Can three cory cats...

[gritsar]

live in a small tank - say 2 1/2 gallons - by themselves without other fish?
Will there be enough junk for them to clean up?

Our last big fish, a gourami, looks like she might be about to give up the ghost. She's old. I don't have the time or inclination to fuss with the big tank anymore.
The only thing that's keeping me from dismantaling the whole thing is that the cory cats are thriving.

 

[PitterPaws]

IMO I think a 2 1/2 gallon would be to small, I would say a 5 gallon should be the smallest you should go with three cory cats. I have 5 Albino Cory Cats and they are in a 30 gallon. They get to two inches or so, so I think they would be crowded in a 2 1/2 gal. If your tired of fish, maybe your local pet store would give you a store credit for the cory cats, then you wouldn't have to keep a tank going just for them.
Good Luck!

 

[patandchickens]

Corys can take a considerable bit of difficult conditions, and you could probably technically keep them alive in a 2-3 gal tank, but it would not be pleasant for them (nor particularly pleasant for you to watch or manage -- and tiny tanks are really a disproportionate hassle to manage...). Personally I'd give them a 10 at least (maybe with a few tetras), but a 5 would be something at least. If you put them in a 10 with some plants and good water quality, you might be able to get them to breed if you have both genders there...

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I have a female and two males. They breed regularly! Then they turn around and eat the eggs. I gave up trying to get them to stop. I figure their form of birth control is none of my business anyhow.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I think a five gallon would probably work, but a 2 1/2 gal might be a bit too small. I have three albino corys in a ten gallon with a betta and a few platies and they get along just fine. I rarely ever have to clean the tank since it has built up all the good bacteria it needs to keep it clean. All I do is take out some water so that I can top off the tank when some evaporates. You could probably do the same in a five gallon, but I don't think you'd have as effective of a system in a 2 1/2 gallon.