Bottom Feeder?

the ottos and sae's are more for algae than bottom feeding anyway. If you're looking for algae control, there are several options depending on the severity and type of algae. The best bet is to just be watchful and not overfeed. If you keep the tank clean, algae won't be as big an issue. Of course, having said that, we all know that sometimes it just happens anyway.

A 10 gallon could support an otto or two, as they will eat supplements like fresh vegetables and even some sinking food. They won't eat all algae though, so you may not be able to keep a tank clean just with ottos. Some snails are excellent for algae, especially nerites. The only problem with them is they require brackish water to reproduce, so if they eliminate the algae and die off and the algae comes back, you have to get more.

If you're just looking for a strict bottom feeder to clean up what food hits the gravel, then something like a group of small cories, kuhli loaches or shrimp/snails are your best bet.
 
But always keep in mind that 1) bottoms feeders cannot live off of scraps alone so they need their own diet and 2) cleaning the tank is, for the most part, your job. Fish do not replace regular water changes or gravel vacs.
 
Thanks again, I will be monitoring my neighbor and making sure she does the water changes. She has told me to get her some small shrip like the ghosties.
 
Incompatible

Golden apple snails would be good with guppies, but they need slightly hard water which is TOTALLY unsuitable with neon tetras. Also, neon tetras need acid water and guppies need alkaline water, so I wouldn't combine them. I suggest keeping one or the other. The neons could have cories as scavengers (they do not need to be pygmy cories), and the guppies could use snails of any sort.
 
pH is unimportant to fish, so there really is no such thing as a fish who prefers acidic or alkaline water. GH and KH are much more accurate readings for water chemistry, with TDS (total dissolved solids) being the most important as it takes in the complete composition of the water.

I wouldn't say they "need" that certain type of water either. Neon tetra stocks tend to be wild caught so it will be more difficult for them to adjust to anything different, but it can be done carefully. Guppies would thrive in harder water, but but strains have been bred so extensively in captive conditions that guppies can easily adapt to a large range of water chemistry.
 
I guess you are kind of right about the guppys, but I have disagree with you about the pH. Although most captive bred fish are not sensitive about the pH of their water, neon tetras are an exception. Neons will need to be adjusted EXTREMELY carefully to harder water, and will not live as long no matter how well they are adjusted. Also snails must be kept in slightly hard water for them to do well in the long run as their shells will degrade with time otherwise, although some species are more tolerant than others.
 
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