Can I Have Sand And Still Use A Gravel Vacuum

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

Can I have sand and still use a gravel vacuum to clean. I have been hearing that sand is better for corys so I am thinking about getting it. Will it hurt or bother any of these species. Bristlenose pleco, black neon tetra, mystery snail, and emerald (green) corys. and also will it cloud up when disturbed.

 

[fluttermoth]

If you wash it well it won't cause any cloudiness; you must just be ruthless about tipping away all the lighter particles when you clean it.

You can use a gravel cleaner; you can either 'swirl' the end of the gravel cleaner round to stir up the mulm and suck it up, or you can use it in a more conventional way; you will suck up a fair bit of sand, but it's easy enough to just tip it back into the tank once you're done

It won't hurt or bother any of your fish, and your cories will love you for it!

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Sand is the best substrate IMO, it will not cloud up, just wash it. Also just take the vac bit off and use the hose, makes it mucb easier

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

thank you. I think I might eventually get sand.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

I reckon it would be worth plecoman, its just a softer substrate for all fishes

 

[fluttermoth]

Get it now! Your cories really would be much happier and be able to express their natural behaviour and it's not expensive

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

will the corys burrow in the sand. I really would like to see them do that.

 

[Louiseness]

Yes! They push their little faces right in and snuffle around. It's very cute

 

[This Old Spouse]

I just got a handful of cories from my not-so-local LFS that had them in a tank with large, sharp gravel, and once I acclimated them, the first thing they did was literally DIVE into the sand! It was just precious. One of the little juliis is missing part of a barbel and has rather pink gills, but he's really trying to rally and is swimming around.

I'll never have gravel again. To clean I just swirl the end of the gravel vac to make a little whirlpool and the gunk goes right up.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Oh nice did you pick up some juliis in the end?

On topic, yes they do burrow all the time

 

[This Old Spouse]

Oh nice did you pick up some juliis in the end?

On topic, yes they do burrow all the time

I did get some juliis ... 6 ... and 4 punctatus, all they had. They're great!

 

[fluttermoth]

What I really like is cleaning the tank and smoothing the sand out and when you go to switch the lights on next day, all the sand is covered with little dimples where the cories have been rummaging around in the night

 

[This Old Spouse]

I love that too. I only wish they were actually vacuuming up all the crud!

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Nice. Hahaha i know exactly what u mean by the dimples lol it doesnt take them long either