Corydoras Catfish, there one of the best fish out there. They are easy to care for, don’t grow very big, and are the perfect addition to any tank to help keep it clean and look good doing it.
Corydoras Catfish Facts
- They grow to the size of 4 inches in adulthood
- They live 5 years in captivity
- They will eat algae and bacteria collecting in the tank but should be fed their own food to keep healthy.
How Big Do Corydoras Catfish Grow?
The Corydoras catfish are amazing fish that will keep your tank clean and will only grow up to 4 inches at adulthood. This means that they will last but will also not live as long as you or longer.
How Long Do Corydoras Catfish Live?
The Corydoras is an amazing addition to your tank. They clean the tank, don’t look awful, and aren’t hard to take care of. Corydoras catfish live up to five years in captivity which is an ideal age as they don’t live too long but don’t die in a week. This means that they should age with the tank and die with it.
What Food Does the Corydoras Catfish Eat?
Corydoras are bottom feeders that pick up all the scraps from the other fish, along with algae and bacteria building up on plants, wood, rocks, and gravel or sand. They do, however, require their own designated food to give them the required nutrient to keep healthy. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/products/hikari-sinking-wafers
Corydoras Catfish Environment Needs
- You can have up to 6 per 20 gallons and they can go with many other species
- They can go on many different water temps depending on the breed
- They can live in a tank size of 10 plus but are recommended 20 plus
Social Needs for Corydoras Catfish
You can have up to 6 of them in a tank but it is encouraged to at least have two of them to fulfill their social needs. They can get along very well with many other fish as long as they all have their own space and have proper food supplied.
Water Conditioning & Water Type
They are cold to warm water with many different breeds ranging in temperature level. They also like water with a flow and an area with more still water to rest.
Tank Size
The Corydoras catfish need a tank size of 10-20 gallons. This gives them the ideal space to grow while making sure that people don’t have to buy a fish tank the size of their room to keep them. They can go in bigger tanks as long as there is enough room for them to hide and wander without having to be shoulder-to-shoulder with other tank mates.
Tank Zone
Corydora catfish are bottom feeders so they will spend most of their time wandering the bottom eating scraps of food and algae and bacterial off plants and decor. They are the perfect addition to any tank looking for something to bring the bottom to life.
How to Care for Corydoras Catfish
- Buy sinking pellets for them so that they can get more food
- They are easy to take care of and just require you to feed them and do a monthly water change
- Make sure that they are getting adequately fed
Special Requirements
Make sure to get them sinking pellets so they get enough food. but other than that they don’t have any other special requirements which helps to make them one of the best beginner fish out there.
Difficulty of Care
Easy to care for and very hearty, this means that you can put more time into the rest of the tank and not look down to find them face down in the gravel.
Warnings
Make sure to get them their own food and give it to them and not have them just eat scraps. This will give them the needed nutrients that otherwise would not be given.
Where do you get them?
When you source your fish the best option is a locally-owned pet store, especially one targeted towards the fish industry. what I mean by locally owned is something where they only have 1 or 2 locations worldwide, not something like Petco. This means that they are more consistent and you don’t have to worry about the fish having any problems. but if your looking for an online option there are still many great options some including. https://www.liveaquaria.com/category/1161/.
The big problem all-around with online purchasing and shipping fish is that it’s just in general risky because, if it’s too cold or too hot or there’s not enough air or it gets thrown around the fish could die. But if you’re willing to risk it there are some amazing places to buy from.
Summing Up
Corydoras are an amazing addition to many tanks for both their function and looks. they take minimal care and are overall wonderful fish that both beginner and expert aquarists can use.
If you are a beginner fish keeper and are looking at fish tanks for the first time I suggest looking at my other article where I discus the basic steps to starting a fish tank right.
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