# corydoras..gravel?



## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I was pretty sure it was not okay to use gravel with corydoras..._However_...I noticed on another forum about 70% of the corydora photos are on gravel...said it was alright as long as it is smooth gravel...?

Is that true? I find it hard to believe...I have 4 peppered corydoras and they love to bury their little faces in the sand...._anyways..

_

I have playsand in my 10 gallon that is housing my corydoras...They love it! but...unfortunately I chose the finest of powdery fine sands apparently...:lol: 
My water is permantely a cloudy mess because of this fine sand getting kicked around...because of this and also I would like something darker... I am planning to change my substrate eventually in my 10 gallon..I would love to do sand..but I am paranoid to try the playsand again...and...the aquarium sands are so overpriced around here..and most of them are bright white..I am wanting something dark brown or black...something coarse that isn't going to float around in my water and look like heck...but it also has to be corydora friendly...The only thing I have found that I like locally are dark colored polished pebbles (gravel) it look smooth enough that it wouldn't hurt my corydoras....but..I don't want to buy something if it is going to hurt my corydoras...any recommendations/ suggestions welcome...

I am not sure what to buy...:lol:


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

Sand is ideal for them. I think as long as whatever the substrate is, as long as it's smooth, should be fine.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

This sand is fabulous, my first time with sand, and it's great. Heavy, so your water doesnt cloud every time you touch the sand, and it was easy to rinse. I rinsed it about three times before putting it in my tank, filling it, and putting the fish in with only mild cloudiness. I use the Tan version:

http://www.petland.ca/fish/decor/nature-s-ocean-aqua-terra-aquarium-sand.html

5 pounds per bag, so I only needed two bags for my 10g. My tank is never cloudy now from the sand, not even after a water change  If you want a picture of the tan in my tank, let me know  You pay less for it online. I'm sure you can find that exact kind on an American website  There *is* black if you want it!


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

You can get pool sand. It is way coarser than play sand but way finer than gravel.









From left to right; top row: play sand, pool filter sand, black T-grade 3M Color Quartz; bottom row: fine natural-looking aquarium gravel, fine black&white aquarium gravel. Each container measures about 1.5" in diameter.









Pool filter sand.

IT IS SAFE FOR AQUARIUMS. Google it. Tons of people use it. You can get a huge bag at Home Depot or Lowe's for really cheap. Just make sure it has no added chemicals.

FTR: I have gravel in my tanks and my cories are just fine:


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I was really thinking about pool filter sand...it was my first choice for substrate change...I would love to have something a little darker as a substrate though....I may end up going with the pool filter sand and maybe do 2/3 poolfilter sand 1/3 natural river rock looking gravel.... if i cant find anything else I like...Just doing a bit of research before I go and buy something and stick in it my tank..like I did last time..:lol: I also read on another forum that the pool filter sand can sometimes be rough on the corydoras bellies? I am not sure on that one though I have only read about it once online.._hm_... I really like the black T-grade 3M Color Quartz..Where can I find that? It would look awesome with my tiki theme I got going on..:lol:


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

bettafish15 said:


> This sand is fabulous, my first time with sand, and it's great. Heavy, so your water doesnt cloud every time you touch the sand, and it was easy to rinse. I rinsed it about three times before putting it in my tank, filling it, and putting the fish in with only mild cloudiness. I use the Tan version:
> 
> http://www.petland.ca/fish/decor/nature-s-ocean-aqua-terra-aquarium-sand.html
> 
> 5 pounds per bag, so I only needed two bags for my 10g. My tank is never cloudy now from the sand, not even after a water change  If you want a picture of the tan in my tank, let me know  You pay less for it online. I'm sure you can find that exact kind on an American website  There *is* black if you want it!


That blue sand is really cool looking! I would love to have the blue sand in my 5.5 gallon.! I bookmarked that for later..:-D


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Look at the "eco complete" substrate, particularly if you have live plants. I haven't used it, but everything that I've read about it is positive and I'm planning on switching to it.


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## iheartmybettas (Jan 31, 2011)

You also might want to do some google searching for places that sell sand near you. There is a place near me that sells a 50 lb bag for $15 in just about every color you could imagine. The place does industrial flooring and is a big warehouse so I never would have thought...


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## Pekemom (Jan 27, 2011)

Alex~

What a gorgeous picture of your cory!!!!


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## LolaQuigs (Mar 28, 2010)

I use a very fine, natural-colored gravel in my tank with cories, but honestly I don't like it. The natural color makes it really hard to see fish waste, so I never know if I'm vacuuming everything up. And the gravel keeps clogging my gravel vac.  I'd like to switch to black sand, but the tank has only been up for a couple months, so I really don't want to go through the hassle of changing it out yet.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I have black Eco-complete and my corys are fine with it. They certainly can root around in it enough to pull up my wisteria from time to time. :evil: I had rounded gravel before that and they were okay with that too. Their barbels are long and healthy.


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