I have two 2ft tanks that i want to set up for breeding my agazzi and elegans cories. Im unsure of how I want to set the setups up.

Substrate: I was looking at buying some of the very fine orange gravel that is only 1-3mm big and planting some plants with big leaves amazons etc.. I was hoping the fry wouldnt get lost by using a smaller gravel.

Filter: I was thinking of using a small airstone filter, would an underground filter be better or what other kinds of filter would be better?

I have bred bronze cory before but just want to see what other advise others have before I setup the tanks. Im looking have only the cories in the tanks.

for substrate, sand or small gravel would be good,if its not sharp.

Filter, Sponge filters are best.

Thanks alot, do you know where you can get sand or fine substrate? Alot of it I have seen is very expensive.

I use silica sand which I purchased from placemakers. It wasn't that expensive from memory - $16 for 20 kg i think.

IM using river sand from oderings $4 for a large bag.

I believe the best set up for fancy cory's is....

3' tank

Fine to medium rounded gravel(lots of it)(shallow at 1 end and 1/2 way up the tank at the other)

A sponge or box filter is fine(and a really big bubbler at the shallow end, to be turned on when females are fat, combined with other stimuli)

Spawning moss or spawning mops (at the shallow end)

Great thanks for your thoughts, keep them coming

Dixion how did you wash the river sand? I brought some yesterday, gave it a wash and the waters still murky? Does this just settle down? Quite a cool effect in saying that.

I used to breed coriies in a bare tank. Condition them well until the female is bulging with roe. Do a cold water change to drop the temperature and they will generally spawn next morning, then you remove the parents. I used them as cleaners instead of snails to have in a tank with other non bottom feeding fry. They do well on the food the others don't get to.