Cories losing whiskers?

[Cermet]

Mine lost theirs (my tanks has zero nitrites and frankly, that will not do it) because a section of my fine sand substrate washed away exposing gravel underneath it (exactly where the Corries would 'hang out' in the back of the tank behind a very large piece of wood.) That alone did it (less than a week before I realized the issue and fixed it.)

[sweeneyc]

thanks for the responses everyone! Well, I mean having no nitrates is an honorable thing to do anyways, but I believe I am going to add one of these sections of fine sand substrate. I have some aragonite left over from my salt water tank that has not been used, it is very fine and good sand, will this be okay? My pH and my alk/hardness are fine right now. I would like to create a "pond" of sand in the tank so that the cories have a place to rummage.

How big should it be? Does anyone have any idea on the best way to introduce sand to a tank that already is filled with gravel? And lastly, how do I keep the sand from being blown away?

[Strider199]

Adding sand to a tank that is already running is going to be messy. The only time I tried this was in my saltwater tank so the outcome may or may not be different. I checked the net and they suggested to get the sand wet first, scoop it up and get some water in it then slowly get it near the bottom to release it. I did this and the cloud was every where. My live rock was covered with a fine dusting for weeks. The glass was covered with fine dust which came off once I used my magnet cleaner.
It was a mess to say the least. If you have the time and energy, rinse the fine particles from the sand for a few days before attempting to add it.
Get a hob filter ready to introduce to clean up the fine particles. It will settle but it will take a few days and some extra work. Good luck and dont get freaked out with the cloudy water, it will settle.

On a side note, I thought aragonite would increase the hardness of ones tank water. Cories dont like hard water from what I remember being they are from South America. Not sure; just what I thought I remembered.

[sweeneyc]

I was going to soak the sand, scoop off the excess, so that the sand is a wet muddy-like consistency, put it in a ziploc bag and submerge it in the tank, cut a corner off the bag and then pour slowly the mud into a corner. I'm just worried about doing water changes, but I just built a fancy water changing contraption (not that intense, but I'm pretty proud of myself) so that will help in making water changes less messy and simpler. I will try it soon, and report back!

[Strider199]

Sounds like you have a plan. Let us know how it works.

Thanks in advance.

[Lady Hobbs]

R/O water is fine for your freshwater tank as long as you don't give it all R/O and do a half n' half blending. Filters that are too dirty can also raise your nitrates but anything under 20 should be just fine.

[nikelodeon79]

Sand needs to be rinsed, rinsed, rinsed, and then rinsed again.

If you are going to create a sandy area in an all gravel tank, you'll need a barrier to keep it from mixing. I have used those clear flexible plastic strips meant for the bottom of a door.

I believe corydoras belong in tanks with smooth, small grained sand substrate only, however I would not expect to see barbel erosion after only a week. More likely, the cories are searching for food through the substrate and are finding rotten food and decaying fish/plants and that's causing the problems. Make sure you are using a gravel vac to thoroughly clean the substrate, and do plenty of water changes to keep the nitrate down. Remember, the readings are highest at the bottom of the tank.