Is my half/half substrate okay to keep the cory's?

[Nart]

Hello All,

I am currently in the process of getting my 20 gallon long set-up.
I am thinking about getting 6 corydoras, either Pygmy, Sterbas, or Adolfo.

I know corydoras like sand substrate, but since I have a half-half substrate set-up. With half being florite gravel and the other half being black sand. Will that be okay for them?

Here is a picture of my tank set-up.



I will be moving the anubia and mossballs on the right (black sand) to make more footprint room for the corydoras to roam around. Also, there's a good amount of space behind that cave too.
If you guys think my half-half substrate will be okay for them. I can shift over some of the florite gravel to the left and add more sand for the corydoras.

Let me know what do you guys think. If it is not ideal for them, then I will scrap the idea of keeping these little guys and think of another type or bottom feeders.

Thank you,
Benjamin

 

[deanfinchester]

I wouldnt risk it with the cories & the gravel. They have delicate barbels on the bottom of their mouths that will be torn off/damaged by the gravel.

 

[Nart]

deanfinchester Roger that. Would you have any bottom feeder recommendations that's as cute and cool as cory's? my tank will house a German Blue Ram and some neons.

 

[Coradee]

As long as the gravel isn't overly sharp & it's kept clean then corys would be fine on it.
Btw if you go with pygmies they spend quite a bit of their time in the middle level so aren't as strictly bottom dwellers like the larger corys

 

[BlackTeeShirt]

Cories are ok with the soft edge river type gravel, but I think flourite might be too rough for their barbells.

Unfortunately it may be difficult to find a bottom feeder as fun/active as cories for a 20 gallon... I wonder if TexasDomer has any suggestions .

 

[Nart]

Sounds a little too painful for these cory's with my florite gravel. As much as I want these little fellas I will put them on hold for my 20 gallon. Perhaps, after I am done using my QT tank to stock my 20 gallon I can turn my 10 gallon QT to a strict corydora tank, that would be neat
I was sifting around.. ideally I wanted a school of bottom feeders... How about 1 clown pleco? I don't know I would consider kuhlI loaches, but I want to keep some mystery snails in the tank too.

 

[el337]

10g would be too small to house any cory species. Since kuhlI loaches also burrow in the substrate, I think you'd find the substrate less than ideal for them as well.

A clown pleco would be fine as well as a pair of dwarf cichlids.