How many bottom feeders?
- Thread starter LogJam
- Start date
LogJam said:
Sounds a bit fishy to me. Wahay!!
Seriously though, never heard of that one. A catfish would be good. I keep a bristlenose in both my tanks for the purpose of cleaning. and 'cos i like 'em
. But do some research into what you want first. Some are better algea eaters than others for example.
I usually use corys as clean up crew for leftover food. Bristlenose pleco to keep the walls of the tank clean.
Personally, I would go with 4 corys and one albino bristlenose(one of the smallest ones of the bristlenose family, I think).
Personally, I would go with 4 corys and one albino bristlenose(one of the smallest ones of the bristlenose family, I think).
I have also never heard of this "rule". I can see where you may want catfish to balance out an aquarium by having activity at the bottom as well as at the top and middle of the water column but having catfish, I would suggest, is by no means a necessity. The way it seems to come across from your LFS is that catfish are likely to provide some mission critical function (provided you have enough) and this is, in my opinion, not true. Catfish will look for food (i.e. what *they* find tasty) which will probably help reduce the amount of uneaten food in your tank. It is unlikely that they will catch everything, and even if they did, you would still have to carry out regular maintenance in order to get rid of waste products introduced into the water by your fish (including the catfish).
Your best bet (if you want catfish) is to research the ones that you find interesting and buy an appropriate number based on the fish-load your tank is able to handle, the general compatability of the catfish and wether the type of catfish you want prefers a solitary existence or the presence of others of its own kind.
Your best bet (if you want catfish) is to research the ones that you find interesting and buy an appropriate number based on the fish-load your tank is able to handle, the general compatability of the catfish and wether the type of catfish you want prefers a solitary existence or the presence of others of its own kind.
Also realize that catfish or other bottom feeders still need to be fed good quality foods and shouldn't be left to fend on old leftovers that reach the bottom. Special sinking tablets, live foods are all needed to keep them happy and healthy.
Also there is a great variety of "bottom feeders" out there and they all have different needs. Many plecos require the addition of driftwood in the tank to keep them healthy. Some plecos are vegitarians, some omnivores and some even meat eaters and that can change with age.
As was mentioned do some research before adding any new fish to your tank to see if you can meet the conditions they need for a happy full life.
Also there is a great variety of "bottom feeders" out there and they all have different needs. Many plecos require the addition of driftwood in the tank to keep them healthy. Some plecos are vegitarians, some omnivores and some even meat eaters and that can change with age.
As was mentioned do some research before adding any new fish to your tank to see if you can meet the conditions they need for a happy full life.
We've had a 46g bowfront for years ---- we're just now in the process of restocking after our big move from VA to FL.....
Anyway, we've never bothered with the pleco --- never found one that stayed smallish and that we liked the look of.
We had some otos and we had/have albino cories.....I love cories. I'm planning on a total of 5 albino cories - we've only got 1 now, but I don't want to overload the tank with too many new fish at once (and my brother recently bought black barbs).
Anyway, we've never bothered with the pleco --- never found one that stayed smallish and that we liked the look of.
We had some otos and we had/have albino cories.....I love cories. I'm planning on a total of 5 albino cories - we've only got 1 now, but I don't want to overload the tank with too many new fish at once (and my brother recently bought black barbs).