Corydoras Catfish — Variety Guide

Corydoras — one of the 4 catfish varieties owners look up by name.

Corydoras Catfish — photo used in our Catfish guide

Corydoras is one of the catfish varieties people search for by name. This page covers what owners actually ask about it, then hands you the sourced catfish care guidance that applies to every variety.

Bottom-dwellers from tiny corydoras to tank-sized giants — know which one before you buy.

Quick answer: Corydoras is a variety of catfish. Everything on this page is catfish-level guidance — we do not invent variety-specific numbers.

The care below is catfish-level guidance from our species hub, sourced to Merck Veterinary Manual — Aquarium and Pond Fish and RSPCA — Fish care. It applies to Corydoras exactly as it applies to every other catfish variety. We do not publish variety-specific temperament, lifespan or weight numbers that we cannot source.

How long do aquarium catfish live

Corydoras: 5–10 years. Pictus: 8–10 years. Redtail and other large predators: 15–20 years and several feet long. Lifespan is destroyed by bare substrate (corys need smooth sand, not sharp gravel that erodes their barbels), poor filtration, and being kept solo when they are schooling species.

Tank by species, not by name

Corydoras: a 20-gal (75 L) planted tank with sand substrate and a school of 6+. Pictus: 55+ gal (210 L) with cover. Redtail: a pond or 300+ gal (1,100+ L) — do not attempt in a home aquarium. Smooth substrate protects barbels; sharp gravel causes infection and "black smudge."

What people ask about Corydoras