Cory Substrate
- Thread starter sillykarilyn
- Start date
Corys enjoy sand more because they sift through mud and sand in the wild for food, but gravel is fine as well, as long as it is smooth gravel (their barbels are easily damaged). It doesn't really matter which you choose, so it just depends on what you like better. If you do get sand, it shouldn't hurt most filters, but sand needs to be washed VERY well to get as much of the "dust" out as possible.
Almost any sand will work, you just have to make sure there isn't any added chemicals in it. I have use playsand in the past, but Pool filter sand is probably one of your best choices, due to it's larger grain size and rounder grains. Any sand at petstores will work too, but can be really expensive and in my opinion is not worth the cost.
Good luck and I hope I helped!
Almost any sand will work, you just have to make sure there isn't any added chemicals in it. I have use playsand in the past, but Pool filter sand is probably one of your best choices, due to it's larger grain size and rounder grains. Any sand at petstores will work too, but can be really expensive and in my opinion is not worth the cost.
Good luck and I hope I helped!
It will depend on the sand again, but in my experience they have done fine with the playsand. When it comes to sand though, you can't really have a thick layer of it because decomposing material and whatnot will get trapped deep underneath the sand and cause dangerous and poisonous gas buildups, so plant roots won't have as much space to tunnel deep into the substrate.
There are live plants that will grow on rocks or decorations and don't need substrate like java moss and java fern. There are also plants that will do well simply floating on top of the water like hornwort and ancharis, but if you want plants that will have deeper roots, you might want to go with gravel. I have also had luck with cuttings plants in sand but all plants will have different roots, so the sand's compactness might limit certain varieties.
It will probably be more of a trial and error type of thing for what plants will work, but to answer your question broadly, some types of plants will do great in sand. You will probably have better luck with larger grained sand like pool filter sand as well.
Sorry my answers usually aren't as long winded as this, but hopefully you stayed with me
Is the tank set up already, or are you still in the process of setting it up?
There are live plants that will grow on rocks or decorations and don't need substrate like java moss and java fern. There are also plants that will do well simply floating on top of the water like hornwort and ancharis, but if you want plants that will have deeper roots, you might want to go with gravel. I have also had luck with cuttings plants in sand but all plants will have different roots, so the sand's compactness might limit certain varieties.
It will probably be more of a trial and error type of thing for what plants will work, but to answer your question broadly, some types of plants will do great in sand. You will probably have better luck with larger grained sand like pool filter sand as well.
Sorry my answers usually aren't as long winded as this, but hopefully you stayed with me
Is the tank set up already, or are you still in the process of setting it up?
Your welcome! Do you know anything about cycling your tank at this point? This is probably the most important part when setting up your tank. Hers a link -- Cycling your aquarium
Most people on this forum, including me, would recommend the pure ammonia cycling method, because it is sad to put "disposable fish" through so much stress to cycle. I really don't think the fish food method will be as controllable as the pure ammonia on either. Do you have a master test kit for your water parameters? I think you can get one at walmart for like 25 dollars, and they last years. Get the liquid test kit it will be more worth the money
Any questions? I'm probably throwing a lot of new stuff at you
Most people on this forum, including me, would recommend the pure ammonia cycling method, because it is sad to put "disposable fish" through so much stress to cycle. I really don't think the fish food method will be as controllable as the pure ammonia on either. Do you have a master test kit for your water parameters? I think you can get one at walmart for like 25 dollars, and they last years. Get the liquid test kit it will be more worth the money
Any questions? I'm probably throwing a lot of new stuff at you
I don't think there's any hard and fast rule. If you have live plants, I'd aim for 8-12 hours a day - if you get an algae problem, cut your hours back. When you have it on is kinda up to you - some people prefer to have it on mid-afternoon to late evening, as that's when they're home to watch the tank; other people mimic 'natural' daylight hours . . . .
I usually turn my tank lights on when I get up in the morning and off a bit before I go to bed. Lauraf was right on with less light if algae is building up. I tend to lean toward the natural daylight hours with my schedule and it seems to work ok even if its a bit more or less. Sometimes I even forget and they stay on through the night. The light schedule will also keep the fish on a routine schedule as well. Just do what fits you and your pets best.