TankStockingBronze Corydoras Tank Mates
Corydoras catfish are peaceful, sociable bottom-dwellers — one of the easiest fish to find tank mates for.
They occupy the floor, ask nothing of mid-water fish, and clear the engine against almost every peaceful community species. The few cautions are temperature edges and very large or aggressive tankmates. Keep them in a group of six or more on smooth sand or rounded gravel that protects their barbels.
Bronze Corydoras key facts
The sourced figures the engine uses to judge Bronze Corydoras pairings.
| Adult size | 7 cm |
|---|---|
| Minimum tank | 20 US gal |
| Minimum group | 6+ (shoal) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Temperature range | 22–26°C |
| pH range | 6–7.8 |
| Bioload | Medium |
| Swim level | Bottom |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
Sources & confidence (11 species)
These back the Bronze Corydoras figures and the recommended tank mates above. Each figure is read from the TankStocking species database (v2026.06); below is the care reference behind it and how confident we are in that data. Confidence reflects the source quality, not whether any pairing is safe. Full source list and the welfare model are on the methodology page.
- Bronze Corydoras Corydoras aeneus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/corydoras-aeneus) high confidence
- Amano Shrimp Caridina multidentata — Aquarium Co-Op amano shrimp care; Aquadiction high confidence
- Bamboo Shrimp (Wood/Fan Shrimp) Atyopsis moluccensis — Aquariadise (aquariadise.com/caresheet-bamboo-shrimp-atyopsis-moluccensis) high confidence
- Black Neon Tetra Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi — Seriously Fish / Aqua-Fish (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) high confidence
- Black Phantom Tetra Hyphessobrycon megalopterus — Seriously Fish (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) high confidence
- Bleeding Heart Tetra Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma — Seriously Fish (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) high confidence
- Boesemani Rainbowfish Melanotaenia boesemani — Seriously Fish; Aquarium Co-Op Boesemani guide high confidence
- Bolivian Ram Mikrogeophagus altispinosus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/mikrogeophagus-altispinosus) high confidence
- Brilliant Rasbora Rasbora einthovenii — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/rasbora-einthovenii) high confidence
- Bristlenose Pleco Ancistrus sp. — Aquarium Source / aqua-fish.net Ancistrus care guides high confidence
- Celebes Rainbowfish Marosatherina ladigesi — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/marosatherina-ladigesi) high confidence
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Verdict
Top Bronze Corydoras tank mates
A ranked shortlist: the species the engine clears with Bronze Corydoras and that suit its size and temperament best — tap any to load the exact pairing in the planner.
| Species | Adult size | Temp range | Min group | Swim level | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amano Shrimp | 5 cm | 18–27°C | 3+ (pair/group) | All levels | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bamboo Shrimp (Wood/Fan Shrimp) | 10 cm | 20–27°C | 1 | All levels | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Black Neon Tetra | 3.5 cm | 23–27°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Black Phantom Tetra | 3.6 cm | 20–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra | 6 cm | 21–28°C | 8+ (shoal) | Midwater | Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Boesemani Rainbowfish | 10 cm | 24–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bolivian Ram | 8 cm | 24–27°C | 2+ (pair/group) | Bottom | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Brilliant Rasbora | 9 cm | 22–26°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Bristlenose Pleco | 13 cm | 23–27°C | 1 | Bottom | Peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
| Celebes Rainbowfish | 8 cm | 22–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | Uses the midwater zone, peaceful temperament, similar adult size |
Other engine-cleared options (not necessarily ideal)
These clear TankStocking's hard welfare checks with Bronze Corydoras, but are larger, bolder, or otherwise less ideal than the shortlist above — read up before committing.
Anabantoids (Bettas/Gouramis)
Barbs
Cichlids
Corydoras
Loaches
Oddball
Plecos & Catfish
Rainbowfish
Rasboras
Possible with care
These can work, but the engine flags something to watch — read the reason before you commit.
- Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) — Territorial
- Paradise Fish — Aggression
- Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apisto Cacatuoides) — Territorial
- Convict Cichlid — Aggression
- Jewel Cichlid — Aggression
- Kribensis (Rainbow Krib) — Territorial
- Golden Wonder Killifish (Striped Panchax) — Aggression
- Molly (Common / Sailfin) — Heavily stocked
- Rainbow Shark — Aggression
- Redtail Black Shark — Aggression
- Pictus Catfish — Aggression
Best avoided
A hard welfare check fires for each of these — don't mix them with Bronze Corydoras.
- Chocolate Gourami — Temperature clash, Species-only fish
- Kissing Gourami — Predation risk
- Licorice Gourami — Species-only fish
- Snakeskin Gourami — Predation risk
- Bala Shark — Predation risk
- Tinfoil Barb — Predation risk
- Discus — Temperature clash
- Electric Blue Acara — Predation risk
- Firemouth Cichlid — Predation risk, Territorial
- German Blue Ram — Temperature clash
- Green Severum — Predation risk
- Multifasciatus Shell-Dweller — Territorial, Species-only fish
- Oscar — Predation risk, Aggression
- Common Goldfish — Coldwater + tropical
Bronze Corydoras community ideas
Each build is scored by the same engine as the planner — tap one to load it.
Cory + tetra community
✓ Good starter plan6× Bronze Corydoras, 8× Harlequin Rasbora
A bottom shoal under a mid-water school — the most reliable beginner community there is.
Load this build in the planner ↑Cory + ram centrepiece
✓ Good starter plan8× Bronze Corydoras, 2× Bolivian Ram
A peaceful Bolivian ram pair above a big cory group — both happy in standard community temperatures.
Load this build in the planner ↑Common questions
What fish can live with corydoras?
Almost any peaceful community fish: tetras, rasboras, guppies, platies, honey gouramis, dwarf cichlids and peaceful shrimp. Corydoras stay on the bottom, so they rarely conflict with mid-water tankmates.
How many corydoras should I keep together?
At least six of the same species. Corydoras are social shoalers — bigger groups are more active, more confident, and far more entertaining to watch.
Do corydoras need sand?
Soft sand or smooth, rounded gravel is strongly preferred. Sharp substrate wears down their delicate barbels, which they use to sift for food.
More on Bronze Corydoras
Related guides on TankStocking — each scored by the same welfare engine as the planner.
Can Bronze Corydoras live with…?
Bronze Corydoras stocking by tank size
Compatibility is a planning estimate: individual temperament, tank layout, and group sizes all matter. Cycle the tank, add fish gradually, and watch how they behave. See the methodology or browse the full freshwater fish list.