# Good carpet plant with Corys?



## Yoder808 (Oct 25, 2010)

I'm getting ready to redo my tank, and going to be setup like this...
*
Equipment:*
29 Gallon Bowfront
DIY CO2 With a Powerhead DIY Reactor (pressurized system on the way)
MTS Substrate with Tahitian Moon Sand cap (after redo)
Dosing EI (After redo, playing it by ear)
A 24Wx2 T5HO on mounting legs (~20" from substrate)

*Floura:* (Subject to change after redo)
2 small Amazon Swords 
A lot of Anachris
Some "Really tall grass" (grew from bulb, not sure what it is...)
Some Moss on small rocks (don't have this yet)

*Fauna:*
1 Blue Dwarf Gourami
3 Zebra Danios
4 Red Wag Platys
6 Neon Tetras
6 Peppered Corydora Catfish

What should I carpet the tank with? I would REALLY like to do H.C... is that unrealistic? This is my first planted tank, so I don't really know what to expect.


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## Yoder808 (Oct 25, 2010)

Also, feel free to help me pick my other plants! I don't know what "style" I'm after, but I don't want a crazy jungle, and I don't want it totally sparse like Iwagumi (although I would eventually like a Iwagumi tank!). I want to make little caves for my Corys out of rock, and cover them in Fissidens or Peacock moss.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Don't get the Cories till after the carpet is well established.

And I'd go with something that roots better than HC, personally.


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## kingfisherfleshy (Jun 4, 2010)

Yea...currently fighting the same battle. I dont know what to do with my little guy "Bowser" until I can get them established. Some HC that has rooted he doesnt bother, but the original "carpet" that I planted was all torn up. 

He does the same with the DHG actually.


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## Yoder808 (Oct 25, 2010)

Bad news: I already OWN the cories!  I could put all my fish in a temporary tank(which I don't own yet), while I grow my HC emersed (is that the term?). Would that work, or should I just choose a different carpet plant?


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## GlassCat594 (Mar 20, 2009)

I grew Marsilea minuta while i had 4 large albino cories and 1 pepper cory. 
Also It might be easier to grow than HC but it took me 6 months to get it full.


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## Yoder808 (Oct 25, 2010)

Once the HC is established, the Corys shouldn't uproot it?


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Cage individual areas to keep the corys out, until the plants grow in. 
Plastic needle point canvas should be in every aquarist's tool kit.


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## Yoder808 (Oct 25, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> Cage individual areas to keep the corys out, until the plants grow in.
> Plastic needle point canvas should be in every aquarist's tool kit.


YOU SIR, ARE A GENIUS! I know exactly the stuff you're talking about! Just make a little "bottomless box" out of it, and put it over the HC, and weigh it down with nonlead weights? Do I need to worry about the light reduction, or do I leave it topless also?


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

I'd put a top on it or the corys might get in, but not out. 
I would have said not to weight it, but if you just push it into the gravel, roots might grow through the mess and make pulling it out an issue later. I think I'd zip tie it to a small rock on just one side and push it about 1/8" into the gravel. The clear-ish mesh shouldn't block too much light, but if it does, make the sides out of needle point mesh and the top out of the material onions come in. That is about a 1/4" mesh and very fine.


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## thrak76 (Aug 3, 2009)

Great advice dbosman!


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## littlefish (Aug 6, 2010)

I prefer Marsilea hirsuta (http://freshwater-aquarium-passion.blogspot.com/2010/07/marsilea-hirsuta-ideal-foreground-plant.html), I have corys and everything is just fine.


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## deleted_user_9 (Feb 28, 2009)

I have sections of dwarf hairgrass, trimmed pretty short, and my cories spend a lot of time in it. They seem to like rubbing their bellies on it. I do low tech, so I've never tried HC.

As far as caging off plants, a dome weighed down would definitely be easier to remove once roots are established. If you look up how people protect blueberry bushes from birds, it will give you the basic idea.


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