Carpeting Plants with Corys, Plecos, and Loaches

[Rudles]

What are the effects of carpeting an aquarium on corydoras, bristlenose plecos and kuhli loaches? 

[Fish Folk]

5 hours ago, Rudles said:

What are the effects of carpeting an aquarium on corydoras, bristlenose plecos and kuhli loaches? 

Corydoras probably appreciate some open area to forage. Loaches probably disappear under the carpet. BNPs actually really need wood to thrive, and will go where you’ve got that.

But the larger question is: what are you going to carpet with, and how are you going to get it to completely carpet? Different types of plants will allow / disallow varies amounts of food to pass through. Most aquascaping with a dense carpet requires CO2, which can exercise a greater affect on your fish than the carpet itself if you’re not experienced and careful.

[Rudles]

I have Dwarf Sagittaria. I will be transferring some from my existing 20 to my new 29. Definitely no CO2. I live on a remote island in Southeast Alaska and to get CO2 here would be extremely expensive. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Rudles

[Brandy]

I am interested to hear how that works for you. I have dwarf sag, and in my tanks it is very very tall, reaching the water surface. I have heard lighting can infulence that but in my hands, dim or bright, it acts the same.

[Ricklax96]

The biggest problem I've ever had with carpeting with cory's is not the fish, but the plants. Cory's just uproot everything. I have 6 emeralds and they just run around the tank in a super cute but totally destructive posse lol  you may want to give the plants some time to get rooted prior to introducing any loaches or corydoras, although so far the dwarf sag seems to be fine, I find myself replanting a staurogyne repens every couple of days lol