leopard cories and ecocomplete substrate

[rainbows]

My specs:
29 gal planted
1 powerhead pointed down toward gravel to keep water moving (I put this in after the first 3 got sick)
ecocomplete substrate
2 20 watt aqua-glo bulbs
driftwood
deco rock
6 rainbows
2 otos
temp: around 77
water parameters: amm-0; nitrite-0; nitrate- around 10; ph- around 7.8
weekly water changes (about 10 gals changed each time)

I recently purchased 5 leopard cory’s and quarantine them for a few weeks. At this point they looked healthy. I added them to the main tank and within a week or so half of them started showing problems. Mainly there barbels were either gone or what was left was very red. I moved these guys back to qt and started to research. Of course, getting really mixed reviews on cory's and ecocomplete. Some people said they had problems with this substrate and cory's and others said they've never had any problems.

Because the other 2 seemed to be doing fine I kept them in the main tank. Now after about 2-3 weeks in the tank these 2 now have the same barbel issues. I've moved them back to qt but I’m now very confused as to what to do. **Also, I put a dish of pool filter sand in the 29gal tank which is where I feed them. Maybe changing out the substrate completely would be the best solution for them, however, I’m not too sold on this. the EC is pretty expensive and the tank is planted.

Does anyone have any thoughts, solutions, ideas on what I should do? I'm not too sure I can even move them back once they have healed. Also, I’ve been treating the qt with pima/melafix. I have so-so results. I was trying not to treat the qt with too harsh of chemicals... Do you think they have an infection with the 'red' barbels... any suggestions?

thanks so much for your time.
Wendy

[PlecoCrazy]

I quit using EC. I seemed to get a lot of little white bug things of various flavors in the tanks I used it in. Probably a good food for fish but found it annoying as it was in shrimp tanks I used it in that had no fish.

[Richard B]

All of the people i know who are regarded as the cory experts keep them with fine, round-grain sand as a substrate. Other substrates can be used (with success)but it is not what they would encounter in the wild

[nj2tou]

I have an Eclipse 6 gallon that I used eco complete in, as I planted it and only had a betta in it. Had it set up for several years. Then I decided to add some pandas and paleatus'. I was afraid of the sharp edges of the EC, so added some smoother, small gravel a little at a time over it, so I wouldn't mess up the cycle. I started on one side where I fed them and covered maybe half of it. I also wound up letting it get very overgrown and they wound up spawning without my even knowing! You can't imagine my surprise and joy at seeing a baby panda swimming around! I also eventually noticed a few much smaller paleatus. So obviously they did ok in there between the overgrowth and smoother gravel. I eventually moved them all out of there into my 15 gallon. They seem happier there.

In my 15 gallon tank I have small, smooth gravel called Torpedo Beach. They seem to be doing great in there, nice long barbels, spawning and seemingly happy. It's also planted and doing very well - starting to get a bit overgrown in fact. They are mostly "low light" plants - anubias nana and coffeefolia, java fern, java moss and some anacharis that grows like weeds. Oh, and some other plant I can't recall the name of that I got at Petsmart. Also several nice pieces of driftwood. I have a double tube strip light for lighting.

So no, EC would not be my first choice for substrate. It's also very dark and while I liked it with my very colorful bettas, don't like it so much with my cories. I prefer the nice, light colored gravel. Sand would be "best", but if you want the tank planted, it doesn't work as well, unless you anchor the plants to driftwood or rocks.

[2wheelsx2]

I am using Eco-complete in a planted 15 gallon with Sterbai Cories without issues. Having said that, my next tank will have pool filter sand in it for plecos and Cories though, as it seems much more nature for them to dig in.

[bronzefry]

Loricariids seem to enjoy the flourite-base stuff more. They gnaw on it and turn the flourite bits to fine dust. I usually use the FloraBase. I use a mixture of sand and FloraBase or just sand with Corydoras sp.
Amanda

[Coryman]

In nature most Corys live over a fine sandy substrate, some are found over leaf litter covering covering sand, silt, or soft mud.

In the main Corys are filter feeders, so to put them over a substrate that they cannot mouth makes it difficult for them to get at the food particles. They then end up using their mouths to shift the larger substrate particles, this can cause unnecessary physical stress to their barbels and mouths, often resulting in at best, barbel ware and at worst, damage resulting in infection.

Ian