Bottom feeders

[NaviSpice]

I just bought a few fish for my aquarium. I want to get a bottom feeder to eat some of the wasted food that just sits on the bottom. I have a variety of barbs (Tiger, Albino and Green) in a 10 gallon tank. What kind of bottom feeder can I include in this community of fish. One that can hold its own with these aggressive and darty fish.

 

[Grassguy]

How many barbs?
If you're not overstacked and have some room, some cories might be nice.

 

[NaviSpice]

I have 4 barbs

 

[Wippit Guud]

3 cories would be perfect.

 

[NaviSpice]

Isn' 7 fish too much for a ten gallon tank??

 

[OrionGirl]

3 of the smaller cory species will be fine. Go with pandas, or skunks--something in that size range. The tank should have plenty of room for these fish--the cories will stay mostly on the bottom, and there should be adequate filtration with any appropriately rated filter to support these fish.

Another option would be 3 kuhli loaches--they are a smaller bio-mass than cories, and equally suited for the bottom.

 

[NaviSpice]

Thanks so much!

 

[Wippit Guud]

Alternately you could try amano shrimp, but I don't know how hyper-barbs would treat them.

 

[Sensei_the_dojo]

I'd go with the cories as suggested, they're cute critters and very peaceful. But you also might just feed your barbs less.