Pygmy corydoras care
Corydoras pygmaeus · Madeira River basin, Brazil
Pygmy corydoras grow to about an inch and, unlike other corydoras, hover in midwater in loose groups.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1 in
- pH
- 6 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep pygmy corydoras
Pygmy corydoras grow to about an inch and, unlike other corydoras, hover in midwater in loose groups. Keep six or more in a 10 gallon or larger tank at 72 to 79 °F with fine sand, plants and gentle flow, and feed small sinking foods.
Diet: Omnivore: crushed sinking pellets, micro foods, frozen daphnia. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Pygmy 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.
Salt-and-pepper corydoras
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Zebra nerite snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 70–80 °F
Assassin snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 72–80 °F
Ramshorn snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 64–82 °F
Thai micro crab
1 in · 5+ gal · 70–82 °F
Spotted blue-eye
1 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Crystal red shrimp
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 62–76 °F
Malaysian trumpet snail
1.2 in · 5+ gal · 64–86 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; pygmy corydoras grow to 1 in.
Paradise fish: Adult paradise fish eat fish under about 1.2 in; pygmy corydoras grow to 1 in.
Golden wonder killifish: Adult golden wonder killifish eat fish under about 2 in; pygmy corydoras grow to 1 in.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
What a pygmy corydoras tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon pygmy corydoras tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon pygmy corydoras tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Pygmy corydoras need 72 to 79 °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 pygmy 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 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 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 pygmy corydoras problems
- Missed meals: make sure some food sinks past faster fish.
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 pygmaeus. 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.
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Salt-and-pepper corydoras D.W., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Assassin snail Steffi Klee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ramshorn snail Dat doris, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Thai micro crab Sean Murray, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Spotted blue-eye Der Regenbogenfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
- Crystal red shrimp DirkBlankenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Malaysian trumpet snail Buchling, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise fish André Karwath; edited by Muhammad, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bronze corydoras Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, 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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