CARPETING YOUR AQUARIUM? AVOID THESE ANIMALS

The early stages of a monte carlo carpeted aquascape

Growing a carpet in your aquarium is a goal that a lot aquascapers strive to achieve at some stage. But it’s not always an easy task, and certain species can be detrimental to the process. In order to achieve a healthy stable carpet, you’ll need to know which fish, shrimp, and snails to avoid. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time, money and effort.

Amano Shrimp

Amano shrimp are probably the worst offenders and are notorious for their digging habits and are constantly rearranging the substrate looking for food. What makes it worse is that we usually add a smaller army of them to a tank to keep things “clean”. This constant disturbance can be damaging to delicate carpet plants and almost always results in them being pulled from the substrate before they can take hold. This makes Amano shrimp one of the least suitable species for this type of environment. However, once your carpet and tank are established, Amano shrimp will make a great addition.

A carpet destroying Amano shrimp!

Corydoras

Corydoras, especially the larger species, should be avoided when growing a carpet in your aquarium. These fish are well known for their digging nature and are best suited for tanks with sand. They like to forage for food in the substrate, which will result in the destruction of the delicate roots, and harm the overall health of the carpet. Nano corydoras species are usually fine though, and dwarf hair grass carpets also seem to be the most stable for cory species if you really want a carpet and cory’s together. Just make sure it is well-established before you add them.

Growing a carpet in your aquarium? Avoid these animals!

Kuhli Loaches

Kuhli loaches should also be avoided when growing a carpet in your aquarium. They are notorious for their burrowing nature and can severely damage carpeting plants and disturb your substrate. If you’ve seen them looking for food you know exactly what I mean. The only time I’ve seen this work is with dwarf hair grass that has been growing in a deep substrate for quite a few months.

Kuhli Loaches - Awesome fish but bad for carpets

Plecos (Any)

Plecos, including bristle nose plecos, should also be avoided when growing a carpet in your aquarium. These fish are known for being rough when searching for food and will disturb delicate carpeting plants like Monte Carlo, making them unsuitable for this type of environment. If you want a carpet-safe cleaner that’s better in every possible way get 6 or more Otocinclus catfish. They are way more gentle and probably won’t even spend time on the carpet, opting for other surfaces to feed off.

A common bristle nose pleco

Malaysian Trumpet Snails

Malaysian trumpet snails should be avoided when growing a carpet in your aquarium. They spend 99% of their time digging through any type of substrate, even aqua soil. Which makes them a carpet-murdering machine! They are also difficult to remove once established. The only thing that seems to get rid of them is assassin snails, though even they don’t have a 100% success rate.

Mystery Snails

Mystery snails should also be avoided when growing a carpet in your aquarium. These snails are relatively large and can disturb plants that haven’t rooted into the substrate properly. They are known to cause plants to float up to the surface if they haven’t yet taken hold. Nerite snails are in a close second place so just stick to small snails like ramshorn snails they don’t seem to cause too many issues with carpeting plants.

animals that are carpeting plant friendly!

Shrimp

Shrimp such as Neocaridina and Caridina are ideal for a carpeted aquarium. Shrimp are probably the most peaceful animal in the hobby and do not damage plants or substrate systems, making them a great option for these carpeted tanks. Additionally, they can help to maintain the health of the aquarium carpet by eating any unwanted debris and waste that falls down into the dense matted carpet. They can also help with any plant melt early on.

Pygmy Corydoras

Pygmy corydoras are also great options for carpeted aquariums and are the only corys you can safely keep with a carpet. These fish are small, peaceful and do not dig, at least not enough to cause issues, making them ideal for this type of environment. I’ve kept these little legends in quite a few carpeted tanks over the years and have never had any issues.

Nano Fish (ANY)

Nano fish that inhabit the middle and top water ranges of your aquarium are also great options for a carpeting aquarium. These fish do not disturb the substrate and allow the carpet to thrive. They can also add a unique and attractive aspect to your aquarium, making them a desirable species to include.

There are dozens and dozens of different species as well. Killifish are also a great option as they spend 99% of their time at the top of the tank. Though you’ll usually need a lid to keep them from drying up on the floor after jumping out!

Conclusion

I’m sure there are plenty of other carpet-destroying animals in the hobby but these are the most common and readily available ones getting around. And ones that I have had a lot of personal experience with. If you happen to have some more interesting suggestions let me know and I’ll be happy to add them to the list!