Room For Any Cories?

[neonTIGER]

Hey, guys! New person here, and I've got a quick question. =D My 10-gallon (cycled) aquarium contains a male crowntail betta and a group of five neon tetras. They've been getting along nicely for a while now. Would it be possible to add any of the smaller varieties cories without being terribly overstocked?

I've noticed that most folks recommend keeping them in groups of at least three - preferably six. Is this necessary? I had a panda cory that lived for over three years in a community setting without any cory buddies, and he always seemed pretty content to me. At the time I got him, I didn't know much about the species. Now that I'm taking the initiative to learn more, I don't want to intentionally subject one to something that would diminish its quality of life. Any input would be appreciated~!

 

[lilfishie]

you could get away with a group of pygmy/dwarf cories

 

[soybean]

They're shoaling fish and do need to be in groups. Your lone cory was probably pretty lonely and nervous.

Pygmy cories look good in a larger group but are a good size for a 10 gallon.

What substrate do you have? They do best on sand, but small, rounded, very smooth gravel is ok. Anything rough or sharp can wear down their barbels, which they use to find food.

 

[neonTIGER]

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking the pygmy ones would probably be the way to go. :3 Sweet. And as for my substrate, I have sand. Hopefully I'll be able to locate some pygmies nearby. I've seen videos of cories prodding around in sand, and I think it's adorable. Ahaha.