- Sku: FW1-F1062
- Vendor: Squeaky's Aquatics
Green Cory (Corydoras aeneus)
The Green Cory (Corydoras aeneus) is the classic bronze cory catfish, the green-bronze color form: a metallic green sheen over a pinkish-tan body that flashes as the light catches it. It is one of the hardiest, most forgiving catfish in the hobby, a great beginner fish, and a busy, peaceful group of them keeps the bottom of a community tank lively. Browse the rest of our freshwater fish and supplies.
Care Guide
- Tank size: starts in a 20 gallon long. Floor space matters more than height because they live on the bottom.
- Substrate: fine sand is ideal; smooth, rounded gravel works if it is kept clean. Sharp gravel and dirty substrate wear down their barbels.
- Water: 70 to 79°F, pH 6.0 to 8.0. Very adaptable, but keep nitrate low with regular water changes since they live right in the layer where waste collects.
- Diet: omnivore. Feed sinking wafers or pellets so they eat directly instead of living on leftovers, with frozen bloodworms as a treat.
- Group size: six or more. Cories are social and much more active and confident in a group.
- Watch for: never use them as the tank's cleanup crew alone. A cory that only gets scraps slowly starves.
Specifications
| Common names | Green Cory, Bronze Cory, Bronze Catfish, Green Bronze Cory |
| Scientific name | Corydoras aeneus (some recent work places it in Osteogaster) |
| Origin | Farmed; the species is native to South America |
| Care level | Beginner |
| Temperament | Peaceful, social |
| Adult size | About 2.5 to 3 inches |
| Minimum group | 6 |
| Minimum tank | 20 gallons long |
| Temperature | 70 to 79°F |
| pH | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Diet | Omnivore, bottom feeder |
| Lifespan | Often 5 years or more |
| Water type | Freshwater |
Compatibility
Completely peaceful and safe with fish, shrimp and snails. Good tank mates include Neon Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, guppies, Otocinclus and Cherry Shrimp. They school happily with other cories like the Orange Venezuela Cory and Panda Cory.
What goes wrong: large cichlids and anything that grabs at the bottom will bully them, and a cory that gets swallowed can lodge its spines in a predator's throat. Pushy bottom fish like larger loaches or crayfish take their food, so make sure some wafers reach the cories.
Recommended Foods & Supplies
- Hikari Sinking Wafers as the daily staple
- Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Formula for variety
- SFBB Mini-Bloodworms as a treat
- Estes Natural Aquatic Sand to protect their barbels
- Seachem Prime for water changes
FAQ
How many should I get?
Six or more. They are sold each, so you can build the group, and they will also group up with other cory species.
Why does my cory dart to the surface?
Cories gulp air from the surface now and then; that is normal. Constant trips, or gasping at the top, point to low oxygen or poor water, so test and change water.
Their whiskers look short or worn. What happened?
Barbel erosion comes from sharp gravel or dirty substrate. Switch to sand or keep the gravel clean, and the barbels usually grow back.
Will they clean up the tank?
They eat leftovers that reach the bottom, but they are fish, not a cleanup crew. Feed them their own sinking food every day.
Is this the same as the Wild Trinidad Bronze Cory?
Same species, different source. These are farmed, hardy and easy to start; the wild Trinidad fish are collected from the species' original home and suit collectors and breeders.
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Green Cory (Corydoras aeneus)
