Will Cories Root Up Newly Planted Plants?

[hanny93]

Hi,

I currently have 4 Bronze cories and 2 peppered cories, along with one pearl gourami and 11 neons in a 16 Gallon planted tank.
(I know this is overstocked but to be honest they're all doing fine, I do plenty of water changes, the water is well oxygenated and the filter is cleaned regularly.)


However, I've just ripped all my plants apart and planted lots of separate plantlets (better chance of them propagating apparently).
The roots on these will obviously not be the most expansive and so I've just had to bury them as deep as i can within the sand and put rocks over the most fragile. I ws just wodnering though, with the digging that cories like to do so energetically, will the plants be okay or will they be uprooted by tomorrow morning?

And please can I not have my head bitten off about the overstocking, the gourami and neons were a present from my OH and I didn't have the heart to tell him there were too many!
Thankyou

 

[BeckyJay]

I keep a heavily planted tank and my corys dont do any damage, but if you're worried get some lead strips to weigh the plants down.

 

[hanny93]

I've just taken all the lead strips off, as when I first got the plants they were just thrown in with a double lead weight and the foam stuff still attached. The new stems arent big enough for lead weights. They're all secured in, its just the movement of the cories that worries me until the root systems become a little more established!

 

[jollysue]

Is it a sand substrate? Cories can and do dig up plants. Sometimes I hold plants down with stones, etc. until they are securely rooted. I am inclined to think that some species are more dangerous to new or shallow plants than others. But that is one of the major functions of the Cory barbells, trolling and digging to search for food.

As to overstocking, as long as you keep up with frequent water changes, the Cories will do fine if the gourami doesn't get aggressive. I keep five full grown C. aeneus in a 12 usg. Keep them all from stressing on poor water quality or other tank conditions. Stress is a killer.