10 Best Cory Catfish You Have to Try
Corydoras catfish are one of our favorite bottom dwellers because of their peaceful personality, useful cleaning abilities, and adorable appearance. There are hundreds upon hundreds of species available. Each one has a different size, price, appearance, preferred water parameters and many more. Here are 10 of our favorite corys, in no particular order.
1. Sterbai cory (Corydoras sterbai)
This cory is the most popular because of its polka-dotted stripes and orange fins. They are great tank mates for most community aquariums and are often kept with discus because of their tolerance for higher temperatures. They can be kept in any water parameter and have pH levels between 6.6 to 8.0.
A healthy corydora is one that gets enough food. Fast-moving fish will eat anything that is near the surface, but corys will only eat what is at the bottom. Therefore, feed your corydoras sinking wafers as well as frozen bloodworms and live blackworms. If their bellies are round and fat, they may start breeding and laying eggs for you.
2. Pygmy cory (Corydoras pygmaeus)
These tiny cory catfish are perfect for nano tanks that need smaller bottom dwellers. This 1-inch (2.5 cm) catfish has a silvery-gray body with a black horizontal line running down the side. Sometimes they get confused with Corydoras Habrosus, a smaller cory with a horizontal line of black that runs down the side.
Keep corydoras happy and safe by having six or more corydoras of the same species. Different species don’t tend to comingle because they prefer to be in a large school of their own kind. The more species you have, the more active and natural behaviors you will see. Pygmy corydoras get along just fine with other peaceful nano fish, but if you put them in a species-only tank (with no shrimp, snails, or other types of fish), they may breed as a colony, especially if the aquarium has tons of live plants and cover.
3. Barbatus cory or bearded cory (Scleromystax barbatus)
Want to keep a cold water tank that doesn’t use an aquarium heater? The bearded cory can survive at room temperature of 67°F (19°C). Growing up to 3-3.5 inches (7-9 cm) long, it has a black spotted pattern with a golden stripe running down the snout of males. You can encourage breeding by lowering the pH and adding lots of leaf litter to the water. This special catfish runs at a higher price around $30 each, so typically we recommend barbatus corys to more advanced keepers.
4. Orange laser corydoras (Corydoras sp. CW010)
While most corydoras are neutral in color, such as brown, white, or black, this cory is distinguished by its bright orange stripe down its back. It is easy to care for and maintain, with no special requirements. They are more expensive than most corydoras (between $15 and $20), but they can be profitable. They can be bred in a large tank with dense foliage, such as java moss. Or you can take the eggs and raise the fry separately.
5. Panda corydoras (Corydoras panda)
It is a very popular species with two attractive characteristics. It stays small at just 2 inches (5cm) and its pattern looks almost like a black-and-white panda. Unlike many cories that must be kept in larger tanks, the panda cory can work well in 10- to 20-gallon aquariums (although more space is always better). A school of six or more will cost you $42. This cute little catfish is easy to care for as long as it gets plenty of worms, meaty food, and other healthy foods.
6. Albino corydoras (Corydoras aeneus)
One of the most commonly available corys found in almost every pet store is the albino version of the aeneus cory. Because they are so easy to breed, and can produce hundreds per batch, they cost only $2.50 to $5 each. This is one of the most affordable corydoras beginners can buy, although many only own one or two albinocorydoras. Your albino cory will be grateful if you have at least five to six companions of the same species. Expect the adults to reach up to 2.5-2.75 inches (6-7 cm) in size with bubbly personalities that are enjoyable to watch. If you don’t enjoy the albino, pink coloration, the bronze version of this species is also available.
7. Julii corydoras (Corydoras trilineatus)
Don’t let the common pet store name of this catfish fool you; it’s actually more accurately known as the false julii corydoras, three line cory, or leopard cory. The true Corydoras julii is a lot rarer in the aquarium hobby, but we still love this beautiful lookalike. Corydoras julii is one of our most popular fish due to its black lines and horizontal stripes running down its sides. Keep them in groups of six or more. This species can also tolerate temperatures as low as 70°F (21°C). It can be kept with coldwater fish such hillstream loaches or dojo loaches.
8. Similis cory, or violet cory. (Corydoras similes)
The violet cory got its name for the smudged spot near the base of its tail that ranges from dusty purple to dark gray. Its head and body are light-colored, and are covered in tiny dots. It stays on the smaller size around 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and has a rounder face compared its long-nosed cousin Corydoras ourastigma. Although the species is mostly captive bred nowadays, it is not often seen in pet stores because of the $15 price tag per fish. It is similar to a panda cory, but with a more rare and expensive price tag.
9. Brochis multiradiatus (Hognose Brochis)
The hognose brochis are the perfect choice if you want a large-sized corydoras. Growing to just shy of 3.5-4 inches (9-10 cm), this chunky catfish has a long, hog-like snout and an astounding 17 rays in its long dorsal fin. This makes it a good tank mate, especially for angelfishes, blood parrot cichlids and angelfish. Their biggest drawbacks are that they can be expensive, at around $25-30 each, and they don’t seem to have the ability to reproduce in captivity. However, this shiny, dark green bottom dweller is quite the beauty and would make a great, peaceful addition for bigger aquariums.
10. Peppered cory (Corydoras paleatus)
This list would not be complete without mentioning the peppered Corydoras with its striking contrast pattern of light and dark splotches. Similar to the barbatus, it can survive in cooler water temperatures of 68°F (20°C). It can also grow up 3 inches (7 cm), in length. Peppered cory is an affordable entry-level species that can be cared for at $5.
Cory catfish are loved by everyone because they can be found in many different varieties and can get along with almost all peaceful fish. To get your own corydoras, visit our Live Fish page to see a listing of our favorite online fish retailers.