Keeping Corydoras Catfish: The Community Tank's Cleanup Crew
A guide to corydoras - peaceful, social armored catfish that patrol the tank bottom in groups, tidy leftover food, and make one of the most charming and easy additions to a community aquarium.
Corydoras are the friendly bottom-dwellers of the aquarium world - small, armored catfish that shuffle across the substrate in busy little groups, mopping up leftover food and adding constant gentle activity. Peaceful, hardy and endlessly endearing, they are a staple of the community tank, so long as they are kept in a group and given a soft bottom.
Is it right for you?
Corydoras suit anyone with a peaceful community tank who wants a hardy, active bottom crew. They are beginner-friendly and get along with almost everything.
System & Space
A community aquarium with a soft sand or smooth gravel bottom suits them, sized for a group; sharp substrate can damage their barbels.
Water & Temperature
They want warm, clean water around 22-26C, kept stable. They appreciate gentle current and good oxygenation.
Stocking & Feeding
Keep six or more together and feed sinking pellets and wafers plus scraps they scavenge; they are social and thrive in numbers.
Health & Care
Hardy with clean water and soft substrate; damaged barbels from sharp gravel or dirty bottoms are the main avoidable problem.
Harvest & Enjoying Them
They are kept for their charm and cleanup role, a lively, peaceful presence along the bottom of the tank.
Getting Started
Set up a cycled tank with soft substrate, add a group of six or more, and enjoy their busy foraging.
Common Mistakes
Keeping too few (they need a group), using sharp gravel, and letting the bottom foul are the usual mistakes.
FAQ
How many should I keep? Six or more - they are social.
Do they clean the tank? They tidy leftover food but still need feeding.