What other fish can I add to clean the bottom?

Hagermanfd

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Jan 19, 2007
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I have 5 cory catfish in my 55 gallon tank but i wanted to add some other bottom dwellers in my tank. I have:

2 angels, 7 neon tetras, 2 tetra serpaes, 3 black mollies, 4 red glow zebras, 5 painted tetras and a 3 platys. Anybody know of anything else like that might be compatible with these guys?
 
add a few otos they do great work on all types of algea, and fyi mollies are brackish fish so i recommend moving them to their prefered water conditions...also i recommend taking back the painted tetras
 
First of all I would increase your schools of neons and serpae tatras. Having two serpae tetras is really not enough and I doubt that they are happy. Of course adding to the neons will just be beautiful. As far as what to put in the tank for the bottom I would suggest more cories.They like to be in groups and the more the merrier as far as they are concerned.

Marinemom
 
add a few otos they do great work on all types of algea, and fyi mollies are brackish fish so i recommend moving them to their prefered water conditions...also i recommend taking back the painted tetras

Mollies and molly fry are not brackish fish. They will do just fine in freshwater.

Marinemom
 
I love my Synodontis petricola for bottom feeders. They don't grow too big and they like to swim around (if they're grouped together with others of their kind).
 
Oto's+angels= bad

angels have a tendency to eat oto's..or attempt to eat them.. very bad as otos will extend the defense plates near their mouths
 
angels + neons= no more neons
angels + otos= no more otos or angels

searpe tetras are also pretty nippy fish, and are not generally recommended to keep with angels because of this. IMO you should return the neons because the angels will eat them (or set them up a 10 gallon for themselves) and the searpes because they are nippy.

the painted tetras are exactly what they sound- painted. www.deathbydyeing.org . there in an undyed version that is just as cool, and it is called that black skirt tetra. there is also an albino version of the black skirt tetra. they dye is going to fade after a few months anyway.


for future stocking, after you get rid of the neons (or get a 10 gallon for them.. they have them at wal mart for 10 bucks and you can get a penguin 100 filter for $14.95) and the searpes, you should increase your black skirt school to maybe 16; get 6 regular version black skirts and then long finned black skirts, it will make the school look great. you will also be able to add a couple more corydoras to your school, which will make them happier and more active. if you want an algea eater, a snail will do fine for your tank.
 
From your stock.. the angels do seem a bit out of place. Since neons are slow swimmers, you may see them disappear one by one.
 
all of my neons came out of a tank with angel fish in it, The angel fish and neons have been great together i have not lost a neon yet by the angels so i disagree with that statement,
 
all of my neons came out of a tank with angel fish in it, The angel fish and neons have been great together i have not lost a neon yet by the angels so i disagree with that statement,

there are always exceptions to the rule but don't always trust the LFS stocking. I have come to trust the people here b/c they really know there stuff. Also, I rely on a lot of outside research before stocking. Good luck with the set up but I recommend making the suggested changes for the happiness and health of your fish.
 
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