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Cory Catfish are very beautiful, and playful fish that are great to have in a community aquarium. However, thinking about them, a question may come to your mind. Are cory catfish hardy?
In general, most types of Cory Catfish are hardy. They’re great for beginners who wish to start a community freshwater tank. Their care is pretty simple and they don’t need a lot of food as long as they are fed properly and have enough left over to eat.
Continue reading till the end because I will be sharing with you about whether or not albino catfish hardy, how much hardy they are and I will also share with you about some of the hardiest cory catfish. So let’s start!
Yes, they’re very hardy. In fact, they are one of the top three most hardy within this species. The others are Pepper Cory Catfish and Bronze Cory Catfish. But, it’s important to note that the albinos are most often bred from the Bronze or Peppered varieties.
How Hardy Are Albino Cory Catfish?
Albino Cory Catfish are very hardy and easy to care for. This is why they’re recommended for beginner aquarists that want to start a tropical freshwater tank. They can handle a fair amount of variation in water parameters, as is the case with many other types of Cory Catfish.
However, once you set a certain parameter after introducing them into the tank, you must keep to it. This is because when they acclimate to a specific condition, that’s what their bodies expect.
There is really no such thing as the “hardiest” Cory Catfish, it’s all about preference and what you want to do with them in a tank.
The nickname for this breed, “Armored Catfish,” lends itself to how hardy the entire species is, even though they tend to be one of the smallest sizes when it comes to bottom dwellers.
All species live anywhere from five to eight years old and are easy to care for.
They only need food once every two days as long as there are enough algae to nibble and feast on.
Plus, they can tolerate a range of water parameters that include hardness (dGH), alkaline balance (pH), and temperatures.
What’s more, they have a very docile temperament, which makes them excellent in a community tank.
They can live with almost any other kind of fish, so long as they aren’t aggressive or poisonous. While almost all Cory Catfish are hardy, the ones listed below are the most common for people to keep in their home aquarium.
#1. Peppered Cory Catfish
Peppered Cory Catfish get their name from their “peppery” appearance, marbled with light and dark markings.
You know it’s a Peppery Cory Catfish when you see three black splotches along the midline of the flank. Plus, they will always have a black pectoral fin with transversal black bars on the lobes of their caudal fin.
These particular Cory Catfish can live in excess of eight years under the right conditions. The males will grow to slightly longer than 2½ inches while the females can reach just over 2¾ inches.
Neither gender reaches more than 11.20 grams in weight.
The Peppered Cory Catfish can handle much colder temperatures than many others in their species, which opens up a world of options for tank mates.
They do excellent with shrimp, snails, and tetras. The following are their ideal environmental conditions:
pH: 6.0 and 8.0
dGH: 5 ppm to 9 ppm
Temperature: 64°F to 73.5°F (18°C to 23°C)
#2. Bronze Cory Catfish
Bronze Cory Catfish are some of the most gorgeous and hardiest types.
They have a lovely translucent appearance with a golden-brown and/or pinkish sheen, hence the name.
Their bellies are white with a wonderful slate blue traversing the head and back. There’s usually a patch or orangey brown on the head
On average, they have a life span between three and four years. But other reports attest to ranging from five to six or seven years.
Males and females are close in size, no more than 2.8 inches. But they rarely get larger than 1½ inches in the wild. However, the females are considerably thicker, wider, and rounder than the males.
Bronze Cory Catfish are active, lively and make a beautiful part of a mini freshwater aquascape.
They also appear to swim erratically and tend to come to the surface for water more frequently than others of their species.
This is normal behavior and shouldn’t cause too much concern unless other signs of illness are apparent.
Because most albinos of Cory Catfish stem from the Bronze Cory Catfish or the Peppered Cory Catfish, much of that information will apply here.
However, Albino Cory Catfish are rather small compared to others in their species. It’s not often that they will get longer than 2½ inches. However, the females will be longer than the males.
While most Cory Catfish can live in excess of five years old, Albino Cory Catfish don’t usually live longer than five years. This is the only pitfall with their albinism, the fact that their lack of pigmentation can result in an early grave.
However, there are some fish keepers who report having theirs for as much as eight years. Therefore, it will come down to how well the person takes care of their Albino Cory Catfish. Considering the proper water parameters below:
pH: 6.0 to 8.0
dGH: 2 ppm to 25 ppm
Temperature: 72°F to 79°F (22.2°C to 26.1°C)
By the way, have you ever noticed that your cory catfish is swimming like crazy? Then I highly encourage you to read my article about why cory catfish swims like crazy.
So I hope now you have a clear idea of whether or not cory catfish, (and also specifically the albino cory catfish) are hardy.
Also, you may have got an idea of what are the hardiest cory catfish. So that’s it! I hope you have found this article helpful. Wish you enjoy a lot keeping cory catfish in your aquarium. Thanks!
Hi! I’m Praveen Ghoshal, the founder of eFishkeeping.com. Inspired by my Dad, I got interested in fishkeeping when I was a kid. Since then, I have been involved with this hobby. Currently, I have 3 fish tanks at our home, and I enjoy this hobby with my full family. Read more about me here.
