Bronze Corydoras Care
Short answer: Bronze corydoras (Corydoras aeneus, now Osteogaster aenea) are the hardiest, most common corydoras species. Keep at least 6 on soft sand in a 20-gallon or larger tank at 72-80 F. Across 11 real tanks with size data, keepers in a 20-gallon stock a median of 3, well below the recommended six.
Bronze corydoras at a glance
- Scientific name
- Corydoras aeneus
- Adult size
- ~3″
- Temperature
- 72–80°F
- pH
- 6–7.8
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Social
- schooling — keep 6+
- Reference
- Wikipedia
Bronze corydoras (Corydoras aeneus, recently reclassified Osteogaster aenea3) are the hardiest and most widely sold corydoras species. If you have seen an “albino cory” in a pet shop, it was almost certainly an albino colour morph of this fish. They are the default beginner corydoras for good reason: tolerant of a wide parameter range, cheap, always available, and completely peaceful.
Keep a group of at least six on soft sand in a 20-gallon or larger tank.2
Bronze corydoras at a glance
| Attribute | Authority | Real tanks (AquaGauge) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult size | 6.5-7.5 cm (2.5-3 in)3 | --- |
| Temperature | 20-27 °C (67-81 °F)3 | genus median 78 °F (37 tanks) |
| pH | 6.5-7.23 | genus median 7.5 (76 tanks) |
| Minimum group | 6+3 | median 3 in a 20-gal (5 tanks) |
| IUCN status | Least Concern1 | --- |
Authority = ScotCat recommended ranges for O. aenea. "Real tanks" = our bronze corydoras stocking data (11 tanks with size, July 2026 snapshot) + genus-level corydoras water data for temperature/pH (median 78 °F / pH 7.5).
What real keepers stock
Across 11 real bronze corydoras tanks with size data (23 reports total) in the AquaGauge dataset (July 2026 snapshot):
| Tank size | Median count | Range | Tanks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-10 gal | 3 | 3-5 | 3 |
| 11-20 gal | 3 | 2-5 | 5 |
| 40+ gal | 6 | 3-6 | 3 |
The median sits at 3 in a 20-gallon, well below the recommended six. Only keepers with 40+ gallons actually hit a median of 6. Bronze corys are often bought in twos and threes because they are cheap and everywhere, but a proper shoal of six or more brings out their natural foraging and social behaviour. Plan your group in the stocking calculator.
Tank size
A 20-gallon is the comfortable minimum for a group of six. Bronze corys reach 6.5-7.5 cm (about 3 inches)3, making them one of the larger common corys. They need floor space to forage, not water depth. Larger tanks let you keep bigger groups. See the full breakdown in how many corydoras in a tank.
Water and substrate
Bronze corys tolerate a wider range than most corydoras: 72-80 °F, pH 6.0-7.8 in practice, though ScotCat’s recommended optimum is pH 6.5-7.2 and 20-27 °C.3 That hardiness is why they are the default beginner cory. The panda corydoras needs cooler water (72-77 °F); bronze corys handle the typical tropical range comfortably.
Use soft sand as substrate. They feed by sifting sand through their barbels, and sharp gravel wears barbels down and causes infections. See corydoras water parameters for the full breakdown.
Diet
Bronze corys are omnivorous bottom feeders. Feed sinking pellets or wafers as the staple, plus frozen bloodworms, daphnia and brine shrimp.2 They scavenge leftover food that falls to the bottom, but they are not a cleanup crew that can live on scraps alone. Feed them directly.
The albino morph
The “albino corydoras” sold in nearly every pet shop is an albino colour morph of C. aeneus. Care is identical to the wild-type bronze. A smaller number of albino corys are albino peppered corydoras (C. paleatus), but the bronze morph is far more common in the trade.
Tankmates
Bronze corys are peaceful and ignore other fish, making them one of the safest community bottom-dwellers. They pair well with small tetras, rasboras, livebearers, shrimp and other corys. Avoid large or aggressive fish that could bully a 3-inch catfish. Unlike the panda corydoras, bronze corys handle the typical tropical range (72-80 °F), so they fit most warm community setups. Check a specific combination in the stocking calculator.
Lifespan and breeding
Bronze corydoras are exceptionally long-lived — keepers commonly report ten years and beyond with good care, far outliving most of their tankmates.
They are also one of the easiest corys to spawn, following the genus pattern: a large, cooler water change triggers spawning, the female deposits sticky eggs on the aquarium glass and fine-leaved plants, and they hatch in about three to four days.2 Once their yolk sacs are absorbed, the fry take microworm and baby brine shrimp over a thin layer of sand.2
How we counted
AquaGauge’s bronze corydoras data comes from 23 real hobbyist tank reports (11 with tank-size data) collected from fishkeeping communities on Reddit. Each report records the number of bronze corys and the tank volume in gallons. We verified every number with verify_stats.py and publish only medians and ranges from the raw data. Full methodology: /methodology/. Figures are from the July 2026 snapshot (6,414 tanks total).
Check your exact stocking
Add your fish below to see stocking %, filtration load and compatibility for your setup — live.
Planning a Bronze corydoras tank. We start with your bronze corydoras and filter the list to compatible tankmates — untick to see every species (incompatible ones get flagged).
Stocking — under 85% comfortable · 85–100% full · over 100% overstocked
Show the math
Gear for this setup
As an Amazon Associate AquaGauge earns from qualifying purchases. Some links below are affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Current price and availability are shown on Amazon. Disclosure.
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Hikari Sinking Wafers (3.88 oz) The staple sinking food for bronze corys; breaks apart slowly so the whole group can graze. Check price on Amazon → -
Aqua Natural Sugar White Sand (10 lb) Smooth, barbel-safe sand so bronze corys can sift naturally without damaging their barbels. Check price on Amazon → -
AQUANEAT Bio Sponge Filter (up to 20 gal) Gentle flow that won't blast bottom-dwellers off the sand, and safe for fry. Check price on Amazon → -
API Freshwater Master Test Kit Liquid tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH to keep a community tank cycled and stable. Check price on Amazon →
FAQ
- Are bronze corydoras good for beginners?
- Yes. Bronze corydoras are the hardiest and most forgiving cory species. They tolerate a wider pH and temperature range than most corys and adapt well to community tanks.
- How many bronze corydoras should I keep?
- At least 6. They are shoaling catfish that forage more confidently in a group. Across real tanks, keepers in a 20-gallon stock a median of only 3, which is on the low side.
- Are albino corydoras the same as bronze corydoras?
- Yes. The albino corydoras sold in most pet shops is an albino colour morph of Corydoras aeneus (bronze corydoras). Care is identical.
- What size tank do bronze corydoras need?
- 20 gallons or more. They reach 6.5-7.5 cm (about 3 inches) and need floor space to forage in a group.
Sources
- Corydoras aeneus (Bronze Corydoras), FishBase. View source ↗
- Corydoras aeneus, Seriously Fish. View source ↗
- ScotCat catfish factsheets, ScotCat (electronic publication) (2025). View source ↗
Freshwater aquarist of 8+ years.
