View Full Version : Bottom Feeders for 35
Captain Hook
10-26-2003, 10:52 PM
Hey guys I have never kept cories or catfish of any kind so I think this is a good place to start learning about them.
This is for a 35 gallon tank that I just set up and was wondering about bottom feeders for it. I really have no idea right now but would like fish that are relatively hardy and easy to take care of. If I get a small school of cories I would like them to stay pretty small (around 2" preferably).
The last time I visited the pet store I saw some really nice catfish that were small (about 2"). They were silver with a bit of black and I thought those could be a possibility as well. Do catfish need groups too? Are there some that will be suitable for a community tank and stay fairly small?
I am not limiting my choices to catfish or cories but those are two that I have seen. I am looking for all possible options here so please feel free to suggest anything.
Lynsey
10-27-2003, 12:12 AM
Bristlenose plecos are pretty cool. They stay around the 5" range, and do an excellent job on cleaning algae. The albino ones are also nice. They are also really hardy. Just another suggestion. What else is in the tank?
Captain Hook
10-27-2003, 12:27 AM
Thanks for the suggestion but I don't want a pleco (don't really like them) and will have ottos for the algae if any does start growing.
As for what's in the tank, right now there are 2 dwarf gouramies. I will probably add one more, plus other possibilities like dwarf neon rainbowfish and cardinal tetras. Those are the most likely tankmates but I am also considering some others like barbs and danios.
yhbae
10-27-2003, 12:37 AM
Sounds like it could be a panda cory. They stay pretty small at less than 2 inches. In either case, most cories stay pretty small, peaceful, active, and cleans your gravel - I don't think you will go wrong with any of the choices. Make sure you get at least 4.
As for other alternatives, perhaps you could look into zebra loach. These tends to stay smaller than 4 inches or so, looks interesting and very active. You will also need to buy 3 or more of these if you choose to buy one.
I've recently started looking into shrimps - I'll probably end up with some ghost and amano shrimps - I might even try to breed some of these... :D
Locust
10-27-2003, 3:32 AM
For loaches, Zebra loaches are great but by no means your only option. YoYo's and Kuhlis are both common, and none of them are likely to ever get much over 4" (kuhlis being a bit smaller then the other 2). All of them are social, so you'd need at least 2 or 3 for them to be happy.
Hillstream loaches are pretty neat, as well, and are very uniquely shaped. While it's hard to nail down specific info on Hillstreams, but they don't appear to be very social. I've heard they can be territorial w/ their own species, but I've also heard of people keeping groups together successfully.
There are other loaches that will work in a 35, as well, those are just the ones that immediately come to mind.
In general, I'd expect any loach you get to be a bit on the shy side. However, they do tend to be fairly active, so they won't spend all their time hiding. Just don't be surprised if they zip away when you walk into the room and watch you from their caves. :)
I also think bamboo shrimp are pretty neat. They're much larger then most aquarium shrimp (3-4" adult size), but they're filter feeders so they aren't aggressive like crayfish.
Captain Hook
10-27-2003, 6:44 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions guys I am kind of leaning towards cories now. I have never had them and many members seem to really like them.
How shy are cories? If I get 4 and there is only a couple caves in the tank will they be ok? One cave is small and the other is pretty big. I don't want to alter my tank anymore so I'm looking for fish that will fit in well.
My experience is that cories are not that shy. They aren't very active during the day, but if you peek into the tank in the morning or during evening/nights, they are one of the most active species in my tank... They are my kid's favourite as well...
Do you have any plants or driftwood? I find that they usually rest in a dark spot, but not necessarily in a hiding spot - they are almost always visible from the front.
Locust, are those fresh water or brakish shrimp? Never heard of them before...
Captain Hook
10-27-2003, 11:19 PM
yhbae - the tank has a good amount of fake plants but no driftwood. Hmm, I'm also starting to think that maybe I don't need to buy specifically "bottom feeders" because the fish will eat off the bottom and keep it clean anyway. In my other tank the barbs and gouramies scavenge the bottom all the time.
LMOUTHBASS
10-28-2003, 10:38 AM
I can tell you i previously never owned cories and then i gave them a shot i bought 3 albino cories - i can only suggest to you that they are the greatest most entertainging fish you coul prob get for the botom of your tank!!! they are not shy at all and love to be in a group of at least 3 - i have one that is very indepepndent he is the smallest of the group but he goes off on adventures by himself cleaning everything!!! he is friendly with the other two also but likes to explore on his own its kinda funny - they all usually nap together in a little group though!!! i woul encourage you in getting these guys they are great!!!
I can't imagine a tank without cories. Mine are active all day long and the bottom is perfectly clean. Just make sure to get sinking tablets for them as the falling flakes aren't enough. Drop them in every other day and they will be happy guys.
Yes, and besides they will do a better job in eating up the remaining food at the bottom than any other fishes in your tank so if you can afford it, I'd recomended them...
Captain Hook
10-28-2003, 5:46 PM
Ok thanks guys you have done a good job of swaying me back to getting them! They sound like really interesting fish and I'm starting to feel like I've missed out by not keeping them.
The other day I saw a small catfish at the pet store and thought it was really nice looking. It was a dark silver with a bit of black and I would say it was about 2 - 2.5 inches. Would this catfish or any others be a possibility too? I think they are really nice looking but I wouldn't want it/them to get very big.
Did that fish look like the typical corydoras catfish? i.e. looks fat with short snout, and wonders around the bottom of the tank with the mouth stuck in the gravel most of the time? Your description sure sounds like a cory cat... I have never seen a cory that exceed 3 inches (when fully grown) and most are smaller...
Captain Hook
10-28-2003, 9:02 PM
No it wasn't a cory it was an actual catfish of some type. You know the long thin body with a whole bunch of fins and barbels.
Hard to say without looking at the pictures... Didn't it mention what the name of the species was?
Captain Hook
10-28-2003, 9:50 PM
No I thought the name might have started with an A but I didn't see anything like that at planetcatfish.com.
Basically I am just wondering if anyone can recommend a suitable species of barbel catfish that will do in a 35. I want it to stay pretty small (hopefully under 4 or 5 inches) and be a peaceful community fish. If anyone can name any species like this I would be very appreciate buy maybe there are none that will suit this situation.
Dangerdoll
10-28-2003, 9:56 PM
It's hard to say or judge if this catfish you saw may be good for your tank since you mention you're looking to keeping a limit of about 2" size of fish for your preferred choice. A lot of catfish get a lot larger than that and some need specific water types in regards to pH and even moreso some even need brackish with age. I suggest that if you are leaning towards picking up a catfish, you research about them first. I have a feeling you may be talking about a Columbian Cat, but I could be wrong but these guys need special attention as they age. I once made a mistake on getting a group of iridescants, not realizing their growth max..... an impulse buy (a common mistake) and they soon grew too large for the tank and I wound up bringing them back to the store. Maybe you should check out planet catfish, they're pretty good with their info.
Find the cat you saw, here's the link: Planet Catfish (http://www.planetcatfish.com)
Good luck!
EDIT: (whoops, saw you were way ahead of me ;) )
Captain Hook
10-28-2003, 11:40 PM
Thanks dangerdoll but as you mentioned I know about planet catfish. The problem is there are so many species that I don't really know where to start. I wouldn't mind if the catfish reached 4 or 5 inches but at that size it could easily be a problem with other fish. I may want to add some neon or cardinal tetras in the future and they would make an easy meal for some larger cats.
Locust
10-29-2003, 2:04 AM
About Bamboo Shrimp (aka Wood/Singapore Shrimp)...
This page has some pretty good pictures (http://www.angelfire.com/co2/BABailey/shrimp.html) and links to an article with some more info.
I've found that my bamboo shrimp spends a good part of day either in my cave (usually hanging upside down!) or in a crevass in my driftwood. During the rest of the day and most of the night it'll move around my tank, though it still tends to hang around my driftwood (likely because that's where my filter intake is).
I haven't had any aggression problems at all. I was initially fairly worried about feeding it, but I got over that. I think that if you weren't already dropping in algae tablets or sinking wafers you'd probably want to add something, but if you have other bottom feeders it seems like you're covered.
They really are pretty interesting, if you see them at a LFS (I actually got mine at a Petco) I'd definitely reccomend checking them out. A lot like a crayfish that won't munch your fish. :p
Geographer
10-29-2003, 9:24 AM
I never had a cory until the fish store gave me one for free. I got an aneus cory and he is really fun. He is very active all day and night. Does a wonderful job of cleaning gravel and rocks. He gets his fins nipped a little, but he is otherwise compatible with my school of convicts. and my Leporinus, and a Texas Cichlid. They eat everything, but not the cory. She is very cute.