# Fluorite and Cory's



## PalermoPenano (Jul 17, 2007)

I read many articles on the net regarding the damage flourite can afflict on the soft bellies and barbs of corys. Is this typical? Has anyone else had a problem with this substrate and their fish?

and also, how do you guys feed your bottom feeders without the other fish ending up stealing their food?

Thanks!


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Flourite is not a good choice for cories and it's true. The sharp edged can constantly scratch their stomach and cause wounds and other problem. But if they have a resting place where they can hang out and rest. Then it can be done.
Sand is a more preferable substrate than fourite. And even for sand, you have to be careful as some sand, such as blasting sand are still pretty sharp and bad for cories as well.
As for feeding, if you feed sinking pellet food, then there shouldn't be a problem. Wafer is another good choice.

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## PalermoPenano (Jul 17, 2007)

Should I dig up an area and fill it with sand for the corys?

I do have sinking wafers but the other fishes managed to figure out that they are food, since then they have been chasing away the corys and eating the food for themselves.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

I had the same issues and even though I replaced most of my gravel it still became an issue as they are zippy little things. I've since replaced all of my gravel with soft sand and they seem much happier.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Yes fluorite is bad pretty much for all bottom feeders except plecos and some loaches.

Feed them at night with the lights off. Get a long piece of one inch ridgid tubing
, put it on the bottom with one end out of the water, drop the food in the tube straight down to the bottom. The other fish will never notice.

eroded barbels and the exposed flesh therein is a fantastic avenue for disease to get into your tank.

Thats why I suggested plecos first and loaches as a bad second choice.


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## PalermoPenano (Jul 17, 2007)

i guess im screwed. anything I can do? besides draining my tank, taking out the fish, removing all the plants and decorations and replacing all my flourite.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

PalermoPenano said:


> i guess im screwed. anything I can do? besides draining my tank, taking out the fish, removing all the plants and decorations and replacing all my flourite.


I took out all of mine with a net...I only removed 50% of the water..I did have to move everything else which was a pain...I did half of the tank first so the fish were able to hide on one side and then the other half....Definately a pain but doable.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Just get a really huge net, put it in the middle of the tank and chase the corys into it with your hand. They're not that hard to catch.

Bottom feeders aren't really going to keep your tank any cleaner if you're vaccuuming the substrate often. What you want like I was saying is a couple of bushynose plecos to eat algae and keep your plants clean.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Just be careful when netting cories as their barbels can get caught in the netting.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Well ... you can set up another tank with a sand bottom. Or you can do a half tank sand and half tank flourite. That's what I did with my setup. And ofcourse, the corries spend all of their time on the sand half of the tank.

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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

There is a planted tank substrate that is safe for cories. Eco-complete Planted Aquarium Substrate is safe for most soft-bellied fish excluding borrowers


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## PalermoPenano (Jul 17, 2007)

wow those are expensive. do you know were one can buy them at a discount?


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Duuude you're thinking of yanking the fluorite and replacing it with eco complete now? You know what kind of mess that'll make? You'll need to turn all your filters off until it settles and keep your fish in a bucket. Just dig out the front third of the tank and put in sand. Harold from Menagerie has the best white silica on the planet you barely have to rinse it. One bag is more than enough. Not even $20.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Then there's the fact that you haven't got the lighting, co2 injection, or plant volume to optimize leeching of fertz from the eco complete so they'll just be floating around your tank willy nilly.

You dont have a planted tank. You have a tank with some plants in it. Big diff


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## gblackma (Nov 29, 2006)

Try Chinese Algae eaters


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

OOhh so white silica is okay? I wanted to set up my 20 long... it already has silica in it.


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