Cory catfish is a popular fish to pet in a fish tank. This fish is said to be a great fish to pet. Besides, it is easy to maintain and pet.
You may ask how many cory catfish can you keep in a 20 gallon tank. Let us find the answer to this question and provide you with some necessary information regarding this matter as well.
How many cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank?
You can keep 5 – 10 cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank, depending on the species that you want to keep in the tank. The amount of cory fish that you can keep in a tank depends on the size of the cory fish. As the length of it varies based on species, the number of fish in a 20 gallon tank varies too.
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Cory catfish usually size between 1.5 – 3.5 inches based on their species. A general thumb rule to identify how many fish you can keep in a particular tank is 1 inch fish in 1 gallon. But there can be some exceptions based on the needs of the fish that you will keep in your tank.
Based on the size of cory catfish, you can keep around 5 – 10 of them in a 20 gallon tank. But you might want to know the actual number for particular cory catfishes.
Here are some popular cory catfish that we think you might keep in your 20 gallon fish tank and how many of them you can keep.
Albino cory catfish:
1 – 3 Albino cory catfish can be kept in a 20 gallon tank. Due to the size of Albino cory catfish, you cannot hold more than 3 in a 20 gallon tank.
Panda cory catfish:
You can keep 6 panda cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank. This is the ideal number of panda cory catfish that you can keep.
Dwarf cory catfish:
You can keep 6 – 10 dwarf cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank. Dwarf cory catfish like to live as a community. Therefore, half a dozen of them in a 20 gallon tank are a must.
Pygmy cory catfish:
15 – 16 pygmy cory catfish can live in a 20 gallon tank. This cory catfish is the smallest of all cory catfish species. Thus, you can keep more than a dozen if you can maintain the environment of the tank.
Skunk Cory Catfish:
You can keep 5 – 6 Skunk Cory Catfish in a 20 gallon tank. You should not exceed this limit.
Bronze Cory Catfish:
You can keep 5 – 6 Bronze Cory Catfish in a 20 gallon tank. If you keep half a dozen of them, it will keep them healthy.
Sterba’s Cory Catfish/ Sterbai Corydoras:
4 – 5 Sterba’s Cory Catfish/ Starbei Corydoras can be kept in a 20 gallon tank. Due to their size, the maximum that you can keep in a 20 gallon tank is 5 Starbai Corydoras.
Julii Cory Catfish:
You can keep 6 – 7 Julii Cory Catfish in a 20 gallon tank. If you keep more than 7 Julii Cory Catfish in a 20 gallon tank, it might create an imbalance in the fish tank.
Three Stripe Cory Catfish:
4 – 5 Three Stripe Cory Catfish can be kept in a 20 gallon tank. This is the best range for a 20 gallon tank.
Emerald Cory Catfish:
4 – 5 Emerald Cory Catfish can be kept in a 20 gallon tank. But the number may vary based on the size of the Emerald Cory Catfish.
How many Panda Corys are in a 20-gallon?
A maximum of 6 Panda Corys are in a 20-gallon. Cory catfish are seen to live in packs for schooling purposes. They tend to move with the pack. This helps them keep active the whole time based on the environment in the tank.
Based on the size of the Panda Corys, you can keep a maximum of 6 Panda Corys in a 20 gallon tank. It is also recommended by various experienced people that you should keep half a dozen cory catfish in a tank for their betterment.
Therefore, you can keep 5 Panda Corys in a 20 gallon tank.
Is 2 cory catfish enough in a 20 gallon tank?
Depending on the species, 2 cory catfish is enough in a 20 gallon tank. Although it is advised to have a minimum of 6 cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank, you can keep 2 cory catfish in the same tank.
If you own 2 cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank, you will see that both of the cory catfish will move together.
They are even seen sleeping close to each other as well. But you should consider adding some fish tank mates in the 20 gallon tank if you keep only 2 cory catfish. This will keep the tank a bit filled and give the 2 cory catfish you have in the 20 gallon tank some companionship.
Can I have 1 cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank?
Except for White Cory Catfish, you cannot have 1 cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank. You should never keep 1 cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank. This will create an adverse environment in the tank.
As cory catfish love to move and live in a pack, this will make the 1 cory catfish you keep in the big 20 gallon tank afraid and lonely. It is best to keep them in numbers of 2 or in a school pack of 6. But White Cory Catfish is different and can live independently without any issue.
3 factors that determine how many cory catfish can be kept in 20 gallon tank
There are multiple factors that determine how many cory catfish that you can keep in a 20 gallon tank. If you want to know them, here are 3 important factors that determine how many cory catfish can be kept in a 20 gallon tank.
Species of cory catfish that you will keep:
There are multiple species of cory catfish in the world. The number of how many cory catfish that you can keep depends on the species mostly. There are specific ranges for each species regarding how many of them you can keep in a 20 gallon tank.
So, the species of cory catfish is an important factor.
Size of the cory catfish:
The size of the cory catfish is also an essential factor. Based on the size of the cory catfish that you will keep in a 20 gallon tank, the number of how many you can keep depends. If the size of the cory catfish that you will keep is small, you can keep a lot of them.
Temperature of the tank water:
The water temperature in the 20 gallon tank is another major factor in determining how many cory catfish you can keep in it. If the temperature is optimal for the cory catfish, you can keep the maximum number of cory catfish.
What fish can be kept together cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank?
Cory catfish is a peaceful fish. They can live with other fishes known as fish tank mates. There are various kinds of different fishes that can be kept together with cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank.
Here are some noteworthy ones that you can consider keeping with your cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank.
Mollies:
Mollies are calm and peaceful fishes like cory catfish. They are an ideal fish tank mate for cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank. They are small and easy to maintain.
Platies:
Another small and peaceful fish tank mate is called platies. They are beautiful and require minimum space to live. They can easily adjust with cory catfish and live with them in a 20 gallon tank.
Tetras:
Tetras is another great fish tank mate for cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank. Among all the tetras available, neon tetras are the best.
Final Thoughts
5 – 10 cory catfish can be kept in a 2- gallon tank. But you should keep at least half a dozen of cory catfish in a 20 gallon tank at best. This helps them stay healthy and cheerful in the tank. But more can be kept in the tank based on the species and size of the cory catfish that you will keep.