Cories and gravel size

C

chessman

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Jan 7, 2004
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Hi, I'm new here and relatively new to fishkeeping in that I haven't had an aquarium up in may years.
I've decided to re-setup my 90 gallon aquarium. I wanted to have a school of 8-12 corys to occupy the bottom. I was at a local landscaping store today. They had some gravel there that I thought would look great in the aquarium however it's size is 3/8. I'm wondering if this is too big for corys. It appears to be rather smooth but I don't want to use it if it will be detrimental for the fish I'm planning to keep. Thanks.
 
Honestly, most gravels are 'okay' for cories...sand is 'best', but not always feasible!

The important thing isn't always size so much as it is smoothness. If it doesn't have sharp, jagged edges, then it should be fine for them. Just as important is to keep it clean though:) Cories mouths/barbels come into contact with the bottom of the tank so much that they are especially prone to getting little infections from any cuts or whatnot.

If you're concerned, maybe look around for different gravel? Like a smooth, fine grained pea gravel? Just make sure that whatever you get is safe for fish and won't leach into the tank.

A school of 12 cories would be awesome:) I've got 7 in the 55...and would get 7 more if I had the room!

Welcome btw!:)

EDIT: and, are you going to fishless cycle the tank?
 
Thanks. There are a few other places I'm going to check out this week when I get a chance.
I'll probably go with a fishless cycle but to be honest haven't looked to deeply into the process. It will still be a 2 or 3 weeks before I get water into the tank. I'm doing this rather slowly so purchases coincide with paychecks. I've read a little about using ammonia or possibly bio-spira but will have to do more research before I get to that step.
 
Hey cool:) Take your time and research:) There's tons of info on fishless cycling using ammonia around. That was just a gentle prod for you to think about using fishless instead of fish in:) hehe
 
Buy gravel meant for fish tanks! It is already smooth and washed. I have a medium gravel and tje cories love it! Their barbels are fine. Definitely need already smooth gravel meant for the fish tank!
 
The rough gravel/smooth gravel bit has been around as long as the internet at least, and iME & IMHO is myth. What matter most is keeping the substrate clean. Dirty substrates will result in barbels issues for cory cats, whether the substrate itself is smooth or rough. High organic loads in the substrate and high nitrates in the water are a no-no, and far more important to the bottom dwellers than the subtrate texture.

All IMHO & IME,YMMV, but try for yourself and see.
 
People do it all the time.

As RTR said, keeping the substrate clean is very important (no matter what you use) because cories and other bottom fish are in direct contact with it all day long. Any tiny nicks or cuts from sharp gravel, when combined with nasties at the bottom of the tank, can make for eroded barbels.

If given a choice however, I'd definitely opt for a smoother gravel. Why risk the little cuts if you don't have to?
 
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