Pygmy Cory Owners - The Great Sand Debate, Tips & Setup

Cheers to all the Pygmy Cory owners here! While looking through past feeds I couldn't find what I was specifically looking for and thought it might be time to start a new Pygmy Cory feed! A place to share and show our Pygmy Cory Specific Tips and Setups

This has been spurred on by a recent move and resetting up tanks in the new digs. My 10 pygmy corys (I didn't catch the last breading! Originally started out with 6-8, now 10! Woot!) traveled 5 hours via 5g bucket in the car and are all doing really well in their temporary bare bottom set up.

My question is which brand of sand do you use? There seems to be a lot of debate about it. I'd like to know what our pygmy cory owners use. Also, has anyone used CaribeSea brand and if so which one?

Their last tank had Mr. Aqua Aquarium Soil. The pygmy corys seemed content with it and breed in the tank. 12g long, heavily planted. However, the research I've done keeps pointing to sand as the best substrate for them. So, with this new opportunity I'd like to set up the tank for optimal pygmy cory enjoyment.

Any tips and or pictures of pygmy cory sets ups would be awesome to see! Thank you!

 

I have pygmy corys in here somewhere! I use unipac silver sand - very fine and inert.

 

I have pygmy corys in here somewhere! I use unipac silver sand - very fine and inert.

Your tank is lovely! This is the inspiration I needed today. I'll look into this sand. Pygmy corys are great hiders. My tank is bare necessities right now and I still have to hunt them down at times!

 

I have Aqua quartz. Mainly because i set the tank up in winter and it was all i could find for pool sand. I have some black Florite sand but i read some stuff online saying to not use it for the corys because of possible sharp pieces. I wasn't happy with how the florite looked in the tank anyway when i was setting it up. The grains were not very uniform. Now i have 15lbs of it sitting in my spare room. I might set up another 29 gallon and I think i will make myself use it since i have it and i refuse to just toss it away.

 

Save your money and use Black Diamond Blasting Sand in medium grit. $11.00 for a 50 pound bag at Tractor Supply.


Been using it for years.

 

I have somewhere around 15 in a 20 long on pool filter sand. They seem to be doing fine.

No babies though. Turquoise rainbowfish are the only egg layers I've ever had reproduce in my tanks. I suspect my hard water at 8.2 pH has something to do with that.