Bronze cory Tank Mates
Short answer: the best bronze cory tank mates are Cherry shrimp, Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora. Cory catfish need 70–81 °F (21–27 °C), pH 6–8 and at least 20 gallons. Keep them in a group of 6 or more.
Bronze cory care at a glance
| Adult size | 3.0 in (7.5 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 US gallons |
| Temperature | 70–81 °F (21–27 °C) |
| pH | 6–8 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims in | Bottom |
| Group size | Groups of 6+ |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (53)
- Cherry shrimp
- Betta fish
- Dwarf gourami
- Guppy
- Bristlenose pleco
- Harlequin rasbora
- Molly
- Neon tetra
- Platy
- Tiger barb
- Angelfish
- Nerite snail
- Amano shrimp
- Celestial pearl danio
- Chili rasbora
- Ember tetra
- Endler's livebearer
- Mystery snail
- Otocinclus
- Panda cory
- Black skirt tetra
- Cardinal tetra
- Cherry barb
- Glowlight tetra
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Rummy nose tetra
- Serpae tetra
- Zebra danio
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- Three spot gourami
- Siamese algae eater
- Common pleco
- Clown loach
- Pygmy cory
- Sparkling gourami
- Black neon tetra
- Bloodfin tetra
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish
- Forktail blue-eye
- Glass catfish
- Lemon tetra
- Peppered cory
- Sterbai cory
- X-ray tetra
- Buenos Aires tetra
- Congo tetra
- Gold barb
- Odessa barb
- Rosy barb
- Upside-down catfish
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (9)
- Fancy goldfish — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller bronze cory (7.5 cm), especially at night.
- Kribensis — Kribensis defends a territory near the bottom (especially when breeding) and may chase bronze cory.
- Electric yellow cichlid — Electric yellow cichlid defends a territory near the bottom (especially when breeding) and may chase bronze cory.
- Discus — Very narrow shared temperature range: Bronze cory 21–27 °C (70–81 °F) vs Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F).
- Rainbow shark — Rainbow shark is a much larger territorial fish and may bully bronze cory.
- Red tail shark — Red tail shark defends a territory near the bottom (especially when breeding) and may chase bronze cory.
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid — Cockatoo dwarf cichlid defends a territory near the bottom (especially when breeding) and may chase bronze cory.
- Firemouth cichlid — Firemouth cichlid is a much larger territorial fish and may bully bronze cory.
- Chinese algae eater — Chinese algae eater is a much larger territorial fish and may bully bronze cory.
❌ Not recommended (9)
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat bronze cory (7.5 cm).
- Pea puffer — Pea puffer is aggressive and will bully peaceful bronze cory.
- German blue ram — No comfortable shared temperature: Bronze cory 21–27 °C (70–81 °F) vs German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F).
- White cloud mountain minnow — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Bronze cory 21–27 °C (70–81 °F) vs White cloud mountain minnow 14–22 °C (57–72 °F).
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful bronze cory.
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful bronze cory.
- Boesemani rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Bronze cory 21–27 °C (70–81 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat bronze cory (7.5 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat bronze cory (7.5 cm).
How many cory catfish per tank?
20 gal 29 gal 40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with cory catfish?
Good matches include Cherry shrimp, Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Guppy, Bristlenose pleco, Harlequin rasbora. They share a temperature range with cory catfish (70–81 °F (21–27 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with cory catfish?
Avoid Oscar, Pea puffer, German blue ram, White cloud mountain minnow, Paradise fish, Convict cichlid.
What size tank do cory catfish need?
We recommend at least 20 US gallons for a group of 6 cory catfish, more if you add tank mates.
Can cory catfish live alone?
No. Cory catfish are social and should be kept in groups of at least 6.
Note: Compatibility depends on individual temperament, tank size, decor and how fish are introduced. Our verdicts use conservative rules applied to published care data (see methodology). They are guidance, not a guarantee. Quarantine new fish and watch for chasing, torn fins or hiding.