The TRUTH About Keeping CORYDORAS ON GRAVEL

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

What substrate do you keep your Corydoras on? Check out this playlist on all my Corydoras BREEDING videos: kzbin.info/aero/PLYN_jmBfTzd5QUK1tw05u-1lilTzKLhg4

[@reelthing4u]

your panda cory don't have any wiskers

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@reelthing4u There's one in there that hasn't had them the whole time I've had him. They started to come back but I'm not sure if they ever fully recover, do you?

[@SwedenAqua]

@@OtterCreekAquatics Most of the times they will not grow back.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@SwedenAqua Yea I didn't think so since mine haven't after having them this long

[@aquamate]

I'm dedicating a tank to the pygmies, I chose sand, no gravel, God knows how ill see any eggs if they breed haha

[@springfever2002]

Cory from Aquarium Co-op actually debunked the whole Corydoras need sand myth. He discussed a time where he went into the wild to see where Corydoras live and found that they live in shallow riverbeds with jagged rocks. If they can live like that and thrive, than they will be safe in the aquarium. I like Corys, so I would never want to harm them, but nature is much crueler than the aquarium and these fish can survive and thrive.

[@ashejohnson816]

wow i was so scared because i just put some in my tank with gravel. Thanks for the education comment!

[@Jay-iw9rz]

The one caveat I would say is that if their food particles go under rough edge gravel they might occasionally hurt themselves digging for it but mine have been great on round gravel, they’ve gotten nice and big and healthy

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I definitely agree, as I have started to keep corydoras on sand I find food is one of the biggest benefits for it

[@sfadare301]

I don’t know my corys keep dying what am I doing wrong and their on gravel

[@moreya0301]

@@sfadare301 hi I’m a newer Cory keeper but what is the tank setup? From what I’ve research the gravel most likely doesn’t have much to do with it unless they have cut up their barbels and gotten an infection. Maybe one fish got sick and spread it to everyone else? I also had a period where my fish kept dying and I have no clue what did it either. It wasn’t just corys in the take either. I heard corys are commonly underfed so that might be it? they also need their food to sit at the bottom they are bottom feeders but I’m sure you know that 😂😂 I’m not really sure what killed them maybe you just bought some already screwed up fish. Pet stores will do that to ya

[@audigex]

I think the advice about "avoid gravel" is good, not because it's always true, but because normally we're advising newbies who need simple advice. The real advice is that smooth gravel is fine, and most non-sharp gravel is fine, and that sharp gravel can be okay if your water quality is excellent... but for a newbie, that sharp gravel plus their inevitable imperfect water, risks infections when the barbels get small abrasions from the sharp gravel. Sure, we could explain that to the newbies... or we could just say "use sand" and avoid the problem entirely

[@misterbgs1]

I’ve kept Cory on a variety of substrates. Including gravel. Newer had a problem or even noticed a difference.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I am going to try as many substrates as I can with them going forward but I don't think I will see a difference either

[@randemness2680]

My 2 corys love the rock substrate..they actually move pebbles around rooting for food, which keeps algae and diatoms from forming on it(the only annoying part of that is one of them likes to dig by my buried aerator stone, causing air bubbles to make its way into the filter intake making an annoying noise lol) I do always check to make sure their barbles are healthy amd strong, but as long as you are using proper aquarium stones, they shouldnt have the sharp edges and weight that can actually hurt the corys

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

They much prefer sand. I have fine play sand in mine and they like to dig in it. They will search over rocks etc but spend most of their time on the sand.

[@SuperWaterAquatics]

I keep my corydoras on sand but I just like the look of sand over gravel. I have kept corys on gravel without any problems, again I just like the look of sand. (Black Diamond Blasting Sand)

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I have kept them on black diamond sand blasting sand before too and they did really well. I also love the look of sand and pea gravel mixed!

[@hotdeangameplay]

can corydoras live without air pump

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

They can, but a lot of they corydoras species like a lot of oxygen in the water. I would consider investing in one if you dont have one. It will only help your tank

[@hotdeangameplay]

@@OtterCreekAquatics i dont have air pump coz my betta fish can live without it so im planning to have corydoras for my betta .. i know that cory can live with betta

[@stonemuzza8311]

Otter Creek Aquatics does a filter not work as a air pump? I have platy’s atm and was wanting to get corydoras aswell what do you advice? Do I need an airpump or is my current platy setup fine.

[@jeffsaquariumhobbyenjoymen9468]

I think there's more variables involved. I had 7 julii corydoras in a 30 gallon with a mixture of eco complete and gravel. For a while they were doing great. Then over time as the population of their livebearer tank mates grew and there was more competition for food, the corys had to scavange through the substrate more. That led to their barbells wearing down from the jagged edges of eco complete and that seemed to affect their health and they started dying off one by one. I also have 4 bronze corydoras in a tank with similar conditions except it has finer gravel instead of eco complete and they continue to do great and have healthy barbells. Another tank has 8 panda corys, smooth gravel and are just fine. Then another tank with 3 bronze corys on bare bottom but does have lava rock. Those corys have worn barbells and don't quite look too good. Based on my observations of corydoras in those 4 tanks, I will never keep corys in a tank with eco complete or lava rock or anything jagged like that again.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

That is an amazing observation on your part! It really pisses me off when I feed the Corydoras and all the guppies swarm the food on the bottom. I will definitely keep an eye out for that! I know I have a panda that has worn barbells but I got him that way. They have started to come back but I don't think the ever fully recover, do you?

[@jeffsaquariumhobbyenjoymen9468]

@@OtterCreekAquatics I'm not sure. My guess is that corys' barbells don't fully recover. Now I'm thinking I could remove the lava rock from my tank that has 3 bronze corys with worn barbells and see if they recover or if it can make difference.

[@tinahoey5914]

Amazing observation, this is the best comment about corys I’ve seen. Real and honest

[@stoneysscapes7544]

@@OtterCreekAquatics if caught in time they "do well on it " especially w/ A healthy & FRESHLY OXYGENATED h20

[@tuckrex2038]

I’ve heard that they can lose barbels due bad water quality. You sure the high stocking of the guppies didn’t possibly hurt the barbels?

[@denkikaminari5043]

I keep Corydoras on sand as I've seen they're able to sift through it a lot better, and they tend to enjoy it a lot more. Personally, I think it depends on the individual Corydoras and what they enjoy. I'd say to keep a sand patch as they can find food a lot easier in sand due to being able to sift through it well.

[@stoneysscapes7544]

Fantastic not to lose those barbels , but ... It's all a part of fishkeeping , but fish keeping part of their face usually guides my conclusion that only someone who needs " gotta be right " would not provide what is clearly best for them to sift through and get some pain free food in the process 😶

[@DnASnakes]

I have 28 corydoras spread out in 3 tanks for over 2 years and have never lost one or had any issues. My 125g and 20 long are a fine aquarium gravel not sand. My wife's tank has a little larger gravel with no issues. I have found most aquarium gravel is smooth and doesn't have sharp edges. Great video.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

That is awesome Don! Glad you are having good success with the Corydoras! Which ones do you keep and which ones are your favorites?

[@OnefishTwofishROC]

Hiya Otter! I keep 4-5 different types on CaribSea "Peace River' gravel and Black Diamond blasting grit. Everyone seems just fine. Great video!

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Hey Liz!!! I absolutely love the look of the peace river gravel! I have always wanted to get some for a tank. I an guessing you love it since you have it in so many tanks? haha thanks for watching!

[@akhileshthapa_fishbro86]

I think it's gravel with sharp edges that one should avoid... Otherwise they should be fine. You should try a sand substrate tank just for the sake of knowing if there's any difference.

[@randemness2680]

Exactly...most aquarium gravel is light and without sharp edges, which the corys can root around and move to look for food. Everyone thinks corys barbles are weak(they are sensitive as hell) but they are actually quite durable as they were designed for rooting in sand and rocks lol

[@danwright9695]

I've kept corys on gravel for 25 years with no problems. I use undergravel filters which everyone seems to hate now (I also always have a HOB as well).

[@beh4846]

Thanks so much for this video. It's exactly what I needed to know. :)

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

You are welcome! I'm glad it helped!!!!

[@miakatherine9028]

I have aqua soil and three pet shops refused to sell me cories because of that. At the end of the day I do want the best for the fish but sometimes its hard with so much conflicting info. I asked a few forums and the general consensus was that I couldn't have any bottom dwelling fish on aqua soil, except maybe a pleco. ughhhh so confusing and im new to the hobby so still learning... thanks for the video.

[@shelly71421]

I agree. I had them years ago on gravel and they did great! I am getting back into the hobby again and have then on smooth gravel now.

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

You said "smooth gravel" like what is smooth gravel? pea gravel ?

[@FKJ_WORLD]

new channel icon looking great, thanks for the share, I am use to placing corries on sand or bare bottom

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thanks, buddy! Theres definitely nothing wrong with sand or bare bottom if that's what you like!!!

[@FKJ_WORLD]

Because research have suggested that rocks may damage barbels, i stayed away from that. Sand, mud, or bare bottom tank or pond for me...

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@FKJ_WORLD Yea man, that's the main reason I wanted to make this video. They talk about it in a book I'm reading but I've never seen a problem with it!

[@lorafoster-cave9071]

I have a 10 gallon tank with regular aquarium gravel- just cherry shrimp and Cory in the tank, some moss balls and one small plant, logs and some caves for hiding, and a sponge filter that both the shrimp and Cory love to keep clean. My Cory started laying eggs on the glass and then almost immediately eating the eggs. Went through several cycles of this, tried to remove the eggs twice and put them in a floating fish nursery to no avail. Then over a couple days I started seeing tiny things that looked almost like tadpoles. I think a bunch of eggs must have gone into one of the logs- they’re hard to count- but I would say easily 18 Cory fry! No sand, no special anything. They’re emerald Cory and I am soon going to have to find some new homes for them as they are getting bigger.

[@mariascraftingcreation624]

Great job I just got some corydoras. I appreciate the info.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

What type of Corydoras do you keep?

[@mariascraftingcreation624]

@@OtterCreekAquatics I just got skunk corydoras and plan to get pepper corydoras in the coming week.

[@peacefulaqua6221]

Very helpful information, just got some corys and I was worried about the gravel. Thanks :)

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Awesome!!! so glad it helped! what type of gravel and Cory's do you have?

[@peacefulaqua6221]

I am using flourite premium aquarium plant substrate, and the corys were listed as green corydoras :)

[@BENfromSUNDIAL]

Finally setting up an insane amount of pretty decent gear I've collected over half a year of KZbin fishkeeper obsession. Early-onset MTS hit me hard, and I don't even have an LFS where I can actually see anything. I've seen Cory's vid and read articles, but still got nervous when I finally rinsed my Flourite. They refer to this as a "soft clay substrate," and thats not how I would've described it. But then I'm not looking at it with the wisdom of a cory, or a Cory. Somehow, the algorithms never led me to your channel until I googled this issue once again. Glad to find you now!

[@TNG_Sapling]

I have a load of corydoras of different varieties on gravel and they are all fine with intact barbels

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

That is awesome! I'm glad they are doing well for you!!!

[@hotdeangameplay]

can corydoras live without ai pump ?

[@TNG_Sapling]

@@OtterCreekAquatics I have now changed to sand and honestly they look a lot happier

[@PunchiePaints]

great video! I have corys on gravel and sand. They do fine. I actually like the gravel better because the tank with sand gets stirred up and cloudy all the time. I have several types breeding in the tanks with gravel too

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I was hoping you would see this and share your input! I know you have a lot of Corys! I agree with the sand. Although I'm going to set up a couple Cory breeding tanks with sand!

[@gabesaquatics8495]

I really like your tanks!Nice new logo too.:) Although I will still keep my corries in a sand/fine gravel tank.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thank you!!! There is nothing wrong with sand at all, in fact I plan to set up a couple Cory breeding tanks and I'm going to use sand!

[@MissIzzySparkles]

my dad kept Cory's on gravel for over 20 years iv never heard that before

[@MissIzzySparkles]

what I mean by that is he had a panda cory that lived over twenty years in a gravel and marble substrate

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

20 Years??? That is crazy! They actually say it in a book that I am reading. They said if you use gravel substrate you can't keep them hahaha

[@ebi6544]

I agree with Otter Creek Aquatics on this. My corydoras are a lot more active and don't lay on plants or decors as they used to do when I had gravel!

[@MissIzzySparkles]

yeah that's whT I said I wasnt disagreeing

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@ebi6544 I'm saying that they do good on gravel though?

[@kingstew4903]

I like this guys vibe

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thank you! I really appreciate it!

[@melissatrent2500]

I got my tank back in October of last year. It's been over 30 years since I had one. Didn't think of cory's back then, and got gravel. Ended up getting corys a couple months ago and they are doing great on the gravel. No problems at all and their barbels are still intact.

[@JCAquatics]

I personally keep my corydoras in a tank with eco complete substrate. It’s not hard gravel but it’s not smooth sand. The substrate hasn’t seemed to bother my corydoras catfish at all. They have thrived really well. The tank has many live plants in it and the substrate is good for the plants so I use it. I think the eco complete substrate is fine for them. Great video!

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I agree man! I love eco complete and corydoras, I would be very sad if I couldnt keep them together lol. What type of Cory's do you keep?

[@JCAquatics]

I keep bronze corydoras

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@JCAquatics I love bronze Cory's, never kept them though!

[@alicorydorie5429]

Have corys in 2 different tanks. Both tanks are half sand and half smooth gravel. No worries here. They are doing well.

[@m4l4ch1]

2:01 barbel erosion. Primary caused by bacteria, likely populated on porous gravel surfaces . At the beginning of your video, the barbels of the C. pandas were fine. If you maintain a low level of bacteria load, you can keep Corys on gravel. I prefer sand or small rounded river pebble.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

There are 2 pandas in that tank that haven't had barbels since I received them. They started to grow back on one of them but the others seem to not want to come back.

[@kelvynabreu]

been having corydoras on pea-sized painted gravel for months now, and they are doing great! important thing is that gravel is pea-sized, so it wouldn't hurt their barbles.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Glad to hear your Cory's are doing well for you!!! Keep it up!

[@jacobkostochko2086]

I have three albino Corry catfish.

[@heatherleelovejoy9690]

I have mine in a 60 gallon with gravel they are doing just fine, I would like to add to the school but try to breed them first, I do have a couple other tanks I could use, how do you recommend breeding them?

[@zwgrafos310]

I also have 6 of them in gravel. They are thriving, play, going all over the aquarium. Of course they have their hiding place, but most of the time they are out searching for food and playing

[@stelladived]

this is so helpful! thank you. i thought i was tricked into getting some pygmies by a careless fish shop just to make a sale because i have glofish gravel and apparently everyone is against gravel for bottomfeeds, specifically pygmies. i've been worried about hurting two little pygmies i have. that said, they seem to be doing mostly ok in a just finished cycled tank - originally intended ONLY for my lovely betta. my question - i want to add more pygmies because i know they are shoaling fish and i'd like to make them happy vs just like existing - is 4 more to get to 6 an ok number? also, seeing the hikari sinking wafers as a good choice of food. i'm still not sure if my pygmies are eating the fish flakes (also okayed by the shop) - is it?

[@rK-eh1kl]

Your tanks look stunning btw great job man

[@realmshawty]

Thanks for this video! I've been keeping my panda corys on very fine black gravel with some bigger white gravel scattered around the tank. they love it!

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

what is "fine black gravel" like sand ? cause I'm using black diamond blasting sand & my albinos are happy with it they've laid eggs a few times in the 75 gal their in but I was thinking about adding pea gravel on top.

[@carlwagner4565]

I have a mix between sand and gravel and they love it no injuries

[@phillipsommer7973]

finally an accurate pronunciation of louisville

[@CarolynnMc01]

Very cool!! It' great your corys are breeding! I use tiny river gravel in my aquarium and my corys are fat and happy. Best regards.

[@V1kte]

This eases my mind a bit. I'm planning to get some C. sterbai for my tank, but if has a rather rough gravel in it. Visually it looks a lot like your eco-complete, but isn't. Another concern I'm having is the sources say "soft CLEAN substrate", whereas I hardly vacuum mine due to all the plants, it's just undoable. I hope they like my tank.

[@isaacmarks8009]

epic intro dude

[@Thunderkat65]

I tried the different substrates as an experiment, started with gravel and they did ok. I then added sand to part of the tank and the corydoras tended to relax on the sand more than the gravel. I then switched over to full sand and I found that the full sand was easier to keep clean. Making a dedicated corydora tank as I am writing this. What am I going to use? Bottom layer gravel and top layer sand. Why? Because I want to try some dwarf baby tears and I read that those plants prefer sand.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I agree with you 100% and it really cool that you did that experiment for real! Good luck with the Cory's and the baby tears!!!

[@billymoles6200]

I just have to laugh when people say you should only keep them on sand, i dont know too many rivers or creeks that are gravel free lol

[@kellysuzanne976]

I keep only gravel sand is a pain in the ass especially the white sand because it gets ugly quick turns brown. I have always kept Cory's in gravel tanks . No issues at all, and I have had a lot of fish successful spawn without doing a thing .

[@shesellsfish]

If it's working for you, don't worry about what other people tell you that you "have" to do for them to be happy. 👍💕👍

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Exactly! That is the main focus of this video. I am actually reading a book right now that says keeping Corys on gravel is a no go, crazy right?

[@farmerfamily6795]

I have my albino Cory's on gravel and they spawn CONSTANTLY. My tank has grown by many new Cory's. Most of the time they eat the eggs but I always have a few survivors. I'm upgrading my tank and want to change to black diamond. Curious how my Cory's will do on it

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

I have mine on the black diamond sand for the past 6 mons & have had no issues with them they have even spawned a few times.

[@Rumiluminarie]

I have caribsea floramax and I have 3 hillstream loachea, 3 panda cory Dora's, 3 kuhli loaches. They are fine. 😊 I added them after I started my sorority tank as cleaning crew and I was shocked to read that supposedly I have wrong type of substrates 😰 but Ive researched and read on people who actually did experiments. I almost thought about throwing the entire substrates away and start all over and risk losing good bacteria and all that. I think your video is super helpful. I will keep eye on them and see how well they do on the current substrates. Kuhli loaches don't dig anymore but they have enough caves and hiding spaces they can rest.

[@Rumiluminarie]

You just earned my subscription! 👍👍👍

[@koekoek7440]

I am new to the aquarium hobby and they gave me sick fish. They all died and now i got corys. I got cory julii. I am giving them medicines but the problem is that 2 of the 3 cory do not have a mustache anymore but they are still doing wel and they still eat. Do you know what is happening?

[@robertcarlos7273]

I am using white sand and substrate... does this one okay? I dont use gravel in my aquarium tank.

[@MisfitTonyX138]

I have 12 cory cats in my 30 gallon breeder on pea gravel with malaysian drift wood and real plants..I have had them in this setup for about a year now and they are healthy and happy!!! They are kept in groups of 3, Sterbai, juli, emerald, and not sure of the species of the fourth kind but it has copper dorsal fin and copper along the back and belly with a tin foil color every where else... love corydoras!!! Thinking of adding some to my 90 gallon with my geophagus and Acaras tank... should I?

[@marym4316]

Yes get some Panda Corys!! I have 6 and they love each other!! They plop on top of each other and sleep very close to each other❤

[@goldfishhobby818]

Can i use silica white sand for our cory?

[@Almiux22]

hii, im just starting my first planted aquarium, and going to introduce some corydoras and tought my substrate would be enough but i was wrong, need some advice what king of tiny substrate i should put but not sand, i hate when blows and muddy the water.

[@desireekallenberg3235]

new subscriber here! Was just searching for a video like this the other day since im getting a 60 gallon in 2 days. I have a few corys and dontt have enough sand for the 60 gallon so i'm pretty happy to see this video! Anyways, new subscriber here from Sweden! Gonna love to watch your channel grow!

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

First, that is amazing that you are watching all the way from Sweden! I am so blessed to have that far of reach in the world! Second, I am glad this video has helped you in a way that you feel comfortable putting your Cory's on a different substrate! Third, It is very inspiring to hear you say my channel has the potential to grow! Thank you for subscribing! I really appreciate the support and hope I can continue to make videos for you to enjoy in the future!!!

[@AquariumThoughts]

A lot of people claim that gravel hurts their barbels while they hunt for food. My personal theory is that it's not the gravel, but questionable water quality. I think with good water quality it might just inhibit new barbel growth. I think it comes down to people seeing barbel damage and seeing gravel and blaming it on gravel. Sand might be easier on the barbels, but with new barbel growth it shouldn't be an issue. IMO. But I really don't have the means to actually test out that theory.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

It's really interesting to me that you brought this up, because I am in fact going through that. I ordered some panda Cory's online and when they came in one didn't have any barbels. Since then, I have started to see some new growth on them, but the research I have done says they will never fully recover. I hope they do but we will just have to see.

[@AquariumThoughts]

@@OtterCreekAquatics I think the barbels not recovering could be the same reason why they lost them in the first place, if going by my theory - poor water quality. If you are seeing new growth, then that would dispel info out there saying that they don't. It would definitely be a good thing to follow and see if there is anything to the notion that water quality is more important to corydoras than what substrate they are on. 👍

[@ps4ify330]

I lost 2 pandas last night, I’ve got one left in my tank and unsure why they died, I thought they were more hardened compared to other corydoras. My remaining one is swimming really fast around the tank but all my other fish and bristlenose are okay????

[@andreasmith164]

I just got (last) 5 albino Cory's in my 20 gal on CaribSea Hawaiian Black. I am debating whether this is a suitable substrate. While listed as "reef sand" it's not smooth like other sand. However, it is specifically designed for African cichlids for their digging activities, so I am assuming this substrate is suitable. Thoughts?

[@danandrei1456]

i have gravel and aqua soil on the planted part of my 54 l tank, my pygmy coridoras seem to enjoy both . they hang around on the sand usualy and feed between the plants as food tends to collect there. lovely fish i love watching them

[@mitchellbrian2585]

I was keeping some on "sand" from Petco (not a fine sand really come to find out) and it shredded their barbs up, so I tossed them into an aquarium with gravel and they've been fine since (healed up somewhat, but some of them not fully). I still feel bad about the mistake. :(

[@jupiterkingoffire3992]

Very good message,just get in there and learn👍🏾one of my tanks is gravel with old Cory fish running around in the tank😃their fine👍🏾only problem the eggs keep getting stolen 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@gavinsummers2937]

Question How long after the first breed do their breed again ?

[@learningtofishkeep665]

Very nice bro! Love the video!👍

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thanks man! 😎

[@travaristanner4913]

Corys will live on eco complete but the ruff crumbled lava rock will damage their barbells which is the reason why most say that it is not good for them but they can and will adapt to the sharp substrate and will thrive in it. So if you are ok with the barbells being damaged and growing back do what you do.

[@claudiafotiou7546]

Hi, thanks so much for the information on these cute and fun, little fish. I currently have my Corydoras in a planted tank with sand substrate, so far so good.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

That's awesome to hear!!! What type of corydoras do you have? They are my favorite fish lol

[@claudiafotiou7546]

@@OtterCreekAquatics Forgive my ignorance, as I'm still new to the species, but they're sort of silver with tiny spots and a stripe that runs horizontally along their sides. I thought they were the prettiest. Currently they are peacefully residing with Nelson, our Pea Puffer.

[@markgobuffalo6490]

My cories had babies in my Eco complete tank.

[@brucepal3907]

Just ran across this video...love it. I have several varieties of cories on gravel....all doing well. Suggesting Cories will get hurt off of gravel is simply silly. They aren't stupid and certainly can figure out how to eat without hurting themselves.

[@moutaintopfish1597]

Seems like sand in my tank is damaging the bristles on my corys and maybe getting into the stomach and impacting them causing them to die especially the young ones what do you think

[@thirstyrabbittanks2u191]

G’day mate prof is in the tank happy healthy breeding fish and what beautiful fish I might add In all the tanks so I’m voting with you bro

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thanks brother! I definitely think they would do amazing on sand too, but the proof is in the research!

[@letsgetgoing7833]

Your corys look very happy.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

They are they throw eggs like crazy lol

[@Heste04kraft93]

I am looking at videos about Corydoras because my Corydoras don't seem to like my their new gravel which is 2-3mm, It feels sharp to the touch and they barely move it around. Their old gravel they would just plow through even tho it was far bigger, 4-6mm ish.

[@v4zzy219]

1:45, that corys barbells are definitely worn down tho

[@misterbgs1]

Shared out on fishtubers notifications

[@mariascraftingcreation624]

Thanks for sharing it on fishtube notifications. I read the title & had to watch. 🤗🤗

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thanks for sharing it buddy!

[@purplecat733]

I have gravel but I just make sure the food doesn’t get stuck down in it and that I’ve kept an eye on their scales and how they interact with their environment in my tank I’ve not had any issues

[@IrvingtonArms]

I'm running a 65 tall planted tank w echo complete sub. My Cories all seem great but I hardly ever see them Evan though I have 8 w lots of cover.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

That is awesome to hear man! Mine do really well on eco complete too. What type of Cory's do you have?

[@martinmacdonald2010]

@@OtterCreekAquatics Corydoras agassizii is what they were called and they look really close. There are so many spotted cory fish.

[@jasondrouin3255]

Hope the panda corys are still good! Thanks for helping my corys

[@marym4316]

I have 7 Cory's on ECO complete. I am going to Add either sand box feeding area. Or a mossy carpeted area for them

[@jesusfish550]

I have my corydoras on eco complete and noticed there barbels are wore off will that hurt them

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Honestly it may be a water quality issue. Do you normally have high nitrates?

[@jesusfish550]

A lot of the time I have trouble keeping Enof nitrate in the water it is very heavily planted with java fern

[@pupack]

The thing about corydoras is that they like to suck sand up and sift it through their gills as they look for food. It's recommended that you get a fine sand around .25 mm. Something like that won't damage their whiskers but they won't be able to hunt for food like they would in a natural environment. And the fact that they can fu*k together doesnt change that sand is their natural environment ;)

[@yehoshuacirt8645]

I think they call it in English: mating.

[@PENFOLD1962]

Nothing better when researching than 'see is believing', your Corydoras are fit and well. Their barb's aren't damaged, their pectoral and anal fin's are perfect again no damage. Plus they want to breed! They are lively to state the least. Whatever you're doing your Corydoras love it. No wonder your video's are as popular as they are, fish keepers are seeing for themselves that your fish are thriving in their environment. CONGRATULATIONS 👍😷👍 Take care my friend and keep doing what you are doing👍😷👍

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thanks buddy, I really appreciate the comment! Hope your fish keeping is going well!!!

[@spoiledfish6643]

I don't keep them anymore but have In the past. Always had aquarium gravel in the tanks. But wasn't trying to breed or anything. But I can see the point they would want softer..... Nice video👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

I'm curious why you don't keep them anymore? I can definitely see why they would prefer sand too.

[@spoiledfish6643]

@@OtterCreekAquatics no reason really just cichlids mostly now.

[@Michael-wj7bo]

I'm new to keeping Cory's and my first species that I purchased are black Cory's, I keep them in a tank with 2 rather large goldfish (single tailed) and they are best of friends despite being told that this is not a good idea and the substrate I use is fairly rugged small gravel, the kind of gravel you'd expect to find on a stone beach and I see no signs of I'll health, they love digging through it and searching for their food in small crevices of the gravel, I think it actually promotes natural behaviour which I think fish keeping should be all about.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

First off, that's an amazing choice of corydora!!! I've never kept them but they are absolutely stunning! Second, dont let others influence your decisions. One of the best things about fish keeping is the trial and error. If it doesn't work out it sucks to lose fish or have to return them to pet shop but on the other side of that, if it works out it's good for you!

[@arturo163]

Hey there fish saver ;) I’m actually a Cory only owner and I will say that it is a gamble not putting them on smooth substrate. I’ve had Corys in the past that moved from the top of decor to decor and refused to touch the gravel until they presumably self-poisoned themselves 😞 I also had a couple that adjusted just fine. However, when I switched to sand, NOTHING will make me use anything else!! They are SO much happier on sand. So from my experience, I would definitely heed your advice if you really care about your Corys :)

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

That's very interesting to me that some adjusted well and others didn't. Were they the same type or different? I am going to be setting up 2 Corydoras only breeding tanks and I am going to use sand in those since they aren't going to be planted!

[@arturo163]

Otter Creek Aquatics I had four Corys of the same type that didn’t make it on gravel. When I decided to mix species afterwards they were fine. I find the mix to be cool because everyday it’s something different. I honestly can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that helps them along. Definitely sand FTW tho.

[@bartdeckers5338]

@@arturo163 i keep and breed cory's and always use fine filtersand. They dig into the sand finding food... The changes on erosion on the barbels is reduced and there is a theorie that they pick up sand now and then to get rid of parasites. On the other hand i had wild caught corydoras trilineatus on fine filtersand, and their barbels completely eroded away, but it can also be because of nitrates and bioload (even in low concentration with WC cory's). I alway stay away from gravel, because food gets into it creating more waste. But there is also sharp sand, so rounded gravel can be better then sharp sand. My conclusion is : there is not 1 theorie, and i use, for multiple reasons, rounded small filtersand as a substrate.

[@arturo163]

Bart Deckers hmm...didn’t know about any sharp sand mate. Thanks. Another thing I do to help my Corys is use Stress Guard or Stress Coat every water change and Garlic Guard on their concentrated pellets that take forever to eat. Their barbels ALWAYS look big and healthy.

[@sarahchen1846]

I saw at PetSmart they had Cory’s on gravel xd

[@deadlylava1067]

I have my julii cory alone, will he die? What should i do

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

He shouldn't die, but if you can get your hands on some more I would. They act a lot better in a group

[@donnabenvin7294]

Thank you. Great video I feel better about my panda Cory's on gravel!

[@jenay6586]

Glad to see this, since I would like to add corys to my tanks. Thank you.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Definitely do it!!! What Cory's are you wanting to get?

[@jenay6586]

@@OtterCreekAquatics I'm going to start with pygmy corydoras, probably a small herd of 6 or 8. Maybe more if they're as entertaining and busy as I've heard.

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@jenay6586 They are really fun to watch!!! What size tank?

[@jenay6586]

@@OtterCreekAquatics I have two options right now, so either a 24 or 29 gallon. Mostly, I need plants in order to get started with the bigger tanks. I've finally learned enough to keep plants alive, but building a collection is pricey, and therefore slow....

[@LindaFerguson-o7f]

I’ve kept corydoras for years on gravel with no problems.

[@JGonYT]

I've had cory cats with gravel for years. Barbel problems only seemed to be related to water quality and tank cleanliness. I've even had them spawn accidentally when I was re-landscaping with the tank. I had it half filled with all the plants floating around. When I came back a couple hours later after doing something else, there were eggs all over the glass.

[@gregboyko7468]

I asked this what every fish channel but I have gravel in my 10-gallon aquarium and I want to switch over to sand what kind of filter should I use

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

You can use any filter. I have never found filter damage due to sand. Hope this helps. Sponge filter or HOB would je the best. They are cheap and helps if you're running a lot of tanks.

[@marie501061]

I just started a new aquarium and its been a couple of years that I didnt have one so I have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of refresshers so I just got 2 albino corydoras but a lot of people say that they have to be in groups of about 4 or 6 also my small aquarium is only 16 gallon tank and so far besides the 2 corydoras there are 2 female guppys and 1 platy with a lot of natural plants so I was wondering hwo many fish I could keep in my tank thank you for sharing this nice video and I am looking forward to watching more of your videos.

[@maurastephens5298]

I have a 10 gallon with 6 corydora and was told I could also add other fish because the corys mostly hangout in the bottom of the tank. I've heard that for every gallon you can keep one cory. If you have a 16 I'd say you could keep 8 to 12 corys with some other fish that hangout in the upper parts of the tank. Also with corys you should keep groups of at least 3 of the same kind but they are be social with other kinds too. I have two different kinds and 3 of each. I hope this helps!

[@maurastephens5298]

I would recommend you not only get more corys but also more guppies and platy. They are also fish who like to school and have 3 or more of their own kind. Platy are even recommended to house in groups of 5 or more.

[@khandeexiong7769]

Hey there, so I am setting up an indoor unheated cold water aquarium and was wondering if corydoras can survive the California weather?

[@khandeexiong7769]

Also, I also have Eco complete as my substrate too, however, I have the red one, which seems a bit sharp. Do you think the corydoras will be fine?

[@CarolynnMc01]

I use sand over dirt because it's the better option for the health and balance of my fish tanks.. Cory catfish often live in and among sharp gravel in their natural habitat. I wonder if barbel loss has a lot to do with fungal infections? I used gravel substrate for years, and never had cories lose barbels. Take care!!

[@reelthing4u]

mine that are on gravel are fine

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Seems to be the same for everyone! I am currently reading a book that says you cant keep them if you have gravel, ridiculous right?

[@sabeerah8213]

at first i got scared i was like omg😂😂

[@KrigareAvHallarna]

I've had bronze Corydoras spawn on gravel, too. I wasn't even feeding them like I feed breeding fish! Just don't have jagged rocks for a substrate! (But I wouldn't recommend that for any fish, now that I think about it).

[@thebossman60]

I just bought 2 pygmy Corydoras and am using gravel. I'm having second thoughts and want to switch to sand in my 5 gallon. Thoughts?

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

First thought is I'd buy a couple more of them if you could because they like being in larger groups, second thought is they should be fine but I would definitely keep an eye on them. If you have trouble you can try to put sand on top of the gravel instead of completely changing it

[@thebossman60]

@@OtterCreekAquatics Thanks a lot about the tip of adding sand. I should mention they live with one betta. Have a great one

[@lostmangos]

Great video but my only issue is that the corydoras you zoom in on has lost its barbels! They have been worn away by the gravel you have! So it must be true, Skip to 2.23 and you can see it hasnt full healthy looking barbels!

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

There were a few Cory's I received in the mail that already had barbel issues

[@TMAquatics]

Sand

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Definitely not going to argue it. I am planning on setting up 2 Corydoras only breeding tanks, and I'm going roll with sand because they aren't going to be planted

[@TMAquatics]

Otter Creek Aquatics There are no written rules how to keep fish. We can all keep them differently and find success. However, some might be more successful than others. I can’t argue against the Cory experts like Ian Fuller and Eric Bodrock. Some corys are found around gravel but more are found around sandy and/or silty bottoms. Lots of leaf litter. Not so much plants. Cory species differ on their specific needs for spawning. Water, ph, temps, spawning media, etc. Eric Bodrock has a great presentation on breeding corys. I think coop posted it on KZbin. Definitely worth the time to watch. I believe Eric uses mainly sand. Ian Fuller has a great book and breeding corys, but can be pricy. Worth it if you’re serious about corys. The ROI from the gained knowledge is worth it. Good luck Kendall. The logo is cool. 👍

[@IamAnthonyM]

In my humble opinion, the gravel is more mimical of their natural aquatic terrain in the wild, thus, having it helps them feel more at home. I think people prefer to go without gravel, for the simple reason of personal esthetic preferences and/or easier cleaning. I think the bottom line would be that in the wild, there is no such thing as bare bottom. There is always some kind of substrate, just as nature intends. So, if ur going to have bottom feeders, especially Cory Doras, do what suits THEM, and not urself. Again, just my personal opinion.

[@PokeGummy]

Awesome video bro!

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

Thanks buddy! I subscribed to your channel, cant wait to see some more videos! keep in touch brother

[@PokeGummy]

Otter Creek Aquatics thanks man I appreciate it, quick question I have a bristlenose pleco that chases away my cories now and then what should I do?

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@PokeGummy Do you notice the cause? Is there food in the tank when that is happening? Is there multiple bristle nose in the tank or only 1?

[@PokeGummy]

Otter Creek Aquatics yes there’s only one bristlenose when there’s food in or sometimes without he will chase the cories away

[@OtterCreekAquatics]

@@PokeGummy What size tank and how many Corydoras are there? Also, id make sure you have plenty of hiding places. If there's only one spot to hide in the tank they will both gravitate toward that area. The Corys won't fight back so unless they both have places to hide the Corys will always be pushed out

[@TheReal_Pim_Tool]

I don't want to burst your bubble but some of those corys' barbels looked pretty worn down. 2:00

[@leo2o915]

What about caribsea eco friendly aquarium substrate for plants ?