# Cories and aquasoil



## jp303 (19 Jan 2017)

Hi,

I'm using Dennerle scapers soil in my new tank. I am thinking of an Amazon themed tank and would like to have a group of cories but am worried about them kicking the soil up and making it cloudy / releasing ammonia.

Does anyone have experience of keeping cories with uncapped aquasoil? I have planted Micranthemum 'monte carlo' which hasn't established yet as it was only planted a week ago. Not sure if this would help or not. 


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## john dory (19 Jan 2017)

I think they would


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## AlbaAquarist (19 Jan 2017)

I haven't used aquasoil, but I believe it mostly retains it shape unless deliberately crushed. However i'm not sure if foraging Corydoras are enough to disturb that particular soil.

If you are concerned you could consider some of the less bottom oriented dwarf Corydoras: Corydoras pygmaeus or Corydoras hastatus.


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## Madhav (20 Jan 2017)

I have 10 cories in my tank wirh ada aqua soil. Initially they stir up the soil to make the water dirty but its cleared pretty quickly as I have two filters running. Now they know how to behave

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## Lee Colbeck (6 Feb 2018)

Hi Madhav,
How long did your cories cloud the water for.  I'm about two weeks in and still cloudy water.  Only slightly, but still annoying.


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## Nelson (6 Feb 2018)

I'd be more concerned about them damaging their barbels.
Cory's should have a sand substrate.


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## alto (7 Feb 2018)

I've kept Corydoras on various substrates & never observed a lack of healthy barbels

Seachem Flourite - red, dark, black & black sand
Carib Sea - various fine gravels, sands, Eco-Complete
ADA sand
Tropica Soil
Generic sands & fine gravels 

I used to include sand areas in tanks where I kept Cory's but when they demonstrated their determined preference for sifting through Tropica Soil (Powder) .....


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## Madhav (12 Feb 2018)

Lee Colbeck said:


> Hi Madhav,
> How long did your cories cloud the water for.  I'm about two weeks in and still cloudy water.  Only slightly, but still annoying.


Initially they were very crazy like headless chicken for a week or so, always on the hunt for food digging aquasoil. Now they only searching the top layer for food, not burrowing their heads into the soil. May be they are getting enough food without much effort.

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## Lee Colbeck (21 Feb 2018)

Cheers Madhav,
It's still cloudy, but there's quite a large surface area of soil and only five Cory's in there, so hopefully it'll clear up soon.  I was planning on another 10 Cory's but wasn't sure whether to abandon that idea or not.  Now I'm thinking (if the top layer needs to be rooted through to clear it) it might be worth getting them in there as soon as possible to speed that process up.


Nelson said:


> I'd be more concerned about them damaging their barbels.
> Cory's should have a sand substrate.


The aquasoil is very round and very soft so shouldn't cause any damage to barbules at all.  They're certainly looking very healthy at the moment.  I specifically made a large sand area for them at the front of the tank, but they seem to enjoy the soil more and spend most of their time there.


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