Good Bottomfeeders for cichlid tanks?

[Nusema]

I know that it is very popular to house clown looches with new world cichlids, but I am looking for some other good bottomfeeders to house with my Convict cichlids, if you have any thoughts please post? If you have housed clown looches with convicts before please post your experiences. I thought about trying to start a culture of ghost shrimp with them and wonder if they will be to violent to each others offspring. Please post your ideas or comments or the subject.

[oztun]

Cory cats, plecos, and bristlenose plecos, all work well.

[Haggisman]

Corys are a little delicate to live with more aggressive cichlids, most larger loaches will work as will catfish such as synodontis, pimliodella etc.Ghost shrimp wouldnt last long.Currently with my cichlids(sev, BPs,FM,Con)I have clown loaches and pl*cos(galaxy, chocolate zebra, leopard pekoltia, bristlenose).

[daveedka]

Fully agreed that ghost shrimp, or any other shrimp or crustacean stand very little chance of not becoming lunch. Cories are dangerous, although cons are smaller and don't have the propensity to eat a cory that other cichlids might, cories have been known to kill a lot of cichlids because they are very hard to swallow. Ghost shrimp last about 2 minutes in my tank with new world cichlids snails except for MTS's last far less than 2 minutes even the big fancy ones. I like the pimliodella's personally. I have kept pictus cats in almost all of my cichlid tanks over the years. depending on tank size there are any number of Pleco's that would work as well, and as said many different syndontis cats. I've never kept clowns, (just don't like the look personally) but everyone who does raves about them so they can't be too bad.
dave

[oztun]

Yeah I don't know what I was thinking when I posted that. Cories and big Cichlids don't mix well.

[DigitalBubbles]

Most Botia Loaches, most Labeo Sharks (including related fish such as the “Flying Fox”),and most suckermouth catfish (Plecos) and the larger Tetras should get along with new world.... Be aware that some of these freshwater species have neutral pH requirements but can tolerate higher pHs like African cichlids.

[bassman]

I was going with something different in my tank and switched to Africans. I have a small blue channel catfish (about 5 inches long) in my tank and to me he seems spooked all the time. Think I should get rid of him? Hasnt been much on feeding on the bottom like I thought he would. I do feed him carniverous pellets when my cichlids dont get them first. Just looking for suggestions.

[Captain Hook]

My vote goes for synoditis species. They are African as well.

[bassman]

I have purchased a synoditis for my tank with my Africans. I have one big question..... I see him moving about the tank, but there is no way he is catchin any food I put in there. My cichlids are sucking it all up. I purchased him about 2 weeks ago and he is about 2 to 2 1/2 inches long. Is he getting it off the bottom? Like I said, he moves around quite a bit, so I take it hes getting something down there.

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

for the more aggro cichlids plecos are out as they are to slow and get hammered if the fish is in a bad mood.

[biogirl361]

has anyone had experience with a pictus cat in a mbuna community?