Tank Cleaning Assistance

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

I'm looking for some kind of bottom feeder to help clean my tank. I'm looking to keep it in a 10g for now, I have a 55g to put it in if it out gorws the 10. I currently have 3 guppies in the 10g. I don't know anything about plecos or catfish or whatever.

It'd be great If you guys could give me some suggestions on what I should get, and fill me in on what I need to know to take care of it.
Thnx

[NJ Devils Fan]

Cories would do very good because when you buy them, they probably aren't going to get any larger then they already are, about 1 1/2"-2". Get like 5 or so and when you want, transfer them to the 55g and get 5 more for the 10g and like 3, 4 weeks later, put them in the 55g so you will have a nice school of 10 cories. Make sure they are all the same kind.

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

Will cories actually clean the glass?

[NJ Devils Fan]

No, they are just cleaners for the bottom. If you want something for the algae, get otos.

[JSchmidt]

A trio of ottos will keep the glass clean, but you'd have to make sure to feed them the occasional algae wafer. There won't be enough algae production in a tank that size to keep them going.

Personally, in a 10 gallon tank, I'd be more concerned with having some bottom scavengers (i.e., a trio of corys) than with algae eaters. You can clean the glass on a 10g tank in seconds; having something to eat the algae is a bit overkill, IMO.

HTH,
Jim

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

will oto's and cories get along together? would a pair of cories and an oto be alright?

[TKOS]

Both are super peaceful and would work great with guppies. Though I wouldn't say that you have to get all the same cories. In my 10 gallon I have 3 - 1 albino, 1 bronze (essentially the same) and 1 peppered. They all seem to get along and hang out together. Just this morning I found the peppered sleeping on top of the bronze. Very cute. And the more the better!!! (just remember to drop in some sinking tablets every so often)

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

thanks a lot for the help guys, I just purchased a few cories. It seems like one of them is always swimming around the tank crazy fast all the time, is this normal for a cory?

[TKOS]

Cories sometimes do that crazy zipping around thing. One of mine generally spazzes out at least once a day. That is part of the fun of cories!!

[NJ Devils Fan]

Yea, my cories usually will rocket to the top of the tank and then zip right back down. They also will zip away if you go too close to them when you are looking at them. They are very fun fish. What kind did you get?

[Drake Titan]

would some of these cories be ok for a tank with a JD?

can you recommend a bottom feeder that would....that also doesn't get huge....nothing over 5-8 inches

its for a 55g

[TKOS]

If you have a planted tank with hiding spots then cories will probably be fine. A good bottom feeder that gets a bit bigger would be either flying fox, red tailed shark, or maybe a small pictus. They all stay under the 8 inch range, are somewhat aggressive but normally not to other fish, just their own species. My brother keeps cory catfish and a red tailed shark together and they all get along fine. The shark hides a lot. For any bottom feeder caves are the best thing in case there is any aggression.