bschuhart
Members
Im setting up a south American tank with angels, laser cories....the tank has gravel in it already, is that ok for cories or would it be better to use pool filter sand?
Avatar
Plenipotentiary-at-large
All you need to know
Their barbels aren't adapted/designed for gravel, but silt. Finer and smoother is better.
Their barbels aren't adapted/designed for gravel, but silt. Finer and smoother is better.
chriscoli
Administrator
so then, how does one replicate silt in their tank?
mchambers
Former CCA member
Good question. Silt would clog your filter.
I use pool filter sand in most of my cory tanks. Obviously, it's much coarser than silt, but the corydoras thrive.
I have one tank with Sterbai and CW010 that has relatively fine gravel, and the corydoras have done well there.
I use pool filter sand in most of my cory tanks. Obviously, it's much coarser than silt, but the corydoras thrive.
I have one tank with Sterbai and CW010 that has relatively fine gravel, and the corydoras have done well there.
Andrew
Members
I use caribsea's peace river with my school of cories and they love it. It's small enough they can root through but big enough to vacuum. All the edges are rounded. Plus it looks great...
chriscoli
Administrator
I've seen tanks with silt, but wasn't sure what they were using, where they got it, and what the other considerations were besides gunking up the filter.
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Plenipotentiary-at-large
Ah well
It's more about aiming for something as opposed to replicating it, this being the nature of our endeavors/travails/affections. It's all good if it's smooth, just saying finer is better, and I'd take water-tumbled/polished gravel over fractured sand with sharp edges every time.
Next time at the coast/stream I'm grabbing a couple buckets worth of sand as the wave/current action yields a more or less ideal result/product. I love dropping blackworms in at night and waking up to se the substrate all furrowed like a Japanese sand garden which will never happen in gravel. I use play sand for my best beloved Cory/Scleros and have never had filter problems with HOBs or canisters but that could be on account of religious use of pre-filters. And with tightly packed sand and Corys to work it, one never need vacuum the substrate.
It's more about aiming for something as opposed to replicating it, this being the nature of our endeavors/travails/affections. It's all good if it's smooth, just saying finer is better, and I'd take water-tumbled/polished gravel over fractured sand with sharp edges every time.
Next time at the coast/stream I'm grabbing a couple buckets worth of sand as the wave/current action yields a more or less ideal result/product. I love dropping blackworms in at night and waking up to se the substrate all furrowed like a Japanese sand garden which will never happen in gravel. I use play sand for my best beloved Cory/Scleros and have never had filter problems with HOBs or canisters but that could be on account of religious use of pre-filters. And with tightly packed sand and Corys to work it, one never need vacuum the substrate.
Spine
Members
+1 on the play sand.I keep about a !/4 inch layer, sometimes a little less and let the fish keep it clean.
