Bronze corydoras care
Corydoras aeneus · Widespread in South America east of the Andes
Bronze corydoras are one of the hardiest catfish for a community tank: six or more in a 20 gallon or larger tank with sand, at 72 to 80 °F.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 80 °F (22 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2.75 in
- pH
- 6 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 10 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep bronze corydoras
Bronze corydoras are one of the hardiest catfish for a community tank: six or more in a 20 gallon or larger tank with sand, at 72 to 80 °F. They sift the bottom for food all day; they are not a clean-up crew and need sinking food of their own.
Diet: Omnivore: sinking pellets and wafers, frozen bloodworm. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Bronze corydoras tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Guppy
2.8 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Red eye tetra
2.8 in · 29+ gal · 73–82 °F
Gold barb
2.8 in · 20+ gal · 64–75 °F
Variatus platy
2.8 in · 15+ gal · 61–75 °F
Wrestling halfbeak
2.8 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Croaking gourami
2.8 in · 15+ gal · 72–82 °F
DrawingGolden pencilfish
2.6 in · 15+ gal · 75–82 °F
Pearl danio
2.6 in · 20+ gal · 68–77 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Amazon puffer: Amazon puffers nip slow fish such as bronze corydoras.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as bronze corydoras.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as bronze corydoras.
Saulosi cichlid: Saulosi cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with bronze corydoras.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
What a bronze corydoras tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon bronze corydoras tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon bronze corydoras tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Bronze corydoras need 72 to 80 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding bronze corydoras.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 80 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common bronze corydoras problems
- Worn or red barbels point to sharp gravel or dirty substrate; vacuum the substrate and switch to sand.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Corydoras aeneus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red eye tetra Jhartshorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gold barb Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Variatus platy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Wrestling halfbeak Ahsan_al_hidayat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Croaking gourami Howard Jelks, U.S. Geological Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearl danio Павлик Лисицын, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amazon puffer O. Schneider, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Saulosi cichlid Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Salt-and-pepper corydoras D.W., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Otocinclus CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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