Bottom Feeders for 35

C

Captain Hook

Looking for ideas
Aug 21, 2003
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Toronto, ON
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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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
cories

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!!!
 
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