What Substrate?

[lizard]

Sand here But it has little rocks in it, and they have sharp edges I'm working on removing them as the sand works its way down and the gravel moves up - I try and filter it out using a net - what a pain 'Tis worth it, though, to keep my little Corys happy and to keep their barbels long and lovely

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Aquamick]

Here's an interesting point. People say that Corys are happier on sand as they can filter it through their gills. But sand can get compacted and become very level. Gravel can be built up in mounds and pits, and the Corys can poke their barbels into gaps in search of food. I'm sure people are always going to have different views on this, and I'm going to put something on my website (when it's ready), about this very subject.

Keep them coming!

 

[parker313]

Here's an interesting point. People say that Corys are happier on sand as they can filter it through their gills. But sand can get compacted and become very level. Gravel can be built up in mounds and pits, and the Corys can poke their barbels into gaps in search of food. I'm sure people are always going to have different views on this, and I'm going to put something on my website (when it's ready), about this very subject.

Keep them coming!

My cories keep that top layer of sand nice and loose with all their sifting through it. Plus I stir it up a bit with vaccuuming it and when I stir through it to release the air pockets

 

[LadyMinion]

After seeing how happy my cories are on sand I would never use gravel. A couple of our cories came with secondhand tanks (gravel-substrate) we bought and they were sooo thrilled the instant they reached the sand.

As for the compacting sand problem, just don't make it too deep. Or, invest in a dragon goby!

 

[Earthgirl]

I have sand in both tanks and would never go back to gravel!

My cories love it!

So does the banjo catfish, that I never stinkin' see!

The work though.....

 

[Teelie]

I have Malayasian Snails doing the sand work. They sift around for me underneath the sand while the Cories do the upper levels.

 

[Aquamick]

Here's an interesting point. People say that Corys are happier on sand as they can filter it through their gills. But sand can get compacted and become very level. Gravel can be built up in mounds and pits, and the Corys can poke their barbels into gaps in search of food. I'm sure people are always going to have different views on this, and I'm going to put something on my website (when it's ready), about this very subject.

Keep them coming!

That wasn't reflecting a personal experience, just a thought I had on both sides of the debate. As I said in my first post, if I didn't have a refugium, I would switch to sand.