Assorted Cory Catfish (Corydoras spp.)

Assorted Cory Catfish (Corydoras spp.) are the friendliest way to start a bottom crew: small, armored, whisker-faced catfish that shuffle across the sand in little groups all day, nosing for food and occasionally winking at you with a roll of the eye. This is a mixed batch of young corys, around an inch long when they come in, drawn from the common, hardy aquarium species. Every one of them is peaceful, beginner friendly, and happiest with a soft floor and plenty of company. Browse the rest of our live fish and freshwater supplies to round out the tank.

What Is in the Mix

Assorted cory batches are built from the everyday, well proven species of the hobby. Depending on the batch, that can include Bronze Corys (Corydoras aeneus) in green bronze or albino, Peppered Corys (Corydoras paleatus), striped and spotted types, and other common farm raised corys. They are juveniles when they come in, so markings are still filling in, and a few will change noticeably over their first months with you.

The good news is that care is essentially identical across the species found in these mixes. Everything on this page applies to all of them. Stop by the tank and we are happy to point out which fish look like which species on the day you visit.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 20 gallon long or larger for a group of six. These are floor fish, so footprint matters more than height.
• Substrate: soft sand such as Estes Natural Aquatic Sand, or smooth rounded gravel. Corys dig with their faces, and sharp gravel wears their barbels down and invites infection.
• Group size: six is the minimum and more is better. In a group they forage in the open and rest in a pile. Kept alone or in pairs they hide and stress.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 6.5 to 7.8. Common mix species are adaptable, but they do not like tanks run hot, so skip them for discus setups in the mid 80s.
• Feeding: omnivore, not a cleanup crew. Feed a sinking food every day so it reaches the bottom: Hikari Sinking Wafers, Repashy Bottom Scratcher, or frozen bloodworms. Young corys are small, so crumble wafers for the first few weeks.
• Water quality: keep nitrate low with regular water changes. Corys live with their faces in the substrate, so a dirty floor shows up on them first.
• Medication sensitivity: corys are sensitive to aquarium salt and copper. Ask us before treating a tank that contains them.
• Handling: their fin spines lock and tangle in nets. Scoop them with a cup or guide them into a bag underwater.

Specifications

Compatibility

Corys get along with nearly every peaceful community fish. Good company includes small schoolers like Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, and Ember Tetras, livebearers such as the Bumble Bee Platy, gentle centerpiece fish like the Honey Gourami, and Otocinclus on the glass. Mixed corys will shoal loosely with each other and with any named corys you already keep.

What goes wrong: any fish big enough to swallow a young cory, including adult angelfish, oscars, and larger cichlids. Fin nippers such as tiger barbs pester them while they rest, and pushy bottom feeders can take all the food before the corys get any. They are safe with adult shrimp and snails but will eat baby shrimp.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Estes Natural Aquatic Sand for a barbel safe floor
• Hikari Sinking Wafers as the daily staple
• Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Formula for small mouths while they grow
• Repashy Bottom Scratcher as a favorite gel food
• Hikari Bio-Pure Frozen Bloodworms as a twice weekly treat
• Seachem Prime for water changes

FAQ

Can I choose which species I get?
Not on this listing. Assorted corys are a mixed batch, and we pick healthy fish from what is in the tank. For a specific species, shop our named cory listings or ask us what is currently in stock.

How many should I buy?
Six at minimum. Corys are shoaling fish, and a group of six or more is the difference between fish that forage in the open and fish that hide all day.

Will a mixed group school together?
Yes, loosely. Corys of different species happily share the floor and rest together, though each species sticks closest to its own kind. A mixed group still looks and behaves far better than one or two alone.

Will they clean my tank?
No. They pick at leftovers, but a cory living on scraps slowly starves. Give them their own sinking food every day.

Why does one dart to the surface now and then?
That is normal. Corys gulp a little air and absorb oxygen through the gut. If the whole group is gasping at the surface constantly, test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and low oxygen.