What is considered clean up crews?

mgood86

mgood86

AC Members
Feb 27, 2007
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I seriously need help :) I just posted a question about fry, but I totally forgot about needing a clean up crew. But what I don't know is what exactly is considered clean up crew fish? I have a clown loach that will be going to a 120 g tank eventually in a few months, but I have read in this forum about needing a clean up crew for every tank. What are some of these fish? TIA.

37 gallon tall
ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 5-10, ph 7.6
20 swordtail fry in a breeding net
male and female swordtail
4 fancy guppies
1 gourami
1 bala shark
(I know the bala shark is going to get 12" or more and I have a 120 gallon tank it will go into in a few months that currently has 2 RES's that will be going into a huge pond)

10 gallon qt
ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 5, ph 7.6
clown loach
2 black tetras was three one died after 12 hours in qt
1 rainbow tetra
 
no, saltwater tanks highly reccomend clean-up crews. But in freshwater tanks, they are optional. A clean-up crew consists of 2 basic things. The detritus/leftover food eater, and the algae eater. They can either be invertebrate of vertebrate.

Invertebrate detritus/leftover food eater:
Ghost shrimp
Cherry shrimp
Most snails
Amano shrimp

Those are the most common ones, they're are many many more.

Fish detritus/leftover food eater:
Cory catfish
Most bottom dwelling catfish species as well as some other bottom dwelling fish.
Also note that if you are using fish as the detritus/leftover food eater, you will need to supplement they're feeding by feeding them directly, food (what you normally feed the fish but in a sinking form like shrimp pellets or something).

Invert algae eater:
Amano Shrimp
Some snails

Vertebrate algae eater:
Otos
Brittlenose plecostomus
siamese algae eaters
Those three vertebrate eaters are the most common but there many more.

I only recommend algae eaters to tanks that have algae problems that cant be fixed by what the owner does. Adding an algae eater is a last resort in my eyes to an algae problem.
 
Oh, ok, so I don't have to have a clean up crew...that's good to know. I have a few snails but really don't have an algae problem and I try not to overfeed and keep an eye on the bottom of the tank for too much food left over. I must be taking in so much info I am mixing the info together. Trying to do it right :) Thank you.
 
you should try ghost shrimp, they are my clean up crew, costs 30 cents at petsmart, cool looking shrimp, eats leftover food/detritus. They also work in planted tanks. Only bad thing about these is that they are one of the most common invertebrate feeders for a reason.
 
Ok, so I am new to alot of things (when I was little things were so different), why do you say
Only bad thing about these is that they are one of the most common invertebrate feeders for a reason.
Click to expand...
So, it's a good idea to have a clean up crew but not necessary. I think I would rather do it right than something go wrong and think well if only I had had that cc. So if the theory of 1" per one gallon goes, that would mean adult size inch, what size do the shrimp get?
 
im just saying that they can be eaten if the eater is big enough lol mgamer.

With that tank, get about 10-30 ghost shrimp.
 
These suggestions are all well and good, but this will not alleviate the need to do tank maintenance as required.
 
I realize tank maintenance is required at all times whether I have a cc or not :) So 10-30 ghost shrimp are a good start. But the inch rule doesn't apply to anything. Huh. What applies then? Just keeping the wp under control? I think hearing from people who actually own a tank has been more helpful than the expensive books and way better than the LFS! Much appreciated.
 
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