It’s always going to be wise to think about how much fish will cost to own. Buying fish when you aren’t going to be able to afford to care for them properly will never be a wise choice.
You might be thinking of buying cory catfish sometime soon. These are popular fish that many people love watching in their fish tanks.
Buying cory catfish will be a good choice for those who are looking for hardy fish that aren’t that difficult to take care of. However, you’ll also want to look into how much these fish cost to own.
Below, you’ll learn all about the cost of caring for cory catfish. There are many things to consider such as the cost of the fish, how much the necessary equipment will cost, and more.
The Cost of the Fish
The first thing to consider when buying new fish will be how much the fish cost. Some fish are going to be more expensive than others, but cory catfish are generally considered to be inexpensive.
One thing to keep in mind is that you aren’t supposed to just buy one or two cory catfish. They are schooling fish that are meant to be kept in groups.
It’s recommended to keep six cory catfish or more in one fish tank. This means that you need to take the price of a single fish and multiply it by six if you wish to do things by the book.
These fish get really lonely when kept with too few of their own kind. They won’t feel as comfortable as they should in the aquarium either.
Keep reading to learn about the common types of cory catfish that you can buy. You’ll learn how much they cost on average as well as some other information that will help you out.
Bronze Cory Catfish Cost
Bronze cory catfish are the most common type of cory catfish that you’ll find. These are popular fish that are regularly sold in pet stores.
As such, you’re not going to have to pay a lot of cash to get the fish. They’re often sold in groups of five for twenty dollars.
Panda Cory Catfish Cost
Panda cory catfish are among the most popular cory catfish. They’re cute fish that resemble pandas due to their eye markings.
You’ll be able to get a single panda cory catfish for a little over five dollars on average. Since you’ll want to buy six of them, you should expect to spend between thirty and thirty-five dollars.
Julii Cory Catfish Cost
Julii cory catfish are very pretty, and some think that they are the most aesthetically-pleasing cory catfish that you can buy. If you want to own some of these fish, then you’ll be able to get them at a low price.
It’s possible to buy them for around six dollars per fish on average. Some stores might sell them at slightly higher or lower prices depending on availability and demand.
Three Stripe Cory Catfish Cost
Three stripe cory catfish are very similar to the julii cory catfish mentioned above. They’re considered to be cousins, in fact.
Sometimes, the two types of fish will be sold interchangeably, but they are indeed different. You can buy one three stripe cory catfish for seven dollars.
This means that getting at least six of these fish will cost forty-two dollars. Sometimes they’re sold as false julii cory catfish because of the similarity to the julii cory catfish.
Peppered Cory Catfish Cost
Peppered cory catfish look really nice in just about any fish tank setting. They have markings that make them look as if they have been peppered.
These fish are almost as common as bronze cory catfish. They are inexpensive and will only cost six dollars on average for one fish.
As with all cory catfish, you’ll want to buy six of these fish for the tank. So you’ll be spending thirty-six dollars or a bit more to get what you need.
Emerald Green Cory Catfish Cost
Emerald green cory catfish are a bit bigger than the average cory catfish. They grow to be between three and four inches long when they reach adulthood.
These are stunning fish to look at that you’ll love owning. One fish costs seven dollars on average, and that means that six will cost at least forty-two dollars.
Skunk Cory Catfish Cost
Skunk cory catfish have some of the most interesting markings. They’re sensitive fish that you need to be careful with, though.
They’re especially sensitive to elevated nitrate and ammonia levels. They don’t do well in tanks that haven’t been properly established yet.
You can get a single skunk cory catfish for nine dollars. Six will set you back fifty-four dollars or a bit more.
Sterba’s Cory Catfish Cost
Once upon a time, sterba’s cory catfish were a fair bit pricier than they are now. They’re more common these days due to more breeding farms producing the fish.
You should be able to find these cory catfish being sold individually for twelve dollars. Six would cost you around seventy-two dollars, and that means that they’re quite a bit pricier than the other catfish mentioned so far.
Bearded Cory Catfish Cost
Bearded cory catfish (sometimes referred to as banded cory catfish) are the largest that you can find. They will grow to be between three and a half and four inches long.
Sometimes, it can be hard to find these fish in stock. They are often sold in stores in packs of five or more, and this will give you a bit of a deal.
As a larger fish, you should expect to pay at least thirty dollars for a bearded cory catfish. It might cost as much as thirty-five dollars at some places.
Six cory catfish will set you back between one-hundred and eighty dollars to two-hundred and ten dollars. That’s a bigger investment than some will be willing to make.
Pygmy Cory Catfish Cost
Pygmy cory catfish are the smallest type of cory catfish that you can buy. Males will be as small as three-fourths of an inch long while females will grow to be one inch long.
They’re a lot less expensive than some of the other fish that have been mentioned here. At four dollars per fish, you should be able to get six of them for just twenty-four dollars.
The Cost of the Tank
The cost of the fish tank is going to differ based on various factors. You will need a specific fish tank size based on the fish that you’re buying.
You’ll need at least a 10-gallon fish tank for most of these fish. Some of them will require 20-gallon fish tanks or 29-gallon fish tanks, though.
For example, green emerald cory cats are too large for 20-gallon tanks. They’ll need at least a 29-gallon tank so that you can keep them in a group.
Smaller fish such as pygmy cory catfish will do fantastically in 10-gallon fish tanks. A 10-gallon tank will cost at least thirty to forty dollars depending on what you buy.
A 20-gallon fish tank will cost at least fifty dollars at most pet stores. A 29-gallon tank will be slightly pricier at eighty dollars.
If you want to keep these fish in a community tank, then you might need an even bigger aquarium. The prices will keep going up as you buy larger and larger tanks.
The Cost of the Food
Feeding the fish won’t cost you a lot of money each month. Cory catfish are omnivores and they aren’t picky about what they eat.
Of course, you’re supposed to feed them the right things to ensure that they stay healthy. They will enjoy eating algae rounds, certain types of fish flakes, sinking nutritional pellets, and more.
Generally, you’ll be able to buy each type of food that they like for ten dollars or slightly less. It’s good to give them shrimp pellets sometimes, too, and those cost under five dollars for a normal-sized pack.
The Cost of Accessories
There are a lot of things that you will need to buy to get the fish tank set up. You’re going to need a filter, an air pump, a bubbler, a heater, aquatic plants, and material for the substrate.
Since cory catfish are bottom feeders, they’re going to need to have a sandy substrate that they can sift through. Don’t use gravel because that could cause the fish to get injured.
Each accessory that you need will add to the cost. The cost of various accessories will vary wildly depending on what exactly you decide to buy.
You should expect to spend between a hundred and two-hundred dollars on equipment for the fish tank to be on the safe side. If you come out having spent less due to finding good deals, then that will be great.
Sometimes, you can buy fish tanks in a kit that comes with accessories. This will give you a good deal on average pieces of equipment and will help to keep costs low.
Aquatic plants for the fish tank will cost between five and dollars on average. You might spend thirty to fifty dollars on plants depending on how big the fish tank is.
Cory catfish like hiding using live plants, though. It’s important to have a planted aquarium for the cory cats to enjoy.
Starting up a freshwater fish tank will usually cost between three-hundred and five-hundred dollars. Smaller tanks will be closer to the low end of the estimation.
It should also be noted that cory catfish are susceptible to issues with high nitrate levels. You should establish the tank before buying the cory catfish and putting them in the aquarium.
So the first thing that you’ll buy will be the fish tank itself, and then you’ll get the equipment that you need. From there, you’ll buy plants, and after four to six weeks the tank should be ready for fish.
General Care and Maintenance Costs
A conservative estimate for how much the maintenance will cost on the tank won’t be easy to give. There are so many factors in play that can alter the costs.
For instance, if you choose to feed the fish more expensive types of food your costs might be higher than average. Expect to spend between two-hundred and fifty to around four-hundred dollars per year on maintenance costs.
This includes buying food, replacing bulbs, paying for chemicals and testing kits, and more. If you feel that this is too much for you to pay per year, then you might want to hold off on buying cory catfish.
Just keep in mind that cory catfish are relatively inexpensive to care for. If you break this cost down to monthly payments, then it won’t be a significant figure at all.
Final Thoughts
There are so many factors to consider when you’re buying cory catfish. You need to buy everything that you need to get the tank set up well before you buy the fish.
The fish tank needs time to become established so that the cory cats can safely live in it. You’ll need to buy the aquarium itself, and then you’ll need to purchase various pieces of equipment.
Sometimes, you can have an easier time by purchasing an aquarium kit that comes with a fish tank and various pieces of equipment. No matter what, you should expect to spend hundreds of dollars to get a freshwater tank started.
It’s unlikely that you will be able to spend less than three hundred dollars to get started. You’ll likely spend much more than that.
Some cory catfish cost more than others, too. Most of them range in price from five to ten dollars, but certain fish will cost a lot more.
Pick out which fish you like, and factor that into your budget. It’ll help you to keep things in line with your financial wishes.
The tank maintenance costs won’t be too bad at all. You’ll likely spend several hundred dollars per year to maintain a freshwater tank, but it isn’t that much money when you break it down into monthly costs.
Most people will find keeping cory catfish to be very affordable. If you’d like to get started, and you have the necessary funds, then you shouldn’t hesitate.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.