How long do corydoras really live for, on average?

[Suse]

Assuming they are kept in the correct conditions. I keep reading that they "can" live for 20+ years, but I am curious about the average real world lifespan of those who keep / have kept them. Are we talking closer to 5, 10, 15 years?

[Martinspuddle]

Their average life span is 10 years in captivity but depending on species and parameters this can be longer.

[plankton]

This is a good question.
The lifespan of most of the bigger corys (those above 2") is around 20-25 years, but, of course, the water has to be optimum for this. I would expect a life above 10 years if the water is looked after. My delphaxes were about 11 and the sterbai (who were all damaged when I got them) got to about 9.
Smaller corys (pandas etc.) will live for over 12 years, even in not so optimum water - I've achieved this with my original 6. The subsequent generations haven't lived quite so long, so I assume the development is restricted when the water is slightly off. (Mine's ph 7, dGH just below 8)
The dwarf corys (pygmeus, hastatus, habrosus, etc.) it's about 8-10 years. My pygmeus are just coming up to 2 years, which is the longest I've kept any dwarf cory so far. (They usually pass within 2 months )
The main reasons that they seem to not last that long is usually ammonia spikes (which they can't tolerate), or the fact that they've been stressed enough to release their toxin which unfortunately kills them as well if they can't swim away, or that they aren't fed a meaty enough diet, or that the water is just too far from optimum.

[Suse]

Thanks both, that's really helpful. It also helps me justify spending a fortune on expensive cories if they're going to be with me a long time... I will do my best to provide them with the best conditions - I have soft water, feed meaty stuff and do big weekly water changes to keep things fresh, so hopefully they will have the best chances.

[baskringed]

Durable and hardy, the Cory Catfish lifespan can be long compared to other fish. Cory Catfish lifespan can be 5 years, or significantly more, under the right conditions. That said, it’s not uncommon for some Cory Cats to die shortly after being added to a tank. This could be due to the stress of being transported or shifts in water parameters between home tank water and store display water. Corydoras Catfish are not as prone to this as the more delicate Otocinclus Catfish are, but it’s still a possibility worth mentioning.

[Vale!]

See heading "Cory Catfish Lifespan", here.

Baskringed : we should not cut-and-paste verbatim passages from other websites without at least acknowledging the source. Thanks.

[Arrgh! I poked the wrong button, so now it looks like I was the originator of the post! Apologies for any confusion!]

[BigBen]

The biggest factor is probably life before "we" as fish keepers get them. I firmly believe they need target feeding with high protein foods to have them healthy, particularly with other fish in the mix and I doubt they get that before they're sold as they're so often thin. Once they've gotten to that stage it is a bit of an uphill battle. The key is probably picking a species in a shop rather than what you have already decided you want, as it allows you to pick the biggest, chunkiest fish (Be a little wary no to pick all the chunkiest fish, you could end of with a group of females and they're courtship is worth watching). I know some of my former fish (Weitzmani and Sterbai) are still going strong, they will be about 7 now.