Pygmy cories could be OK if the footprint of the tank is at least 18 x 12 inches. Take heart. Otos should be kept in schools of six or more, and are appropriate for any tank ten gallons or larger. And given that you are being cautious and obviously doing your research - that counts for a lot. The Chinese algae-eater is another “sucker fish” known for cleaning up algae in aquariums. Read on for more information on each of these fish. Due to their small size, Zebra Danios can survive in tanks as small as 5 gallons, but since they are a community fish, and they can seem hyperactive at times, they are better suited to larger, busier aquariums. Winter Orchid. There are many different Cory Catfish types, all varying in size and color, but Bronze Cory Catfish are pr… Using the above guidelines there are many different combinations of fish you can house in your aquarium. The common pleco is the "suckerfish" often seen stuck to the aquarium glass. Consider a planted aquarium with a lot of hiding spots. How big of an aquarium do you think you’d need to house a school of half-a-dozen fish, each four feet long and 90 pounds? The rest of this article will cover many of the different catfish you'll see in the aquarium hobby. If they can’t get the nutrition they need they may resort to attacking other fish. Piotr Kuczynski [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. Be sure to just not get over 6 fish. So, unless you have a tank that large, you should avoid these catfish. On the other hand, cories are among the best fish for beginners. Pictus cats will scavenge for flake food that falls to the substrate and should be fed sinking pellets to supplement their diets. Synodontis Nigriventris - The Upside-Down Catfish, Neale Monks [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. The Siamese algae-eater is actually a species in the carp family, and so not quite similar to the other catfish in this article. That said, my corys live in a community tank that has a gravel substrate, and they live happily without suffering any ill effects. It is also a good idea to remove them from a tank if and when necessary by using a cup instead of a fish net, to avoid getting their fins tangled and possibly damaged. While they will scavenge and eat some algae, be sure to feed sinking pellets and algae wafers to supplement their diet. Should I feed them 1 tablet per day? They reach an adult length of around four inches and can be kept in a 30-gallon aquarium. Cory cats also like to be in large groups, so the miniature variety is a better choice. They remain … Cory Catfish, also called Cory Cats, Cory Fish and Corydoras Catfish, are very popular freshwater fish in pet stores. I know a lot of catfish eventually get too large for this tank, but they could eventually be moved to the 75 gallon if necessary. Can I keep 3 Cory catfish in a 10 gallon tank? Of course, you shouldn’t be handling your fish anyway, but it is something to consider when working in your tank. From the start my shark catfish would glass surf constantly, to the point where they would somehow render themselves unconscious at times. Glass catfish can grow to around five inches in length and do well in planted, community tanks. For most fish keepers, I think the oft confused Siamese algae-eater is a better choice. You could do 8-10 of the bronze or peppered and maybe twice that of the pygmies in a tank that size. Tank Setup Substrate. Here are a few cories you’ll often see in the pet store: One more “cory” you may encounter is the emerald green cory or emerald brochis. Cory Catfish are often described as armored catfish, due to their plates of bone-like material running the length of their bodies. So i'm gonna put in 1 male betta. I bought a new aquarium. However, because they are schooling fish that do best in groups of six or more I would suggest a 55-gallon tank or larger. Lv 7. Other catfish like plecos can grow to a couple of feet, and others remain small enough to manage in large tanks, but big enough to eat many of the other fish in that tank. As a relatively small fish, they crave safety in numbers, so a group of six corydoras or more (all of the same species) is highly suggested. But bettas don't need or want tank mates and 10 … Still have questions? When choosing, try not to mix and match varieties unless you have a tank large enough to support several different schools. A 40 Breeder is also 36" long, but is 18" wide versus only 12" like the 20L and 30L. If the betta tries to bite one, it will defend by rushing at the betta and making it back off. Some do both. They grow over ten inches in length and become very aggressive as they age. These fish live in deep water in the wild, and they are schooling fish that need to be kept in groups. For dwarf species, a 10-gallon aquarium may be suitable, but we recommend 20 gallons or more for most other varieties. They eventually died, presumably of stress, stress that could have been avoided if I had been able to properly research this fish before purchasing. There are a wide variety of cories available for the home aquarium. The little cory catfish is one of the most popular aquarium bottom dwellers, and a great small catfish for 10-gallon tanks and larger. They are peaceful fish, and unlike most catfish, they spend most of their time in the middle of the water columns. Is it okay to have 1 cory catfish, 3 tetras and 2 mollies in a 10 gallon tank How many male guppies can i fit in a 10 gallon fish tank {Only guppies} I have a 10 gallon tank. With 2 catfish you could safely keep up to 8 to 10 of these beautiful fish in a 10 gallon tank. Aleksandr Skopenko [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons. As for sand vs. gravel, sand is WAY better for cories then gravel, though it is a little harder to clean. They are fairly easy to care for, and should be fed sinking pellets as a supplement to the food they will scavenge on their own. When they are still they often hide under plants or in decorations. So for instance, your first choice of white clouds were in fact a bit small and a bit timid for hanging out with a big bruiser betta boy. Can Betta Fish Live With Guppies? When choosing catfish for your aquarium consider: Hopefully, this article got you started with your research, and gave you a good idea of which type of catfish you might consider. The glass catfish, also known as the ghost catfish, looks about like what you’d expect. You will want to supplement its diet with algae wafers to be sure it gets enough to eat. checked all levels are normal. In a 10 gallon tank with panda cories, you ought to surely have a school of 6 corydoras alongside jointly with your betta and have a superbly healthy fish tank, because of the fact the completed length of all the fish blended may be between 10 and 15 inches. Also corys are pretty fast and active - bascially they can outswim the betta, who is a bit slow what with all those drapping showy fins.

Feed them small quantities 4-5 times a day. Your best results will come from keeping to these size guidelines and avoid overcrowding your tank. A link to an estimator tool is included below. Help ? These guys grow to about the same size as the rubbernose and are appropriate for the same size tanks. Also the cory's mostly hang out on the bottom and sides, while the betta will hang out at the top and center and sides. For many fish keepers, a school of otos is a smarter alternative to a pleco. Some might recommend the 1" of fish per gallon rule, but even that is flawed at some point. Miroslav.vajdic [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. It’s also a great idea to have a nice chunk of driftwood for your pleco to rasp on, and some dark caves for hiding. Mine has started chasing other fish and biting at their fins. Zebra Danio is very active and playful fish. And I love you for keeping 1 male betta in there, SO much better then those stupid cups, bowls, vases, under 5 gallon tanks, etc. If you have a ten or twenty-gallon tank you won’t be able to have a pleco. They have transparent bodies, making them unique on this list and unusual in the aquarium world. After a few months the catfish should be large enough to fend for themselves in a community tank. If you have a tank under 30 gallons and you really want a pleco you might be feeling a little discouraged right now. I feed both algae wafers and sinking shrimp pellets as well as thawed bloodworms, but the Siamese Algae Eater attacks my giant danios, rams and angelfish anyway and I will probably have to euthanize it soon. A 10 gallon should be able to support 3 guppies, and 2 corycats. Like the Chinese, the Siamese starts attacking other fish as soon as it gets to about 5 inches in length, and loses interest in algae and plant matter. They can live in schools with peaceful, community tankmates in tanks 55 gallons and bigger, and reach an adult length of about six inches. Still others become extremely aggressive as they age. The common pleco is a prolific algae eater, and if you do happen to have a large enough tank it can help you keep things clean. Matthew Mannell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Others eat algae and can help you keep your tank free of the green stuff. A few of them I suggest you avoid, but odds are one or more of these fish are right for your aquarium. How to move on? They are also called the “talking catfish” due to the croaking sounds they make. Upside-down catfish are among the most entertaining fish you can have in your tank. The true Siamese Algae Eater has an iridescent yellow stripe above the black stripe, its back is more brownish, the scale pattern is more prominent (causing the edges of the yellow and black stripes to have a zigzag appearance) and the belly is white. It is sold in pet stores as three or four-inch juveniles but can reach an adult length of a couple of feet. Enjoy the tank! I'm planning on setting up a 10 gallon tank i just need to get a few more items like gravel, a heater, and some water conditioner and then i'll be all set. They are shy, peaceful fish that only grow to a couple of inches in length, and they spend most of their time shuffling around the substrate looking for food. I’d recommend the Chinese algae-eater for experienced fishkeepers who know what to expect and how to handle its behaviors. This species of bottom-dwelling fish is one of the most popular ones. Lifespan: 10 years; Minimum tank size: 10 gallon; pH: 5.8–7.2; Hardness: to 18 degrees dGH; Temperature: 72–78 degrees F (22–26 degrees C) Tankmates: Peaceful, keep in small schools; The Three Stripe Cory is readily available in most pet shops, but it may be a Julii Cory. Most cory's I've know are happy go lucky, but tough. Also, will they be able to thrive in a 10 gallon tank, with a gourami and 7 neon tetras? You can mix and match different varieties (ie: 1 peppered, 2 albino, 1 panda, 2 emerald) as they don't mind forming a mixed school. It doesn't matter how many Catfish you put in the tank, as long as they don't have too many long fins coming off of them ( because the red tailed shark is semi aggressive, it will nip at them). Unfortunately, they are also among the most misunderstood aquarium fish, and it is easy for beginners to make mistakes when choosing them. Like the pictus catfish, they are beautifully colored, do best as a part of schools in planted tanks, and may eat any fish that is small enough to fit in their mouth. The tiny otocinclus catfish, or oto for short, isn’t a miniature plecostomus, but it kind of looks like one. Rule of thumb is about one inch of fish per gallon of water. Otherwise, if you have a big enough tank, there are some beautiful varieties of pleco to choose from. Large plecos can be tough on live plants and sometimes become more aggressive as they age. They grow to an adult length of about six inches and are best kept in small schools. Unfortunately even these small fish get too large and too active for a 10 gallon tank. With all the fish we're catching and eating, how are there fish still in existence? They are really cool, but they are not appropriate for the home aquarium. Picking the best fish for a 10-gallon tank is not a hard job, though you need to consider a few crucial factors. You can keep these guys in tanks 30 gallons and up. Many species have colors that allow them to blend into the browns of the riverbed, but some are pale (such as albinos) or shimmering (like the emerald Cory Catfish). If not how many should i include? Cories are schooling fish that should be kept in groups of six or more to cut down on stress. Otos do a good job of hiding in plants and decorations, but due to their tiny size, they are still quite vulnerable. As for how many cories, if you get pandas, probably 6 would be okay, if you get any other species that stays at 2" like schwartzi, juilli, false juili, then get 5, and if you get a bigger species like peppered or bronze that get about 3", then I would say get 4, 5 if you have a goof filter and keep up on water changes, cause with 5 you'd be seriously overstocked, with 4 not so much. A larger tank and more of their kind probably would have helped to cut down on the stress. Larger catfish require at least a 30-gallon tank . I keep 3 cory catfish in a 10 gallon. How can fish eat underwater without swallowing water and choking? Hopefully, it is now clear why research is needed. I'm looking at my own specimen as I write this. One cory is perfectly fine for a 10 gallon however. Slowly increase their number when you think you can note their movement and environment are suitable. Even though they are not bottom dwellers it is still a good idea to provide hiding spots in the form of plants and decorations. If you keep pictus cats and notice your neons vanishing, consider them high up on the suspect list. User:Melanochromis [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. You could have small school or cory catfish in a 10-gallon tank, though. When I was new to the hobby, going on the advice of a pet store, I purchased a pair of these fish. 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Cory catfish prefer to be in schools and 5 gallon tanks don’t provide most species of corydoras with enough room.