any thoughts on a sand substrate?

[fredyk]

One of the speakers at the Catfish Convention talked about breeding cories.

He said Cories like to dig around in the substrate. they filter through a sand substrate looking for food, and the sand comes flying out through the gills. there can be the look of 'furrowed rows' as in 'plowing dirt' as the cories plow through the sand sifting for food.

One of the interesting points was about barbels and barbel health.
He said that varying substrates makes a difference in barbel health. He said a bare bottom is not advisable. what this means for barbel health, is a bare bottom will promote baterial infections. Even with a very thin layer of substrate, the possibility of bacterial infection is much less.

sand would be the best option for the cories, but bad for a planted tank.

Reading over some of the posts, there are things such as 3M quartzsand and onyx sand and Black Beauty blasting grit from harware stores.

Any thoughts on a sand substrate?

Mark

[Jeff120]

The goal would be to find something that isnt too sharpe as well, blasting grit from what I have heard can be pretty sharpe. 3M may be a perfect application for this. The type that we used in the nano tanks.

[krisw]

I think some folks have used pool sand, as well, as a foreground in Amano style layouts. Mark, I think that "breeding cories" talk was really good. I have a number of notes if you need help remembering anything else from his talk.

[Ltrepeter2000]

I have a tank that is planted with slow growers and is low light with a sand substrate. I mixed in some topsoil and peat in a similar format to Seans soil treatment and have had pretty amazing growth from my anubias in that tank. I have successfully bred golden wonder killies but never tried cories in the tank. I do not dose the tank so the soil and peat have provided what the plants need. I used the high desert play sand from Home Depot for this substrate.

Thanks
Rob

[krisw]

I don't know about "high desert" sand, but I believe most "play sands" are said to be too course for cories. No experience myself, however...

[Ltrepeter2000]

The High Desert is finer and more filtered than the usual play sands which is why I selected it and is found in the outside garden area. Stay away from the play sands at the construction end of the Home Depots as they are more a concrete base than really a play sand. They are definitely too coarse for a cory substrate. Do not use the Pavestone Paver Base 1 either as it is also too coarse. The only one to use at Depot is the High Desert. Sorry I didnt clarify that earlier

[krisw]

Heh, I should have remembered who was posting! Good info to know. Thanks Rob!

[Ltrepeter2000]

Just a man in a big orange box