If you’re looking to add some small, active bottom dwellers to your freshwater aquarium, pygmy corydoras are a great option. Their small size and schooling behavior make them ideal for smaller tanks like 10 gallons. But how many of these little fish can you actually keep in a tank of that size?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to successfully keep pygmy corydoras in a 10 gallon aquarium.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: You can keep 6-8 pygmy corydoras in a 10 gallon tank as long as conditions are ideal.
Pygmy Corydoras Care Overview
Scientific Name and Origins
The scientific name for pygmy Corydoras is Corydoras pygmaeus. They originate from the streams and tributaries of South America, primarily in the country of Peru where they inhabit shallow, calm areas along the edges.
Size and Lifespan
As their name suggests, pygmy Corydoras are quite small, growing to an average adult length of just 1-1.2 inches. Their petite size makes them perfect for nano aquariums. With proper care and ideal water conditions, these little bottom feeders can live for 5-7 years.
Care Level
Pygmy corydoras are easy-going, hardy fish making them beginner-friendly for aquarists of all experience levels. Their simple dietary and habitat needs, peaceful temperament, and shoaling nature allow them to thrive when kept in a small school of 6+ individuals.
Water Parameters
Pygmy Corydoras prefer soft, slightly acidic water with parameters around:
- pH: 6.0 – 7.0
- Temperature: 72° – 82° F
- Hardness: 2 – 8 dGH
Performing regular partial water changes helps maintain their preferred environment.
Diet
In the wild, Pygmy Corydoras feed on tiny crustaceans, worms, insects and plant matter. In home aquariums they will readily accept most prepared sinking foods. Make sure to supplement their diet with blanched veggies and quality spirulina or algae wafers 1-2 times per week.
How Many Pygmy Corydoras for a 10 Gallon Tank
General Schooling Needs
Pygmy corydoras are schooling fish that prefer to be kept in groups of 6 or more of their own kind (The Spruce Pets). Keeping them in larger groups provides social enrichment and security for these little fish.
Generally, most sources recommend keeping pygmy cories in groups of at least 6 for a 10 gallon tank.
Stocking Considerations
When stocking a 10 gallon tank with pygmy cories, it’s important to leave adequate room for them to swim around. These tiny fish only grow to about 1 inch in length, but they are active bottom dwellers.
In addition to pygmy cories, a 10 gallon tank has room for other peaceful tank mates like small rasboras, bettas, or shrimp.
Here are some general stocking guidelines for a 10 gallon with pygmy cories:
- 6-8 pygmy corydoras
- 5-7 small rasboras or tetras
- 1 betta or a mating pair
- 5-10 cherry shrimp
Be careful not to overstock the tank, as this could cause water quality issues. Leave plenty of open swimming areas for the fish.
Tank Conditions
Pygmy cories thrive in warm, soft, acidic water between 72-82°F and a pH of 6.0-7.0 (SeriouslyFish). The substrate should be smooth fine gravel or sand to prevent injury to their delicate barbels when foraging.
These fish appreciate having plenty of hiding spots created with driftwood, rocks or aquatic plants. Include some open areas for swimming too. Making sure parameters are stable andClean water is essentialthrough weekly 25% water changes.
Temperature | 72–82°F |
pH | 6.0-7.0 |
Hardness | 2-12 dGH |
Other Tankmates
Good tankmates for pygmy corydoras include other peaceful community fish that share similar water parameter needs. Great options are white cloud mountain minnows, celestial pearl danios, chili rasboras, ember tetras or galaxy rasboras. Shrimp and snails also make excellent tankmates.
Avoid keeping pygmy cories with fin nippers like tiger barbs or aggressive fish that might attack or outcompete them for food. Their small size makes them vulnerable to bullying.
Setting Up a 10 Gallon Corydoras Tank
Filtration
Providing adequate filtration is crucial for keeping your Corydoras healthy in a small tank. A hang-on-back filter rated for a 20 gallon tank provides solid mechanical and biological filtration for a 10 gallon Cory habitat.
This oversized filtration helps keep ammonia and nitrites at zero while clearing waste and debris from the water column. Dual filtration with a sponge filter is also an excellent option as it offers biological and mechanical filtration while providing a gentle water flow that Corydoras prefer.
Make sure to avoid strong filter currents that could sweep these little fish around the tank.
Substrate
Corydoras have sensitive barbels that can be damaged by rough or sharp substrates. A fine, smooth sand substrate no larger than 1-2 mm is ideal for their comfort and health. Pool filter sand, play sand, or aquarium sand specifically made for bottom dwelling fish all work nicely.
Sand allows these fish to exhibit their natural digging behaviors as an added bonus.
Plants and Decor
Live aquarium plants help improve water quality in addition to replicating the Corydoras’ natural environment. Some great options are Java fern, Anubias, Amazon swordplants, and Cryptocorynes. Be sure to include several hiding spots around the tank in the form of cave decor, driftwood, rocks, or aquarium safe PVC pipes.
These areas allow resting spots and help shy Corydoras feel secure.
Water Changes
Perform 25% weekly water changes to remove nitrates and other dissolved organic compounds that can accumulate over time. Use a gravel vacuum to disturb and clean the substrate while changing the water.
Check water parameters routinely and aim to keep nitrates under 20 ppm, ammonia and nitrites at 0 ppm. Adding live plants can help absorbing nitrates between water changes.
By following these Corydoras habitat guidelines when setting up a 10 gallon tank, you’ll help ensure your pygmy cories thrive for years to come! Providing excellent water quality, smooth substrate, and plenty of hiding spots allows them to exhibit their species-appropriate behaviors in a small environment.
Adding Pygmy Corydoras to Your Tank
Acclimating Fish
When you first bring home your new pygmy corydoras, it’s crucial to properly acclimate them to avoid shock. Start by floating their closed bag in the tank for 15-30 minutes. This allows the fish to adjust to the temperature.
Next, open the bag and add a half cup of tank water every 5 minutes for an hour. The gradual water changes let the fish become accustomed to the pH and chemistry. Finally, use a net to transfer the pygmy cories into the tank.
Pygmy cories prefer water between 72-82°F. Make sure your tank falls in this range before adding them. Also have the tank fully cycled, with 0 ammonia and nitrites. Overcrowding can cause a mini cycle, so only add a group you have room for.
Provide plenty of hides like driftwood and plants to help them feel secure.
Quarantining
Quarantining pygmy cories gives you a chance to monitor for illness before adding them to an established tank. Use a 5-10 gallon tank with a sponge filter and heater. Barebottom makes it easier to observe waste and symptoms. Feed a high quality food like Hikari Micro Pellets 1-2 times a day.
Watch for signs of ich, flukes, fungal infections or parasites over 2-4 weeks.
Medicate if needed, but avoid harsh medications that could compromise their labyrinth organ. Salt and heat can treat external parasites for pygmy cories. Ich-X is a good chemical treatment containing malachite green and formalin.
Then return to normal tank conditions for a week before clearing quarantine.
Introducing to Display Tank
Once your new pygmy corydoras pass quarantine, begin acclimating them to the display tank like when first brought home. Float for 30 minutes, then slowly add tank water over an hour before netting them into the aquarium. Turn off powerheads and bubblers at first to avoid pushing them around.
Give them plenty of hiding spots with plants like anarchis, hornwort and anubias. Add some Indian almond leaves which release beneficial tannins too. Pygmy cories will appreciate fine sand substrate they can sift through looking for microorganisms.
Tankmates like neon tetras, guppies and small rasboras make good options. Avoid aggressive fish that may nip their barbels.
Signs of Stress and Disease
Behavior Changes
Being able to recognize signs of stress and disease is crucial for healthy pygmy corydoras. Changes in behavior can be early indicators of issues. For example, lethargy, loss of appetite, heavy breathing, erratic swimming, and hiding excessively could signal deteriorating water quality, bullying by tankmates, parasites, infections, or other health problems.
It’s important to closely observe your pygmy corys and get to know their normal energetic behavior. That way, you can notice behavior changes right away before conditions seriously worsen. Quick action is vital since pygmy corys are sensitive and can decline rapidly in the small environment of a 10 gallon aquarium.
Appearance Issues
In addition to shifts in behavior, be vigilant about abnormalities in pygmy cory appearance. Changes to watch for include:
While parameters may test fine, issues like parasites, fungal infections, bacterial diseases, or poor nutrition can arise and impact appearance. Rapid action is essential to treat disease and restore pygmy cory health before condition becomes lethal.
Preventing and Treating Disease
Fortunately, there are ways pygmy cory keepers can promote health and prevent disease outbreaks:
Do | Don’t |
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If disease arises despite preventative care, options like anti-parasitic medications, antibiotics, antifungal treatments, salt baths, or water changes with conditioners may be used for treatment under guidance of fish veterinarians.
Reference sites like CaFishVet provide useful disease information and treatment options for aquarists.
Conclusion
Pygmy corydoras are delightful little fish perfect for small, peaceful community aquariums. By following the guidelines above on tank size, water parameters, diet, tankmates and more, you can successfully keep a group of 6-8 of these tiny catfish in a well-maintained 10 gallon tank.
Their active behavior and peaceful nature will make them a wonderful addition to your freshwater setup.
With the proper care outlined here, your pygmy corydoras will thrive for years to come in your 10 gallon aquarium.