Bottom Dweller for Newbie!

E

eylk

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Aug 5, 2007
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Hello,

have a 40 gal tank, cycled with 5 platy, 1 swordtail and 2 silver tetras. Planning on stocking more but 1st.. I need a bottom dweller!

I have a few plants on diftwood and I need some algae eating dweller..

Are there other options besides an otto or a shark?

Worried about the size and group number (to be kept in..) as I will be adding more (yet to be decided) fish and some more aquascaping materials..

thanks!
 
what about a bristlenose pleco, they would do well in your tank size and are peaceful. They would need to be target fed veggies or wafers as well.
 
For something a bit different, how about an apple snail and/or some glass shrimp? They are fun to have in a tank and do not require much....and they get along great in a community of smaller fish. (This is with some type of algae eater-like a goby!)
 
Bamboo and Ghost shrimp (or glass shrimp as they are sometimes called) are both very fun to watch. I have never had great luck with the bamboo shrimp (still no idea why), but ghost shrimp seem to live forever in my 40 gal community tank. :)

They also keep my white gravel looking white! Ok maybe the Oto's help, but still. I like to think they do their fair share.

Bristlenose plecos are cool too - but I have never been a huge pleco fan. IMO they make more of a mess than they clean up. Then again, I've only ever had common plecos (my biggest was 19" before I had to rehome him because he outgrew my biggest tank). He made HUGE messes!! The thing was a pooping machine!! LOL

Anyhow, I happen to think that the shrimp are such fascinating creatures. Plus their bioload is next to nothing. I believe I've got around 8 of them in my 40 gallon right now. Problem is they are so teeny at this point. My big ones didn't survive the 1000 mile move I made a few months ago from RI to GA. So I had to restock, and the PetSmart here only has these teeny little ghost shrimp. I'm talking smaller than my pinky fingernail. And unfortunately I believe a lot of them are becoming dinner for my yoyo loaches... Ah the cycle of life... ;)

Cory cats are also fun little critters, though they are not much on eating algae. At least not as far as I am aware.

Good luck with whatever you decide on. :)
 
haha thanks for the replies... will do more research on the bristlenose pleco, I believe its the catfish with spikes on it..

I have considered snails and shirmps but I dont really have a lot of knowledge and experience in them.. heck, I dont have a much of knowledge and experience either and im supposed to be better with them..
I am afraid that shirmps will be prey for my other fishes.. (i intend to get a betta later on) and also I read that snails might be a terror to plants and will introduce parasites and all..

thanks
 
None of the fish that you listed should bother the shrimp. It is *possible* that the betta could bother them in the future, but I've had many betta fish in my lifetime and none of them have been shrimp killers, so I would not really worry about that too much either.

But whatever floats your boat. :)
 
If you want a pleco you could get a bristlenose or clown pleco. Neither will eat much algae tho. If your having an algae issue I would reduce the amount of time your lights are on, and the amount your feeding.
 
Reddog80p said:
If you want a pleco you could get a bristlenose or clown pleco. Neither will eat much algae tho .
Click to expand...

bristlenoses are great for algae. disregard this
 
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