Good bottom feeder

[CMac]

Hi all, I've recently gotten a 2G tank and put a betta in it as well as a white mountain minnow. The bottom has started to clutter up from uneaten food. Primarily from when I first got the betta and he was learning what the food was and not eating it. Anyway, aside from not being too lazy to clean the bottom, I thought I would get a bamboo shrimp(saw them at petsmart) or something similar that would enjoy eating the leftovers on the bottom. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

CM

[Mgamer20o0]

snails or shrimp. your still going to have to clean it up with gravel vacs.

[musho3210]

bamboos dont eat leftovers, they are filter feeders, only when they are extremely hungry the will eat leftovers, ghost shrimp are leftever eaters.

You are quite stocked for a tank that size, im suprised you even considered a white mountain minnow... Adding more livestock will create other problems.

Gravel vac is the only 100% effective way.

[CMac]

Ya I was leary about putting another fish in there, I just wanted a little more action so to speak I guess. Figure he'd swim around and keep it a little more busy. And I realize actually cleaning it is the best way, and will do that. I've always been interested in the freshwater shrimp and thought it might be a cool thing.

Thanks again!

C

[RoseFishWatcher]

Don't get a bamboo shrimp for that tank. You could try for ghost shrimp, but 2 gallons is not suitable for bamboo shrimp at all, plus they need a strong current to eat properly.

[GoldLenny]

You MUST vacuum your gravel on a regular basis to remove the excess food and detritus or it will become a haven for bad bacteria/parasites which will eventually make your fish sick.

[icecubez189]

if you want more action, opt for a bigger tank, like a 5G or better yet, a 10G. The 2G is already a bit small for a betta, let alone a better, white cloud and some bottom feeders. Most bottom feeders won't eat the detrius that settles on the bottom because it's probably poop. You must gravel vac at least once every 2 weeks, preferably once every week.

[Shane Reynolds]

The solution to most of life's problems is to buy a bigger fishtank. I think you would be fine adding a few ghost shrimp (they stay small and don't impact your "bioload" so much), but it would be hard to clean the gravel in a small tank like that without endangering the shrimp. They're cheap, and the Betta might even enjoy one, but I still wouldn't purposefully put them at risk for getting crushed by a siphon. You could probably find a 10 or 20 gallon tank for cheap, and it would be SO much easier to clean.

[GoldLenny]

The ghost shrimp will likely become betta snacks. I've seen plenty of people keep a Mystery/Apple snail in with a betta but I've also seen some bettas that just don't like anything else in with them.

[Aqua House]

i like to use undergravel filter to suck the stuff in while my plants consumes all the poop.

[Dwarf Puffers]

If you want to keep the white cloud, get a 15g minimum, get 6-8 white clouds, your betta, and some kind of shrimp.

If you want to keep the 2g, get rid of the white cloud, the betta is cramped enough, and white clouds are schoolers and they can die of loneliness im sure (corys can, and they dont school nearly as much)

[dvd_wightman]

I would say your overstocked to begin with. If you want white clouds and Bettas, then you have to get a bigger tank. You would probably need a 15 gallon long minimum. I don't think you should have a Betta and white clouds together. White clouds prefer a lower temperature while Bettas prefer higher temperatures. IF you get a 15 gallon, you can have 1 Betta and anywhere from 6-10 ghost shrimp and possibly a mystery snail. You should start vacuuming the gravel with a gravel vac to keep your tank clean.

[Kyohti]

Bettas are not 'cramped' in two gallons and can live comfortably in as much space or even smaller (1 gallon is sufficient living space for bettas. I've made this arguement enough times now...)

... but they can't very well have many tankmates either in a tank that size. Mountain minnows are hardy and can live a long time in many different conditions... but if one is to consider their quality of life, having a single cloud in a small space would be far from optimal. Best to either give the fish back to the store or to a friend with a large community aquarium instead... or if funds permit, invest in a larger aquarium and a few more minnows for him to shoal with.

As for the food issue, I imagine overfeeding must be an issue. Try cutting back on the amount of food you administer and try to vacuum the aquarium's floor at least once a month. Ghost shrimp are delicate to poor water conditions and may die off easily, but those that persevere should last and make a good clean-up crew with proper water changes.

Personally, I'd say go with one (singular... or they'll mate!!) ramshorn snail. Granted, I'm no expert on invertebrates by any stretch but I think a snail would be hardier than shrimp, plus they have a protective shell to defend themselves against curious nips from your betta. I have a Thai betta who is fairly aggressive with his 'curiosity' and tends to nip at anything that piques his interest. This left me with a LOT of dead ghost shrimp... but my ramshorn learned to duck and cover when Dante was nearby and thusly Dante started to ignore him and now they go about their own business.