Time to think about a clean up crew

[Emika_B]

Aloha all.  I’m just about ready to look into the clean up crew for my tank.  I’d like to do Pygmy cories (corries?) since I don’t have a lot of open ground.  Do cories care about that or will they burrow between the plants to get to the food bits at the bottom?  At least the tiny ones will have a better chance, I’d think.  How many?  I’m also thinking ottos for algae control but I worry about how much they eat - will they eat all the algae on the tank walls too quickly?  And how many?  Of course, I’d feed them and the cories their own food; wouldn’t want to starve the little guys.  Or would a single bristle nose pleco be a better idea?  I’d like to do a rubber lip but I’ve never seen them in any of the stores here.  I’d love to do do khulis, too, though I don’t know if they really qualify as clean up.  And shrimp, but that will be a while down the road after the tank’s had time to really season.

40-ish gallon, planted (I’d say heavily) with mopani drift wood, pH generally 8.2, GH in the 13 degree range, temps mid to high 70s, sometimes into low 80s.  There’s an internal Aqueon filter (sponge only) for flow and a Ziss-type fluidized filter.  Substrate is Fluval Stratum and aragonite.  Occupants will be 15 rummy nose tetras, 10 dwarf neon rainbows and guppies (currently 2 males but will be adding more).  Loads of Malaysian trumpets and what I think are bladder snails.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

My friend has 10 albino corycats, they don't eat algae. They just eat food not caught by the tetras and she says they're pigs because she gives them more food on top of that. 

My Otos keep my tank sparkling. Especially now since I don't even know how many I actually have!

Edited May 7, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Emika_B]

InkedPhoenix - Yeah, I should have worded that better.  I know cories don’t eat algae (though they will much on pellets) and are more for eating the leftovers that fall to the bottom.  I have to say that the albinos kinda freak me out - something about their red eyes.  *shiver*  Pandas are okay and Sturbai are lovely but a bit large, yes?  The Pygmies are just so cute, though!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Pygmies are awful cute. You can do a mix of Cories and Otos tales have been told they do well together. I had an albino cory growing up and I loved the little thing. I have a soft spot for albino animals, they're not to everyone's taste- but often they are the last to be picked of of most animals (fish, snakes, rabbits, rats, hamsters on and on and on). The white of an albino cory looks great in my friend's tank, they stand out and move like a herd of tiny white horses in the sand

[Eric R]

I know you said it's a ways down the road, but Cherry shrimp are the workhorse of my cleanup crew, and I think your stocking selection sounds like it could be shrimp safe to me, though I haven't kept all of the fish you mentioned personally.

[Emika_B]

Ererer - Thanks for the inspiration.  The fish I have are all small mouthed, so I don’t think the adult shrimp will have any problems.  And the babies will have plenty of plant cover, plus some shrimp caves I got from Aquarium Co-op.  I’m hoping I can find cherry shrimp, though I’ve never seen them in any of the shops here.  I have seen them on Craigslist, though, so I’ll probably go that route.

[Samanthabea]

Ever thought of ghost shrimp they are more common in fish stores also great cleaners

Edited May 8, 2021 by Samanthabea

[Emika_B]

Samanthabea - Yes, I’ll probably start with ghost shrimp.  Actually, I had some in another tank a while back and I really liked them.  And yeah, they’re much easier to find.  They may be ‘plain,’ but I like ‘em.