Eco-complete is angular; what bottom dweller to choose?

[MarioMarimo]

Hi, I am setting up my 10 gal again after a dry spell. I purchased Eco-complete RED with live cultures etc and I have planted a C. Wendtii and an anubis plant as well as buying come bulbs for cultivating. I wanted to find a good substrate for plants and tried Eco-complete instead if my usual laterite/gravel combo.

I have 1 betta in residence in this tank, which is a tall halfmoon tank.

Now that I have put in the Eco and set up the tank, I now realize that the substrate may be too angular for cory catfish which I had been planning on adding once the tank is good to go.

I am looking for advice on bottom dwellers that will be compatible with the betta and not suffer from the angular substrate. I would like to get cherry shrimp but i am afraid that the betta will eat them.

 

[blert]

Cories are fine with EC.

 

[MarioMarimo]

But I thought that corys have to have a smooth substrate with rounded gravel or sand so that their barbels dont get chewed up?

 

[jetajockey]

Ecocomplete isn't sharp, I keep them on it also.

 

[Coursair]

The main reason Cories lose barbels is infections from dirty substrate/poor conditions/bad water AFAIK.

Most Bettas will kill and eat Cherry Shrimp. Mine certainly did. Some quirky Bettas may live with RCS. But don't count on it. I had a Betta target and kill my baby Panda Cories

I've also had Community Bettas in 20g with other fish just fine. YMMV

 

[aqua_chem]

Sharp substrates are often blamed for bad tank hygiene. No one will admit that their cories' barbells got infected because they were only vacuuming once a month and were over stocked.

 

[MarioMarimo]

Ok. Thanks for the advice everybody. I am thinking that Eco complete has a wide variety that it comes in because i see other posters pics who say that they have eco complete and it is much more rounded than mine.

My eco complete (red) is definitely rough rock, and not very rounded. It is volcanic scoria, and I should know as I am a geologist. My plants seem to like it though.

I am glad to hear that I might be able to get corys though. My betta is pretty mellow (I think). I hope to get some panda cory catfish once my tank is cycled.