Tanks And Bottom Dwellers

[HeatherW]

I currently have a 20 gallon with platies, swordtails, and a pleco who has grown almost 2 cm in 6 weeks.

A friend is giving me a 40 gallon. Once it is cycled, I plan to move everyone.
The pleco will be much happier with space to grow.
I feed him spirulina tablets and he eats the extra food that sinks.

The old 20 gallon will become my livebearer fry tank, and have only fry in it.

Though I understand they don't eat feces, and I do my water changes, I need some bottom dwellers for the 20 gallon fry tank to keep up with food waste and algae.

I don't plan to get another pleco, they produce lot of feces themselves and are better in larger than a 20 gallon. I need it to be a type of bottom dweller that will not hunt my fry.

I'm thinking about a trio of cories (the pandas are cute), or snails, or a butterfly loach (which I just saw at the LFS today).
Any advice would be great, I have limited bottom dweller experience.

The tank would be kept at 76-78 degrees fahrenheit. PH 7.3-7.5. It is well decorated and has plastic plants.

Thanks,

Heather

 

[Teelie]

Snails. Cories don't eat algae and the Butterfly Loach is subtropical; it prefers a lower temperature and I don't know how well they actually eat algae. Snails though will eat leftover food and algae, depending on the species you get.

 

[Barracuda518]

Hillstream Loaches (butterfly loach) also require a strong current and a high amount of oxygen in the water. Just something to think about if you were considering them.