Bottom Feeders For My New 55gallon Tank

[newfishaddict]

Hi all, I am new and have only had aquariums for 4 months however I have done extensive reading. I have a 21g, 29g and a 55g. My 55g has a strong current and coarse substrate (gravel about 2/5 of an inch or 1cm in diameter). I have some rasboras and tetras in the tank that never seem to "clean the bottom", and I want to add some fish (perhaps corries) that will clean the bottom of food that falls.

1)Is my substrate to coarse for for corries? I have read about damage to their barabels....I have also read that corries dont like strong currents (the current at the bottom of the tank is not to strong but when the corries dash up for air the current is very strong) - I am using a canistar filter designed for a 175g tank in my 55g to create a strong/moderate current for my rasboras and rummynose.....

2)are they any other fish that a good bottom feeders that I could use?

3)I am adding some "Indian flasher barbs" or "denisons barbs" soon, and they do seem to clean the bottom a bit, are these a good option?

Any comments appreciated,

fishaddict

 

[Durbkat]

Bristle nose pleco would be good because they eat food that sank from your other fish and they eat algae. Just be prepared that they are POOP MACHINES that never stop manufacturing and need at least a every 3 or 4 week vacum cleaning.

 

[newfishaddict]

Bristle nose pleco would be good because they eat food that sank from your other fish and they eat algae. Just be prepared that they are POOP MACHINES that never stop manufacturing and need at least a every 3 or 4 week vacum cleaning.

Thanks for the reply, I am a bit "turned off" of plecos, they are not poop machines they are poop factories with 1000s of square feet! are there anyother posibilites that are not such heavy poopers? I also really want to know about corries barables and my course substrate....

 

[Durbkat]

Are you looking for a algae eater or a fish that eats uneaten food?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfishaddict

Corys make a great addition to many tanks and many of them do well in a certain amount of current, but before you get them, there is something you need to understand. That is that corys will not thrive if they are put into a tank as an afterthought and left to clean up garbage.

Corys require a clean bottom and a diet that is rich in live and or frozen worms, algae or spirulina discs and a good quality flake food.

The gravel you have in the tank is less than ideal for them. If the edges are sharp or the overall surface is rough, I would not recommend them to be put in there at all. Barbels are sensory organs that they use to reach into the crevaces an find food. If they become eroded from unsuitable gravel, or soil allowed to build up in it, their health will be seriously impaired and they will not survive.

That being said, corys are fine little fish and there are almost 300 identified species of them. Perhaps, with three tanks, you can find a place for them in one of them

 

[kevinf]

Are you looking for a algae eater or a fish that eats uneaten food?

I am mainly looking for a bottom feeder, but one that eats algae would be ok too

Hi newfishaddict

Corys make a great addition to many tanks and many of them do well in a certain amount of current, but before you get them, there is something you need to understand. That is that corys will not thrive if they are put into a tank as an afterthought and left to clean up garbage.

Corys require a clean bottom and a diet that is rich in live and or frozen worms, algae or spirulina discs and a good quality flake food.

The gravel you have in the tank is less than ideal for them. If the edges are sharp or the overall surface is rough, I would not recommend them to be put in there at all. Barbels are sensory organs that they use to reach into the crevaces an find food. If they become eroded from unsuitable gravel, or soil allowed to build up in it, their health will be seriously impaired and they will not survive.

That being said, corys are fine little fish and there are almost 300 identified species of them. Perhaps, with three tanks, you can find a place for them in one of them

Corys are not an afterthought, I do need bottom feeders for this tank and I like cories allot but am I am concerned about their barbels. My substrate is coarse but does not have lots of sharp edges; that being said, I think all substrates (except very fine ones) have some sharp edges. I would say that about 1% of the substrate has some sharp edges and the rest is mainly smooth....are cories ok here? As I said really like cories I just dont want to hurt them....

 

[Inchworm]

Hi kevinf

Are you the person who started this thread?

I think you missed the main point I was trying to make. That is that corys are not bottom "cleaners" and need to have the bottom of the tank regularly vacuumed to keep them healthy. They do not perform this function, and if you expect them to do it, you will be disappointed.

Coarse gravel puts them much more at risk than fine gravel or sand because the dirt and uneaten food particles can more easily become lodged deep down in it where it cannot be reached in the course of normal feeding. Harmful bacteria feeds on this debris and can cause corys to become ill. I would not recommend any long nosed corys at all. IMHO, they need a sand substrate to do well.

If you do add corys, please vacuum the bottom at least once a week to insure their well being.

 

[newfishaddict]

Hi kevinf

Are you the person who started this thread? SORRY, Kevinf and newfishaddict are the same person, I have been using two different computers and user names, sorry for the confusion...

I think you missed the main point I was trying to make. That is that corys are not bottom "cleaners" and need to have the bottom of the tank regularly vacuumed to keep them healthy. They do not perform this function, and if you expect them to do it, you will be disappointed.

Coarse gravel puts them much more at risk than fine gravel or sand because the dirt and uneaten food particles can more easily become lodged deep down in it where it cannot be reached in the course of normal feeding. Harmful bacteria feeds on this debris and can cause corys to become ill. I would not recommend any long nosed corys at all. IMHO, they need a sand substrate to do well.

If you do add corys, please vacuum the bottom at least once a week to insure their well being.

I appreaciate your comments. I certainly would not expect corries to "clean up garbage". My situation in my tank now is that any food that sinks to the bottom is just going to stay there and rot because the fish I have in the tank now only feed in the mid to high level of the tank. I am aware of stocking a tank with bottom, mid, and top dwellers. I want some kind of fish(s) that is/are a bottom feeder(s) to eat food that falls to the bottom, but I know about corries sensitive barbells and I am now wondering if there are some other bottom feeders that will be more suited to my tank because of my coarse gravel.

 

[osteoporoosi]

Humm.. I would definately choose a small pleco. Cories are much happier in a sandbottom tank.
Plus for example a bristlenose pleco would rempve all your algae too.

 

[sylvia]

Just feed less to your existing fish and you won't have leftovers.

 

[newfishaddict]

Just feed less to your existing fish and you won't have leftovers.

I understand this concept however it does not work completely; some food allways drops to the bottom and the fish I have NEVER go to the bottom.....

 

[Inchworm]

Just feed less to your existing fish and you won't have leftovers.

I understand this concept however it does not work completely; some food allways drops to the bottom and the fish I have NEVER go to the bottom.....

Then use a siphon to remove it. Some jobs you can't leave up to the fish to accomplish.