# Bottom Dwellers for Carpeted Tank



## linkandnavi (11 Mar 2021)

Hi all

Looking for some suggestions for bottom dwelling fish that won't uproot a carpeted tank (dwarf hairgrass). I've read very mixed things on corydoras with a carpeted tank. Some seem to think they'll dig them all up, some say they're fine (depends on the individual fish I suppose). 

At the moment all I'm really coming up with are some Peacock Gudgeons/Gobies. Not bottom dwellers as such as they will roam the tank, although they're usually found hovering just over the substrate. Grateful for any other suggestions though.


Tank: 120 gallon (450 litre)
Planted with dwarf hairgrass carpet.
Currently nearing of end of cycle so empty but will be slowly stocked with: Siamese Algae Eaters, Denison/Redline Torpedo Barbs, Boesemani Rainbows, Angelfish (and maybe one gold dust molly and a couple of new female companions if he doesn't stop bullying everyone else in the smaller tank).


----------



## Sammy Islam (11 Mar 2021)

I have 7 corys and they don't dig up my dwarf hairgrass. They might root around in it but it's not a problem. Most of the time they spend their time around big crypts and dig about in the sand area.


----------



## linkandnavi (11 Mar 2021)

Sammy Islam said:


> I have 7 corys and they don't dig up my dwarf hairgrass. They might root around in it but it's not a problem. Most of the time they spend their time around big crypts and dig about in the sand area.


Thanks. That's really helpful.


----------



## mort (11 Mar 2021)

If you don't mind nano fish in a big tank than a large group of pygmy cories would be good. They are lower to middle and don't cause any issues with plants due to their small size. Another cool little fish is the rosy loach, again too small to do any damage to a carpet.

Badis hang around the bottom but are harder to feed and apistogramma stay low as well and you could do a harem if you pick a peaceful species.


----------



## dean (13 Mar 2021)

What about these ? 





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## mort (13 Mar 2021)

dean said:


> What about these ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I love these and was all set to get a decent sized group when everywhere opened up again but I read (in this month's pfk I think) that they are eye biters and readily strip quieter fish of their eyes, and it really put me off as i like shyer species mixed in. I know some species of loach do eye bite but I'd not heard this of these before but the author was adamant to the point that he seemed to be trying to put everyone off buying them. 
I know plenty of people that have kept them with seemingly no problems but the eye biting was repeated so often in that article that he either had plenty of problems when he kept them or it was just myth being repeated.


----------



## sparkyweasel (13 Mar 2021)

mort said:


> I know plenty of people that have kept them with seemingly no problems


So do I. I would take more notice of that than an artlicle by some-one who seems to have a bee in his bonnet.
I haven't seen the latest PFK, but their website has a loach article by Dr Heok Hee Ng, who, I believe is quite reliable. He says _Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki _is 'excellent for community tanks'. That matches my experience. The last time I kept them they shared with Indian Glassfish, Copper Harlequins, Five-Banded Barbs, _Betta imbellis_ and _Hyalobagrus flavus_. All quite peaceful species, the loaches were the most boisterous fish in that tank, but never attacked or injured their tankmates.


----------



## dean (14 Mar 2021)

A really nice small loach are Rosey Loaches 





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## linkandnavi (14 Mar 2021)

Thanks everyone. My main issue with Dwarf Chain Loaches was reading that they can be hit or miss when it come to fin nipping with Angels. I'll think further. I'm in no rush to find the bottom layer as the carpet is still bedding in and I'd rather make the right decision first time than rush and try and fix things later. Thanks all.


----------



## dw1305 (15 Mar 2021)

Hi all, 


sparkyweasel said:


> Dr Heok Hee Ng, who, I believe is quite reliable


I like that very understated, it is a <"bit like saying Lionel Messi is quite good at football">.  He is @Silurus on PlanetCatfish, when not at work.

cheers Darrel


----------



## mort (15 Mar 2021)

I was mistaken in which pfk it was September 2020 (but on the top of my to read pile) and the article is called loaches unchained and it's by nathan hill, who is normally pretty good. 
It's mentioned, in the relatively lite text article, 4 times that they can be aggressive and remove the eyes of other bottom dwellers like cories but also do faster moving community fish like rasbora or tetra. It seemed quite a character assassination in parts which is why I mentioned it, because it's at odds with everything I'd ever seen before.


If the carpet is going to be quite lush then you might find that some of the fish we normally think of as shoalers work well. Often cardinals hug the bottom in these type tanks and so do one of my favourite fish the pentazona barb.


----------



## tiger15 (15 Mar 2021)

I have not had pigmy chain loach but have a similar species called yoyo or Pakistani loach.  The trouble I have with yoyo is that they like to swim up into HOB or canister intake tube if it can squeeze in.  It’s impossible to catch them as they will squeeze into the smallest crevices or flatten up their body on substrate to evade capture.

Many dwarf Cory will do well as bottom feeder on hair grass carpet.  But my recommendation is panda garra, which is peaceful, attractive, and an effective algae eater and bottom feeder that you need to groom the carpet.


----------



## sparkyweasel (15 Mar 2021)

dw1305 said:


> He is @Silurus on PlanetCatfish, when not at work.


Busman's holiday.


----------

