Need recommendations for a pest-eating nano fish

[KatNor21]

I have a 5.5gal shrimp tank that is overrun with pests. I have flatworms and detritus worms all over the glass, plus little white specks that dart around, and some grammarus or something living in the sand. Mostly I just want to get rid of the worms. It's really hard not to overfeed the tank as it's heavily planted and the shrimp don't eat that much. I'm trying to improve though but I'm a beginner shrimp keeper.

Tank details: NO nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, or chlorine. GH 75-150ppm, KH 50ppm, pH about 6.8.
Plants: lots of pearl weed, hydrocotyle japan, dwarf hairgrass. Going to add a water sprite as well. I have about 20 shrimp - red rilis and orange cherry. Population is also growing. I have a couple caves for them to hide in as well and fine, sand-like gravel.

What nano fish will eat the worms and tiny critters, and also keep the shrimp population in check, but won't decimate them? Some ideas I had were a single scarlet badis, small group of chili rasboras, a pea puffer? Any ideas would be great.

 

[Wills]

I was going to say puffer but I think it would kill your shrimp outright. Badis could be a good choice they are a micro predator, infact the longer I think about it they are the best option Any of them will work red, blue or tigers, I like the tigers best, coloured up one of the best fish around IMO.

Only other thing I was thinking was a Peacock Goby but think the Badis would be better and feel a trio would be achievable too.

Wills

 

[Colin_T]

Just reduce feeding and do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. Or take the tank apart and wash it all out, then set it back up.

 

[itiwhetu]

This is only a small tank, I agree with @Colin_T strip it down and set it up again is the easiest way.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I'm leaning towards @Colin_T 's solution of stripping down and starting again. As your issue is overfeeding, you could try and fast your tank for at least one whole day, but that won't get rid of the population of worms. Likewise, no matter what miracle fish you found to fix your problem, that fish would not clear all of your pests and would likely need food other than planaria and other worms.
Killing the worms with the shrimp still in the tank would be risky, because the dead worms will likely cause n ammonia spike.
Given the number of worms you already have, it is also possible that there are more serious pest worms in there, that may harm any fish and shrimp.

If you haven't got another small tank, then you could use a bucket...fill this with aquarium water and at least part of your filter media and treat with a worm killer. Then you'll know the water and filter media is safe and free from worm eggs. Leave it a while so that the worm killer is removed, before adding your shrimp. (Some worm killers do exist that are allegedly shrimp-friendly, but I'd rather not risk it, especially when you don't need to).
You can then remove all interior fixtures from your tank, to make it easier to catch your shrimp and move them to the bucket.

The empty tank can then be properly emptied and cleaned out.

 

[KatNor21]

Just reduce feeding and do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. Or take the tank apart and wash it all out, then set it back up.

I can't do such big cleanings. I recently did one and killed 5 shrimp.

 

[KatNor21]

I was going to say puffer but I think it would kill your shrimp outright. Badis could be a good choice they are a micro predator, infact the longer I think about it they are the best option Any of them will work red, blue or tigers, I like the tigers best, coloured up one of the best fish around IMO.

Only other thing I was thinking was a Peacock Goby but think the Badis would be better and feel a trio would be achievable too.

Wills

Thanks for your input. I do like the idea of a badis. Others are saying I should strip it down and start over, which might not work out since I have no place to put the shrimp. Do you agree or disagree with starting over?

 

[Colin_T]

Get a couple of buckets and take 1/2 to 2/3s of the tank water out and put it in a bucket with the shrimp. Put a lid on the bucket, then flush the tank out and fill it back up with the old water. Then top up with dechlorinated water.

 

[KatNor21]

Alrighty, I took care of it this evening. The tank has fresh gravel, the same cycled filter and 2/3 of the same water. Plus I added a badis just in case. Thanks all.

 

[Wills]

Alrighty, I took care of it this evening. The tank has fresh gravel, the same cycled filter and 2/3 of the same water. Plus I added a badis just in case. Thanks all.

Which kind did you go for?

 

[NannaLou]

I’ve just looked at https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/badis-badis/ as I often do when specific species are mentioned and looking at the write up for “Badis - Badis (Labrus and Buchanani)” it says, “Also note that freshwater shrimp of the popular genera Caridina and Neocaridina may be preyed upon”. So will the OPs current shrimp be at risk too..?

 

[Essjay]

We do need to know the badis species as there are a few fish with the name badis. For example, if they are scarlet badis shrimps should be OK.

Dario dario – Scarlet Badis (Badis dario, Badis badis bengalensis) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[KatNor21]

It's a scarlet badis. He's tiny and smaller than some of my shrimp. But I do realize he'll eat shrimplets and I'm ok with him keeping the population in check.