Substrate/corys

[Browner]

Hi people

Im looking in to getting a planted tank again but setting up properly this time.

Im a bit unsure about the substrate from what ive read on these forums recently,ada aquasoil seems to be the best option for plant growth but can i add sand on top of that if so will it mix up and look silly???

Also im looking at getting a number of corys for the tank i know the sand will be fine but will pure aqua soil (if i go for that) be a safe option for corys to sift through or will they suffer barbell damage.

Thanks

Matt B)

 

[paulf]

I think you are going to have to put sand on top of it as most soils will create a mess if you dont and corys will definatly prefer a sand substrate to soil one. Personally I would add a couple of inches of sand on top ot the soil

 

[Browner]

so is it just a case of being careful not to mix them up then?

 

[n3ont3tra]

Wouldn't it be impossible to keep them from getting mixed up because when you gravel vac you have to get down pretty deep?

 

[danski]

if you cant afford ADA look at the eco-complete..my bottom dwellers love it and so do the plants..you can also look at using soils as a substrate..i believe sand straight might be okay also except you need to be looking for bacteria pockets and some plant roots may not move as freely thru it. most substrates will mix over time..sand usually mixes .

 

[Dave Spencer]

Wouldn't it be impossible to keep them from getting mixed up because when you gravel vac you have to get down pretty deep?

I wouldn`t recommend a deep gravel vac as you will lose a lot of sand. Just hold the vac a couple of inches above the sand and create a small vortex by turning the end of the vac in a figure eight. Debris sits on the top of a sand substrate, so it will be lifted up by the vortex and can easily be sucked up.

Cory lovers prefer sand, I belive. It doesn`t wear away their barbels, and I love watching mine sifting sand through their gills.

Buy Argos play sand, it`s great stuff.

 

[n3ont3tra]

And it won't get mixed up? I have a similar situation, having just bought Flourish substrate and finding it's rather sharp.I don't understand how that works though. If you put the mesh down then the snad, the mesh will keep the plants from getting to the beneficial substrate.

 

[three-fingers]

The corys will be perfectly fine with aqua soil, its not that sharp and is made up of smaller particles . If you put sand on top of that it will just fall through to the bottom and end up being useless.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Sorry I'm hijacking this topic a little...

I didn't buy aqua soil, I have Flourish.

 

[three-fingers]

Yeah...the mesh would stop the plants roots if it was going to do anything about the sand . So i don't know what you could do...you could take some of the flourish out and only leave it around the plants and replace with sand....but that could look bad and you would be losing alot of nutrients.

 

[n3ont3tra]

I think the cories will be okay... I have 3 panda cories in my 30g with big gravel, which will be replaced with sand in a few weeks when I get fish for the 10g. If the cories have barbel damage or seem like they are suffering then I'll put the in the 30 gallon, I guess.