1 year old Black Moore Goldfish

[Goobert Winkeltin]

Hi! So I’m new here and I need some opinions.
I have a 20 Gallon tank with one black Moore (i plan on upgrading his tank once he gets bigger.
I keep hearing how sand is better than gravel. And I hear just as much as how gravel is better than sand.
I have a Cory Dora and I know their whiskers are sensitive. Should I swap my gravel with sand? I’m scared of harming my cory’s Whiskers but I also don’t want to cause digestive issues with my fish.
He’s a very lively little dude and he means the world to me. I’d hate to make the wrong choice and regret it.
(I also have a few snails. And aquatic plants if that matters in this issue)

 

[the loach]

There is really only one size substrate that should be used as a top layer in most aquaria and that is neither sand or gravel but something in between, around 2mm grain size. Some people call that either sand or gravel and that adds to the confusion.
Bigger as well as finer does nothing for the plants and real sand will develop anaerobic spots and is terrible to clean.
Folks on this forum and elsewhere will say that gravel "wears off" Corydoras' whiskers but anyone involved with these fish in aquaculture can tell you that is not true, it's a bacterial condition. However the substrate needs to be small enough for them to sift through and they are really social fish so you should keep him with 5 others of the exact same species.

 

[Goobert Winkeltin]

There is really only one size substrate that should be used as a top layer in most aquaria and that is neither sand or gravel but something in between, around 2mm grain size. Some people call that either sand or gravel and that adds to the confusion.
Bigger as well as finer does nothing for the plants and real sand will develop anaerobic spots and is terrible to clean.
Folks on this forum and elsewhere will say that gravel "wears off" Corydoras' whiskers but anyone involved with these fish in aquaculture can tell you that is not true, it's a bacterial condition. However the substrate needs to be small enough for them to sift through and they are really social fish so you should keep him with 5 others of the exact same species.

Thank you so much for clearing this up for me! I was so confused as to all the sand/gravel debate of which one is better. But this definitely helps relieve my worries for the health of my cory’s Whiskers