Clean Up Crew For 20 Gal?

[markaj04]

Im switching to a 20 gal right now all i have is 1 corydora

What else should I get that would be good in a 20 gal tank. bristlenose pleco or will that get too big? I want the bottom of my tank poop-free if i can! Im using white gravel for now.

So what should I get for my "clean up crew"?

 

[dwarfgourami]

Well, if you want it poop-free, I wouldn't put any plec in there, you know. Poop-machines, they are. Sadly, there is nothing that will eat poop and not produce any of its own.

Corydoras are schooling fish, so you really need to get yours a couple of friends at least. Other than that, I have found amano shrimps good for general cleaning (including algae).

 

[Bloo]

Well you're not going to find a "clean up crew" that eats poo and doesn't poo. Or just eats poo full stop.
What do you currently have in the tank ?

 

[lljdma06]

Well you're not going to find a "clean up crew" that eats poo and doesn't poo. Or just eats poo full stop.

I don't know why, but I find your comment very funny this morning. Perhaps because it just makes sooo much sense and you're absolutely right. I echo Bloo's sentiments and ask the same question, what do you have in there now? Still chuckling, Bloo.

 

[markaj04]

haha alright guys i know i wont find something that eats poo and doesnt poo, i was kinda jokin around. but i think ill stay away from plecs this time.

right now i only have 1 shrimp and 1 cory in my 55 gal. if i stick with those..how many of each would be good for a a 20gallon?

thanks

 

[markaj04]

can anyone please help me out a little? i dont really know what kind of fish/shrimp/catfish/plec to get to CleaN my tank. i hate having "poop" all over the bottom and vaccuuming never seems to work well. any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bloo]

Honestly - nothing is going to eat the poo or make it less or go away. So you only have 1 cory in your tank that's cause all this poo ? No other fish in that tank at all ?
Gravel vacs work incredibly well - you must be doing something wrong.
Perhaps switch to some pea gravel - which is more neutral and might help your cause.
What filter are you using ?

 

[Teelie]

If you don't want to do basic tank maintanence, then perhaps an aquarium is not for you. All fish, all invertebrates produce waste. Everything does and while some animals can live on it, it doesn't do anything but add another link in the waste chain.

You're doing something wrong if you have only a cory and a shrimp in the tank and have lots of waste you can't siphon up. I have 15 Cories and never see that much waste.

 

[Dubby]

can anyone please help me out a little? i dont really know what kind of fish/shrimp/catfish/plec to get to CleaN my tank. i hate having "poop" all over the bottom and vaccuuming never seems to work well. any help would be greatly appreciated!

There is one thing that 'eats' poop - live plants The plant roots can make use of some of that poop. You will still need to clean up the excess stuff.

 

[@ombomb]

Think you're probably best off with an empty tank...

 

[markaj04]

wow nevermind, i just wanted to know WHAT type of fish ARE "clean up crew"!!!!! i never said i have lots of POOP because of my 1 cory!!!!! thats stupid! I dont mind cleaning the tank, and ive had like 3 tanks now over almost 2 years. I just like keeiping them as clean as possible, w/o having to get wet up to my shoulders all the time. but thanks for the help...................

 

[stephen2825]

buy a pleco

 

[dwarfgourami]

wow nevermind, i just wanted to know WHAT type of fish ARE "clean up crew"!!!!!

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure any fish are. It may be that Mother Nature did not have that specific goal in mind. IF you think about it, nature usually doesn't look very nice, in the way we want a fishtank to look nice.

Most of the fish I know that scavenge on the bottom are heavy poopers, or else they have other disadvantages like neeeding to be in schools (corydoras) and being sensitive to a dirty substrate (corydoras). The best suggestion I can make is a big group of shrimps. But I cannot deny that even they do poop.

 

[dgwebster]

I still think a wrong attitude has been taken to this, a feeling that this guy wants to just set it up and have a full life cycle - almost a biodome.

surely we can help by suggesting scavangers etc that will help by eating algae, snails excess food etc (not that im encouraging the excess feeding, but it does happen) and therefore keep alot of the maintence down, ie all thats left is the poop cleaning.

i'll make a suggestion:

Otos will help with uneaten food that sinks to the bottom and algae
Shrimp scavange through your substrate for food n algae
loaches shift through your gravel for all sorts. small loaches can be pretty clean themselves and not industrial poop factories

All these items will produce the poop, but help clean other stuff for you leaving you with just the poop to deal with.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I still think a wrong attitude has been taken to this, a feeling that this guy wants to just set it up and have a full life cycle - almost a biodome.

surely we can help by suggesting scavangers etc that will help by eating algae, snails excess food etc (not that im encouraging the excess feeding, but it does happen) and therefore keep alot of the maintence down, ie all thats left is the poop cleaning.

Yes, but his original post said "I want the bottom of the tank poop free". And that is the bit I think is going to prove difficult. That is the bit we were all trying to answer. I did suggest shrimps though. Twice.