Question on what to get as a bottom feeding fish

slotzero

slotzero

AC Members
Jan 6, 2008
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0
Dayon, OH
Hello everyone - I have a 10 gallon tank at home with a betta and 5 neon tetras - they are all doing great.

I'd like to add a bottom feeder to the mix to help cleaning up food that they miss - doesn't happen often but it does happen.

Any suggestions? Cory cat maybe? I kinda thought my tank might be too small with the current stock to add a pleco.

Maybe it's just better to rely on vacuuming the gravel when I do my partial water changes?

Please let me know your thoughts - thanks!
 
Of course it's always better to just keep up with gravel vacs with WCs and not feed too much that they miss it.

But theres room for a small shoal of corys. I'd suggest sticking with panda or pygmy corys, as they'll stay smaller than others. I would go with 4.

You could also add a mystery snail or two.

You could try shrimp if you like the idea, but try it with one at first if you do to see how the betta reacts with them.

IMO, a 10 gallon for any pleco is pushing it. I have a clown pleco in my 20 gallon. They get a max of 4 inches, and he's there now, and the more i look at him i think he might be alright in a 10 gallon.

But i'd highly suggest just sticking with corys, snails, or shrimp.
 
My daughter has exactly the same stocking as you and she has 2 spotted cories and a mystery snail as well.
The Betta finds the cories interesting and will what looks like hug them every once in a while (he bends his back and rubs himself against the cories. They do not mind one bit). All have been in the tank for months now and are all fine.
BUT you will have to keep up the cleaning (scrub algae etc).
We have tried the smaller cories (like pandas) but haven't had any luck with them...
 
I suggest a snail as well. Ghost shrimp are fun and cheap to boot, but you never know if the betta will shred them to bits.
 
If the only reason you want them is to clean up after your other fish - don't.
They will have to be fed also and will only add excess bioload and detritus to the bottom of your tank, so they won't be "cleaning" anything.

If you want some bottom feeders just because you like them, then get them, but they are not a cleanup crew.
 
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