Cories in heavily planted tanks

[Axelrodi202]

Is it humane to keep cories in heavily planted tanks with no bare substrate? I'm hoping to eventually get a school for my planted 120 gallon tank. However the tank is covered almost entirely by either stem plants or dwarf hairgrass. The hairgrass is well established so I'm not worried about uprooting, but rather the fish's well-being. If it matters I prefer the dome-headed over the long-nosed species.

[zurikitty13]

What do you mean by bare substrate? The only substrate needs cories have is a soft/smooth substrate so their whiskers don't get injured or worn down, making sand the best option. Also, it depends on whether or not they have room to swim. If you clear a section of plants so they can have some open space, that would be optimal, but if the bottom of the tank is completely choked, it may not be the best idea. Cories like to swim in open spaces at the bottom, but that doesn't mean they won't swim inbetween plants. I also don't know if I'd go as far to call in "inhumane". I suggest getting pygmy cories. They're small, only get to be about an inch, and actually swim in mid water a lot, so they wouldn't mind it nearly as much as other cories, plus they school more tightly than most cories if you're looking to see schooling behavior. Since you have a big tank, you could probably get a lot of them, and then their schooling behavior would really shine.

[Axelrodi202]

The substrate is ADA Aquasoil which is pretty soft and round. The bottom of the tank is more or less completely planted, with some spaces in between stems and rocks. A good portion of the bottom is very short hairgrass.

[Dis]

The cories will be fine