10 Types of Cory Catfish – Popular & Beautiful Species
If we were to mention cute tank bottom scavengers, one of the first associations which come to mind would certainly be the cory catfish. They are small, long-living, peaceful and easy to care for creatures.
On top of that, they make the most amazing tank cleaners as well as one of the friendliest tank mates ever. And there are hundreds of types for you to choose from, depending on your tank predispositions as well as the community fish you wish to match them with.
If you are still unsure of which Corydoras to select for your home, we have prepared a helpful list of all the most common cory catfish types for modern aquariums.
1. Bronze Cory (Corydoras Aeneus)
Bronze corys are certainly one of the most popular fish in the aquarium trade. They are super-easy to care for and they require so little from their humans.
These fish only grow up to 2,5 inches in length during their adulthood phase, meaning that you can easily keep them in small tanks such as 10 gallons.
When it comes to temperature conditions, they are in the general category requirement which is from 72- to 79-degrees Fahrenheit. When it comes to hardness, they prefer their water on the softer side.
This peculiar type of fish features pale, shimmering body colorations, and there are more for you to choose from. Indeed, they can be found in either green or black or even albino morphs. Bronze corys are highly peaceful and docile tank mates as long as you ensure to house them into fully functioning schools.
2. Bandit Cory (Corydoras Metae)
As their name suggests itself, these adorable bandits really do feature bold black colors over their face, making them resemble as if they were wearing a mask. However, they are a friendly addition to community tanks, as long as they are kept in schools (or, more precisely, bandit gangs).
Although they make quite the hardy pets, they still are subject to water conditions and can be overly sensitive to any spike or oscillation.
Therefore, they probably make a better option for those who have at least some experience in fishkeeping. When ideal conditions are met, these 2-inch bottom-dwellers can survive up to even 5 years in captivity tanks.
3. Three Stripe Cory (Corydoras Trilineatus)
Another peaceful schooling type of Corydoras but featuring greatly special color patterns over their semi-transparent tiny bodies. These fish have an amazing combination of grey and blackish combination of stripes and dots all over their bodies, which certainly adds to their beauty.
They make an excellent choice for completely inexperienced keepers, as they are very hardy and super-adaptable to most freshwater tropical conditions. For instance, they can tolerate a wide range of temperature levels, heading from 68- to 78-degrees Fahrenheit.
They prefer softer water. Even though they are quite small and usually grow around 2 inches only, they feature a distinctive schooling behavior and require therefore a tank of at least 15 gallons for a happy school of 6 specimens.
4. Delphax Cory (Corydoras Delphax)
If you are looking for a long-term aquatic companion, the delphax cory may be your ideal solution. Indeed, these peculiar creatures can survive to up to even 15 years in their captivity tanks, which is quite fantastic if we take in consideration their relatively small size of just 2 inches.
They originate from South America and they make quite the distinctive pets, thanks to their flattened body and their back arched ahead of their dorsal fin. Plus, they feature quite the amazing dot-patterns all over their bodies and fins.
They too are omnivorous schooling fish, so please always plan to keep them in groups of 4 to 6 specimens in order to obtain the basic requirement for a healthy and peaceful tank environment.
5. Pepper Cory (Corydoras Paleatus)
Pepper corys are another of the most popular Corydoras pets these days. On top of that, they are vastly available and adopting some is no issue at all.
They feature almost transparent bodies with greatly beautiful greyish patterns and a decorative shimmering touch. Plus, they own a distinctive spiked dorsal fin which certainly adds to the amazing look of these fish.
Males usually grow around 2,5 inches in length, while their male companions may surpass them in body size and reach even 3 inches during their adult phase. Therefore, they require slightly larger tanks when compared to most other cory types and function best when having at least 15 gallons of water at disposal.
They too are schooling fish and need to be kept in groups in order to thrive and stay peaceful. If all conditions are met, they can survive around 5 years in captivity.
6. Adolfo’s Cory (Corydoras Adolfoi)
Adolfo’s corys originate from Brazil and they get their name from the person who first discovered them. They are super-easy to recognize thanks to their amazing looks.
Their bodies are almost of a white color, but they still do feature fantastic splashes of vivid orange colors, as well as black details on their heads and dorsal fins. Quite an amazing choice for any tank.
These peculiar fish also grow around 2 inches in body size and they are expected to live around 5 years when kept in captivity tanks. They too are schooling fish, so please plan on keeping them in functioning groups of either 4 or 6 specimens. They are considered to be a bit more difficult to breed when compared to most other cory types.
7. Pygmy Cory (Corydoras Pygmaeus)
Pygmy cory catfish are one of the smallest types available and they rarely exceed 1 inch in length, making them amazing choices both for smaller tanks as well as for inexperienced keepers.
Additionally, they have a somehow shorter life expectancy so you can expect them to stick around your home for not more than 3 years.
They have a silverish body base color but they are easy to distinct thanks to the black horizontal line which heads all the way from their heads to back fins. They too are happiest when kept in schools.
8. Juli’s Cory (Corydoras Julii)
Often confused with threestripe corys, these feature spots which are not integrated into chains, and this is also the main point of reference when distinguishing the first from the second ones.
They usually grow around 2,5 inches during their adulthood, and they are expected to survive for more than 5 years.
To achieve such life expectancy, make sure to keep them in functioning schools of around 6 specimens, as well as to provide them plenty of hiding spots and an adequate sandy substrate to avoid any barbel injury.
9. Black Cory (Corydoras Aeneus sp. Black Venezuela)
Black cory catfish are among those Corydoras which have been completely bred in captivity in order to achieve such uniformed dark body colorations. And, one has to admit, they look simply stunning and so elegant thanks to that.
They are quite large when compared to most corys and can reach up to even 3 inches in length. A 15-gallon tank is a very minimum to house a happy school of 6 specimens, but larger tanks are certainly more welcome (whenever possible).
10. Orange Laser Cory (Corydoras Aeneus)
Last but not least, orange laser corys feature spectacular uniformed colors which can often resemble more to golden than to orange. On top of that, the entire length of their body is adorned by a beautiful and bold dark green horizontal stripe.
They can almost reach 3 inches in size and require therefore tank homes of at least 30 gallons to thrive. You can expect these beauties to survive for up to 5 years if you manage to adopt them, as they are often hard to find around pet stores.
Wrapping Up
There are many other types of corydoras you can find at fish stores, online or local breeders, so the list can go on forever. If you know other varieties of corydoras that I can include in this list, please leave a comment below.
