I Don't Want Sand!

[Gurglar]

What substrate would be best I know the finer the better but I don't know if the smallest I can get is good. The smaller sort of gravel feels a bit rough and kind of pointy in a gravel way, would this be ok for cories or would I be better off getting a bigger gravel that is alot more smoother?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

No, rough gravel will damage the corys barbels/whiskers as they feed and give them bacterial infections. Corys naturally feed in fine sandy substrate, and keeping them on a gravel substrate will make it impossible for them to perform certain types of natural behavior (they sift the sand into their mouths and through their gill area and out, but this is impossible for corys to do if you keep them on gravel substrate).

 

[Sp00ky]

u could use very small smooth gravel if you really didnt want sand. i take it you have sand in there now? whats made you want to change? If not, whats made you not want sand?

 

[Gurglar]

u could use very small smooth gravel if you really didnt want sand. i take it you have sand in there now? whats made you want to change? If not, whats made you not want sand?

I've never had sand I just prefer the look of gravel and its easier to keep as it doesnt stir up or anything.

 

[vancouver]

I heard sand is bad for cories.. something to do with their barbels becoming cut from digging through the sand..

I heard gravel is better..

Read this info on another forum.. not sure if you can believe it or not..

but I've found corys to be fine in gravel and sand.

 

[black angel]

I know people that keep cory on pea gravel and they do fine.

 

[DarkEntity]

I have 2 tanks with Cory on 2-3mm gravel, its really smoothe and doesnt seem to bother them..

Truth be told, im swapping the 125 from gravel to sand after new year, just becuase i saw some Cory actually sticking their head in the sand to rummage for food and thought it looked more natural

 

[paulf]

I heard sand is bad for cories.. something to do with their barbels becoming cut from digging through the sand..

I heard gravel is better..

Read this info on another forum.. not sure if you can believe it or not..

but I've found corys to be fine in gravel and sand.

I don't beleive that either, corys are best in a tank with a sand substrate

Theres nothing wrong with using sand with corys, be it play sand or aquatium sand. Its easy to clean witha vacuum/syphon pipe.
If you clean it properly it should be ok, if I grab a handful of sand in one of my tanks and drop in back i the tank it falls straight to the bottom and doesnt flyaway - if it did it would mean I didnt clean it properly before adding it to the tank

 

[Coryman]

Sand & Corys.

I never heard or read anywhere that said sand was bad for Corys, the type of sand certainly and this is where common sense should prevail and the sand used should consist of rounded particles, not the sharp or silver sand that is excavated for the building trade. If in doubt look at the grains through a magnifying glass, they should look like tiny pebbles.

In nature probably 80% or more of all Cory species live over a sand substrate. Basically they are filter feeders in that they suck up sand and filter out the food particles, the sand is easily sucked into their mouths without the need to use their barbels for other than what they evolved to be sensing organs. You put Corys on gravel and they physically have to move the particles of gravel to get at the food that is lodged there and this can and does cause barbel wear. The other down fall is that food particles will penetrate deeper than the Corys can reach, were it will decompose and start to foul the the gravel. This in turn means that there is more work for you to do to the keep the gravel clean.

Ian

 

[QuotheRaven]

I have sand in my two larger tanks and I find it FAR easier to care for than gravel, as I am a bottom feeder, loach & catfish fan It's more a neccesity for the fishes health to have sand.

I have a rendahls catfish and when in gravel it could barely find food now on sand it runs it's barbels along the sand and when it senses food picks it up but it never did this in gravel...Also the sand is easier to clean and the only real downside I can see in sand is aneboric pockets which can be prevented anyways....

if you are going to keep cories I believe you should do the best for the fish and get some sand or at worst get a very round gravel

 

[Gurglar]

ok i'm beginning to think about getting sand but when you use a gravel vacuum doesnt it suck up the sand as well because the sand is so light?

 

[QuotheRaven]

if you keep the vacuum 1 inch above and twirl the vacuum about it lifts all the muck off the top of the gravel you don't put the vacuum On the gravel

 

[Gurglar]

ok so what type of sand would be best for cories? will the sand stir up at anytime and clog the filters?

 

[QuotheRaven]

the sand will only stir up if 1: you have a very large fish that digs...or 2: you stir it up....I haven't found the sand clogs my filters if you keep up regular filter maintenance it should be fine

I use play sand for my tanks I would go for a aquarium sand...I think silica sand is sold at some LFS

 

[Gurglar]

does it have to be fine sand or can it be like a grain type like at the beach?