Corydoras Minimum Tank Sizes
Corydoras is a genus of popular schooling catfish from South America. They are generally small, and a popular choice for domestic betta tankmates, or as part of a community tank. They like soft, acidic water. They tend to be most active in the evenings. They should be kept on soft, smooth substrate so as not to damage their barbels.
Thank you to @huntershibas @immersive-lore-friendly-cheese and @narelleart for reading over this for me and helping me make this post better written and more accurate.
Pygmy Corydoras (C. pygmaeus, C. habrosus, C. hastatus)
These common corys are on the small side. In order, they are 3 cm, 3-3.5cm, and 2.5-3.2cm in length. While they may be tiny, they are highly social like all corydoras. You would need a minimum school of 6 individuals, though 8-10 is a much preferred number. Pairs or trios are not acceptable, they need to be social with a large group of conspecifics. They are quite active. While a 10 gallon is usually recommended as the minimum, it is truly far too small for these fish, despite their small size. A 20 gallon long should be the smallest considered, and will give you enough room for at least 10 individuals.
Average Corydoras (such as C. aeneus, C. panda, C. trilineatus)
These are larger than the pygmy corydoras, but smaller than the larger corys. In order, the examples are 6.5-7.5cm, 5cm, and 5.5cm in length. Again, you would need a minimum of 6 individuals, but they do best in schools of 10+ due to their gregarious, social nature. Easily twice the size of pygmies, the average sized corys should not be kept in a tank with a length less than three (3) feet in order to provide adequate room to perform normal behaviors and to be active. A 30 breeder would be a good tank for a school of 10. Larger specimens of C. aeneus might need a 33 long.
Large Corydoras (such as C. pantanalensis, C. splendens, C. robustus)
These are a bit larger than the average corydoras. In order, the examples are 8cm, 7-8cm (with females getting larger), and 9.5cm in length. Due to their large size, a 40 breeder should be the smallest recommended. For groups more than six, especially of the larger C. robustus, an even larger tank may need to be considered. Like all corys, these are highly social fish and also highly active- they need space to stretch their fins! *Note- C. splendens may in fact better be referred to as Brochis splendens. This is a bit debated, Planet Catfish lists them as Brochis, but Seriously Fish uses Corydoras.
I urge you to give your corydoras above and beyond the minimum. That way, they have more swimming space, and you can boost their numbers, which they will appreciate. They often get the short end of the stick, seen just as bottom feeders to round out a community or live with a betta, leading to them getting stuck in small tanks with undersized schools, sometimes outside of their comfortable range. In the wild, they school in the hundreds. I promise, you cannot give them too much space! In a big tank with a large school that caters to your needs, you’ll soon fall in love with the enchanting corys.
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