Cleanup Crew?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

The ultimate clean up crew that will eat most algae and leftover foods.......



.......Amano Shrimp! They are also big/fast enough that the dwarf cichlids cannot eat them! Japonica Cardina is the scientific name I believe... Add some Otocinclus to the mix and a few Nerites and your tank will be super clean! My planted tank never gets a glass scrape and never gets much algae on the plants.

Catfishlady, I am sure Dane at R2R should have some or at least can get you some since he is trying to support the Planted people club up there. J.Senske scaped a planted tank for Dane's store so I am pretty sure there are some in there so you can get an idea what they are.

[sproett]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Ek, good idea on the shrimp!  I have a few in my planted tank and I just love them.

[AK-71]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Sorry, but what are "Nerites"? Snails?
confused by Google...

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2003/invert.htm

Yes, snails that their eggs will not hatch in freshwater.

[AK-71]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Where do you buy them? I'd like some

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Online mostly since I haven't seen much in LFS's, You could buy some Saltwater ones and acclimate them to FW.

I think ArizonaAquatics or anubiasdesign....not sure about the www. but I am sure someone here will help you with that. I got mine from Bombacat on aquaticplantcentral or plantedtank.net.

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

The biggest problem with those snails is you get a lot of eggs on the glass that you have to scrap off.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Spot said that too but I haven't  seen much any eggs in my tank.....maybe the shrimp are eating them?

[Mzungu]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

I got mine from RainbowSnails. She's local, and has a screenname here on HFB, too.

At first they laid a ton of eggs, but now it's kind of tapered off and they 'dissolved' after a while, anyway.

[CatFishLady]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Ok, should I get a bristlenose (maybe 2?) or otos (maybe 4-5?)??

I have ramshorn snails that came out of nowhere in the tank now (will they help out?)....also my tank is NOT planted...just fakes scattered around.

So I'm still unsure exactly what to get!! Sorry

[CatFishLady]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

Oh, the shrimp...I don't want them eating any eggs if my rams decide to spawn (I'm crossing my fingers for that).....

[sproett]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

I wonder if the bristlenose will eat eggs, that'd be good to know.

[Mzungu]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

I think almost anything will eat eggs. I have Rosy barbs, and whenever they spawn they do their thing and immediately try to eat the eggs falling to the substrate.    However, the rams should be able to defend them if there aren't too many attempts to eat them.

I'd go with the bristlenose, but that's just me. Otos can be picky sometimes, but bristlenose seem pretty hardy.  :)

[CatFishLady]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

So a couple bristlenose for the 55gal will be good enough?

[Mzungu]

Re: Cleanup Crew?

I'd think so. They'll work all day, except at feeding time, where they'll eat anything that falls their way, so I wouldn't be worried about them not eating it all.  :)