Am I over thinking this?

[Rita]

So I have a planted 20 gal long tank with eco complete and I’m looking to get 6 sterbai corydoras... I’ve read multiple sources that say you’re not supposed to gravel vac a planted tank... yet I’ve also read multiple sources that say if cory’s don’t have very clean substrate their barbels could become damaged and infected... I’m not concerned about the eco complete being “too rough” as much as being “too dirty”. Thoughts? TIA

Edited December 26, 2020 by Rita
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[lefty o]

you can gravel vac a planted tank, just dont vac it so that it is perfectly clean all the way to the bottom glass. the idea being to leave some nutrients in the substrate for the plants.

[Fish Folk]

Agreed with Lefty, we gravel vac our tanks _somewhat_. 
 

Now, on Eco Complete for a Cory substrate, we’ve stopped using it on account of our Cory’s barbells getting ripped up on the sharp edges. Some folks will totally disagree. Maybe just keep a good eye on them. 

[Alison]

4 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

Agreed with Lefty, we gravel vac our tanks _somewhat_. 
 

Now, on Eco Complete for a Cory substrate, we’ve stopped using it on account of our Cory’s barbells getting ripped up on the sharp edges. Some folks will totally disagree. Maybe just keep a good eye on them. 

I wonder if the type of cory has any influence on that? I have pygmys on eco complete and I have for a few months and haven't noticed any problems. They also are all over the tank more so than other corys I've seen. I also put their food in a tiny little glass dish I found on Amazon to make it easier to remove the uneaten food. 

[Streetwise]

One or more of Cory's videos shows how hardy they are with all sorts of substrate. It might be part of the South American video series.

[Fish Folk]

1 hour ago, Alison said:

I wonder if the type of cory has any influence on that?

I think it was Paleatus that we had troubles with (??) - the common Peppered corys. They kept dying here and there, and we began noticing their barbells were wearing away... maybe infection?? Someone in our fish club recommended examining the substrate. Anyway, we’ve skipped eco complete with corys — HOWEVER! — there’s definitely folks who’ve not experienced that issue, so it well could have been other factors.

[Alison]

12 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

I think it was Paleatus that we had troubles with (??) - the common Peppered corys. They kept dying here and there, and we began noticing their barbells were wearing away... maybe infection?? Someone in our fish club recommended examining the substrate. Anyway, we’ve skipped eco complete with corys — HOWEVER! — there’s definitely folks who’ve not experienced that issue, so it well could have been other factors.

I know. I see a lot of controversy on this topic. Some say its all water quality some say it's the substrate. From what I've seen I think its more complicated than that and it's probably a combination of multiple factors including the species becauae it seems to be fine for some people and not for others. In my latest tank I am experimenting with both eco complete and sand.

[AdamTill]

I raise habrosus cories on gravel and planted substrate similar to eco complete. All have their barbels. I do moderate substrate vacuuming because the fertilizer I add fulfills the nutrient role, so I don’t need decomposition and fish waste to do that.

[Colu]

I have only keeped Cory's on sand substrate and had no problems

[CorydorasEthan]

I have kept C. paleatus, C. aeneus, and C. trilineatus (julii cory) on standard gravel and they did just fine. Right now I have C. paleatus, C. aeneus, and C. pygmaeus on sand substrate. They seem to like the sand better, as it allows them to dig around in it.

I would say do vaccuum the tank. Even if you only did it every two weeks or so, I don't think it would harm the cory barbels. You might want to check though to see how sharp the substrate is. If it is too sharp, the corys will eventually hurt their barbels.

[Levi_Aquatics]

I have ecocomplete in a 110 with corydoras. I gravel vac about once every other month. Their barbels are in great shape.

[Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics]

I keep cories and I do not vacuum my planted tank. I’ve had issues with Paleatus but never with their barbels. I have gravel and sand in the tank. 
 

Ive considered vacuuming to see if it helps with a hole in head disease that I’ve seen, but I’m not sure how to do it because my plants are too thick. Additionally I always have shrimp and Molly fry. 

[Streetwise]

I found the video I was thinking of linked in a Co-Op Care Guide:

Care Guide for Cory Catfish – The Perfect Community Bottom Dweller

WWW.AQUARIUMCOOP.COM

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Looking for a peaceful beginner fish with tons of personality? Look no further! The cory catfish, or Corydoras catfish, is one of the most popular community fish because they’re so happy-go-lucky, easy to breed, and...

 

 

[amr427]

On 12/27/2020 at 8:05 AM, Alison said:

I know. I see a lot of controversy on this topic. Some say its all water quality some say it's the substrate. From what I've seen I think its more complicated than that and it's probably a combination of multiple factors including the species becauae it seems to be fine for some people and not for others. In my latest tank I am experimenting with both eco complete and sand.

How is your experiment going with the eco-complete and sand? I was thinking about topping some of my eco-complete with sand to have "soft islands" for the corys I want to get.

[KaitieG]

I have habrosus and pandas on gravel and both have done just fine.  Habrosus are almost 4 years old and all have their barbells.  I stopped with the gravel vac in that tank about a year ago when we added shrimp because I didn't want to suck them up.  Haven't had any issues.  I also have aneus on sand which I also don't gravel vac (too many plants, too deep of a tank).  They've been in there almost a year with no issues.  So, not large, long-term data, but that's been my experience.

[Flumpweesel]

I keep corys on gravel however I did change to a finer smoother grade when I spotted that my corys barbels were shorter than a friends fish after the swap out the barbels grew back. 

The fish fed and bred in both substrates and didn't seem to sores or infections so while the course substrates might not be perfect they probably aren't a problem.

[Alison]

On 10/6/2021 at 1:05 PM, amr427 said:

How is your experiment going with the eco-complete and sand? I was thinking about topping some of my eco-complete with sand to have "soft islands" for the corys I want to get.

Its been going really well! My corys are doing great and they spend as much time on the eco complete as on the sand. All of them are perfectly healthy and show no signs of damage with the exception of one which was that way at purchase. I'll have to take some pictures and share them.

[Alison]

Some pictures of the tank and corys. I know everything isn't looking pristine atm but the fish and shrimp are happy and healthy.

[AndEEss]

When I bought my 5 panda cory, 2 of them had tiny little nubs for barbels. Same with 1 of my peppered. The LFS had them on that crappy blue gravel stuff. After a month or so on fine sand, all three have a full, glorious mustache again.