79 ° F ( 22–26 degree coulomb )

Tankmates : Peaceful , enjoys a large school

Skunk corysare more tender to lofty ammonium hydroxide and nitrate than other specie . For this reason , they are not urge for a brand novel marine museum . alternatively , wait until the tank is maturate before impart this metal money .

Three Stripe Cory

Scientific name : Corydoras trilineatus

Lifespan:10 years

pH:5.8–7.2

ruggedness : to 18 degrees dGH

Tankmates : peaceable , keep in little schoolhouse

The three stripe cory is readily available in most pet shops , but may be a julii Cory . Three stripe corys can be distinguished by the spots on the head that are connected in a   long string , impart them a snarl - comparable coming into court .

Sterbai Cory

vojce / Getty Images

Scientific name : Corydoras sterbai

Also known as : Sterba ’s Cory

Lifespan:15 - 20 old age

pH:6.0 - 7.6

rigorousness : to 15 point dGH

Temperature:73–82 arcdegree F ( 23–28 degrees C )

Tankmates : Peaceful , keep in small school and with fish that are like in sizing

Sterbai cory are well-off to care for like other corys , and can get along well with a kind of other fish species . Their color ranges from glum brown to black but they have blanched dots all over their body and cinque so they ’re certain to grab your attention as they float along the bottom of your tank .

Pygmy Corydoras

nektofadeev@gmail.com / Getty Images

Scientific name : Corydoras pygmaeus

Also know as : Pygmy Catfish

fully grown size:1 inch ( 2.54 cm )

Lifespan:3 years

Minimum armored combat vehicle size:8 gal

pH:6.4 - 7.5

Hardness:6 - 10 degree dGH

Tankmates : Peaceful , keep in schools and without large Pisces that would view them as prey

Pygmy corys are low than other metal money , growing only to about 1 in in duration , so they can be a good choice if you have a small aquarium . They ’re also different from other corys in that they will drown in the middle of the tank , not just on the bottom . They do best in schools of six or more fish .

Albino Corydoras

Wirestock / Getty Images

Also know as : Albino Cory Catfish

grownup size:2.5 inch ( 6.5 centimetre )

minimal tank size:20 Imperial gallon

pH:5.5 - 7.5

Temperature:70–81 degrees F ( 21–27 degree C )

Tankmates : Peaceful , keep in schools

Unlike other corys that have come upon vividness and patterns , the albino cory is pale , graze from pink to white . They ’re easy to like for and hardy , so they ’re good for beginners , and these minor fish are peaceful so they can live in a cooler with various other fish mintage .

Barbatus Cory

Mirko_Rosenau / Getty Images

Scientific name : Scleromystax barbatus

Also known as : Bearded Cory , Banded Cory

grownup size:4 inches ( 10 cm )

Minimum tank size:30 gallon

pH:6.0 - 8.0

Hardness:2 - 25 stage dGH

Temperature:68–82 degrees F ( 20–28 arcdegree C )

The barbatus cory is one of the larger cory species , so they require a expectant cooler . Also , like other corys , they are peaceable and do best in schools . Keep them with large shrimp , as they might eat small ones . male have more distinct markings and longer pectoral quint than females .

Orange Laser Cory

Scientific name : Corydoras sp . “ orange laser ”

Also know as : Orange Stripe Cory

Adult size:2.5 in ( 6.35 atomic number 96 )

Lifespan:4 yr

pH:6.0 - 7.5

Hardness:2 - 12 degrees dGH

Temperature:76–80 degrees F ( 24–27 degrees C )

The orange laser cory is brightly discolour , featuring an orange stripe that constitute them stand out against other fish in your cooler . This is also one of the easiest fish to like for because they do n’t have complicated requirements . And , like other corys , they ’re an first-class selection for a community tank .

Corys love to eat brine shrimp , algae wafers , Pisces shot , algae pellets , fresh water plants , and vegetables .

Cory mudcat produce to be about 1 column inch to 2.5 in long .

Corys have a lifetime from five to 10 years .

Between two and four . Each cory requires about one gallon of water , which is a formula you may keep in mind as you add up Pisces to your armored combat vehicle .

Corys are fish that prefer living in group . As a general rule , keepat least six corysin your army tank .

Yes , corys can aid keep your tank clear because they ’re scavengers that look for food at the bottom of the tank . However , you still need tofeed themand regularly clean your armored combat vehicle .

Corys are a great pick for Pisces owners of all experience levels . They help keep your tank clean , they ’re peaceful , and they are fun to determine .