How Many Cories Does It Take To Make Them Happy?

[Birdie]

My tank, it turns out, isn't as big as I would like ( although it seemed so big in the shop - not to mention it's the biggest one I have room for or can afford ATM ) The tank is planted, with rocks, wood, lots of hiding places and fine, smooth/rounded gravel.

Anyway, I am planning stock while I cycle ( 20g community tank) and am wondering what is the smallest number of cories that can be kept together without making them lonely. I don't want to breed them - I don't have the facilites for extra breeding tanks etc, not to mention the expertise - so that isn't a consideration for me ( although I suppose it might be for the cories ). Would 2 be OK? 3? More? Are there any types that I should especially go for if I am only having a few?

If I can't give them the company they need, I will ( reluctantly - ) choose different fish - don't want sad fishies .

TIA

 

[Castellop123]

I would say that you could get away with having 5... Your setup sounds like an excellent place for corydoras to live...

 

[Birdie]

Corin - thank you so much for your reply. Do you think 5 is a minimum and a maximum - given that my tank is 31.5" x12"x12" and that there is only so much bottom to go round ? (although they would be the only bottom-dwellers, they wouldn't be the only fish I was planning to have)

Also, as I do not particularly want to breed them is it OK to have a single-sex group - or would that be so unnatural that it would cause problems?

 

[Purity]

I think for a maximun would be about 7. Also, an all male group should be OK, if a little unnatural. If the Corydoras has females in there in theory you should get them to stand out more.

 

[geo7x]

edit- old thread.

 

[Tacklebury]

I have just added 6 albino corys into my RIO 240. They took about 4 hrs to settle into their new home and now spend all day going from one side to the other in formation. They would put the Rad arrows to shame!

The more the better IMHO. I have never seem corys so full of energy!