Which fish are best to help keep tank clean?

[wonger]

Hi, new 4 gallon tank, fishless cycling at moment with selection pack of live plants on order, are their any specific fish, shrimp, snails or other beasties that i could add first with a view to helping keep the tank clean?

Ive not decided on any particular fish yet as im a newbie and have trouble even pronouncing their names, so will probably buy fish with simply names or something!

 

[Slyspy]

Thats quite a small tank so you are going to be very limited on which fish and how many you can keep. If it is well filtered and you keep up the waterchages you may be able to have 2 otos (for algae control) and 3 small cories (dwarf or panda probably as bottom feeders). These are the minimum recommended group sizes for these fish, however you are unlikely to be able to have any other fish! I would suggest you do the maintainence yourself which would not restrict your fish choice so badly. Cories are great characters though.

Don't really know about other critters. Ghost shrimp may work on algae but may also be food for any tank mates. A snail does good clean up work apparently. But you still have the problem of overcrowding. Unless you get a betta and some critters or something.

 

[freddyk]

Shrimp are great scavengers for micro tanks, and any fish that can eat them should probably not be in a 4 gallon tank in the first place. Cories are also good. scavengers. I would hold off on Oto's until you actually have a stable, mature tank with good algae growth.

 

[LoachLover]

Shrimp are good at keeping a small tank clean.