compatible bottom dweller

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kooter

AquaMan
Dec 14, 2003
701
13
18
Mission, BC
Hello everyone.

I've done some research, but no amount of research will compare to the experience I've come across on here. My question - I have clown loaches, cory cats, a golden severum, a blue acara and some gouramis. I need a good bottom dweller that will stir up the sand substrate and do a good job on algae.
Plecos of all sorts seem to be a good "glass sucker" but do not stir up the sand.
Cat fish stir up the sand some what but do not eat algae.
Anyone have any good suggestions with my setup. Oh BTW - I have a 120G cube tank.

thanks in advance.
 

gatotsu77

AC Members
May 17, 2006
1,185
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36
Malaysian Trumpet Snails?
 

wataugachicken

The Dancing Banana
Jul 14, 2005
5,451
1
0
Charlotte, NC
the clown loaches will probably harass the snails enough that they will not come out of the sand to look for algae. that's if they don't get eaten anyway. if the loaches and cory cats can't do a good enough job of stirring the sand, probably nothing else will either. how deep is the sand? in freshwater it shouldn't be more than an inch or so. get a few chopsticks, butter knives, etc. and stir the sand yourself to prevent gas buildups.

as for the algae, better to find the cause and stop it at the source than add fish to remedy it. any fish added, even an "algae eater" will just add to the algae problem, and not every algae-eating fish eats every type of algae. they specialize. what type of algae do you have?
 

paperdragon

AC Members
Mar 7, 2008
1,046
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Yeah, you could keep MTS for a whole hour in that tank! lol You'll have some very happy clown loaches if you go that route. ;)

I can't think of anything else off-hand that would keep the sand stirred.
 

Reddog80p

Permanently Dechlor'd
Nov 18, 2006
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I was gonna say to get some Otos or Flying foxes, it would not do anything for stirring the sand but would help your algae issue, but your Severum would probably eat em and possible hurt himself. How long doyou keep your lights on? DO you have direct sunlight that hits your tank from a nearby window?
 

Lupin

Registered Member
Sep 21, 2006
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Lupin Information Super Highway/Goldfish Informati
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I was gonna say to get some Otos or Flying foxes, it would not do anything for stirring the sand but would help your algae issue, but your Severum would probably eat em and possible hurt himself. How long doyou keep your lights on? DO you have direct sunlight that hits your tank from a nearby window?
Sevs should be fine with flying foxes and SAE's. Otos though are a different story.
 

Reddog80p

Permanently Dechlor'd
Nov 18, 2006
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Sevs should be fine with flying foxes and SAE's. Otos though are a different story.
Depends on the size of the fish. All my "smaller" fish (tetras, rasboras) have to be 1.5"...my Sev likes bite size snacks :lipssealedsmilie:
 
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