Bottom Feeder for Guppies and Bettas?
- Thread starter GTShunny
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He's right. You're pretty much at max capacity. To be honest, you may want to switch to a 20-gal filter or add a second 10 gal filter.
If I were to suggest any form of bottom feeder right now it would be a nerite snail or two. You might be safer with a mystery snail if your bettas like to "taste" things.
If I were to suggest any form of bottom feeder right now it would be a nerite snail or two. You might be safer with a mystery snail if your bettas like to "taste" things.
you could get a small clown pleco (make sure it is a real clown pleco)
they are very slow growers and max out at four inches they also don't need friends
i usually see them for anywhere from three to five dollars in the lfs in my area
you are a little tight on space
how long has your tank been up and running? what are your parameters? what would you rate your fish keeping skills at on a scale of one to ten?
they are very slow growers and max out at four inches they also don't need friends
i usually see them for anywhere from three to five dollars in the lfs in my area
you are a little tight on space
how long has your tank been up and running? what are your parameters? what would you rate your fish keeping skills at on a scale of one to ten?
Thank you All for your response. I didn't realize I was so packed in there. I thought it was one fish per gallon. I wasnt going to add anymore fish till I noticed that EVERYONE had a bottom feeder. Thought it was a good idea.
I am a newbie when it comes to freshwater tanks. Altho when I was younger my mother had 2 large saltwater tanks that she made me take care of. It is all coming back to me little by little but it was still 17 Years ago. I want to get a larger tank but at the moment a 10 is all I can fit in my apartment. We are moving in a few months so I am thinking within 6 months I should have a 20
. My tank has been running for about 2 months now. I have had male bettas and thats about it give or take a few feeder goldfish that was won at a fair or what not
I am a newbie when it comes to freshwater tanks. Altho when I was younger my mother had 2 large saltwater tanks that she made me take care of. It is all coming back to me little by little but it was still 17 Years ago. I want to get a larger tank but at the moment a 10 is all I can fit in my apartment. We are moving in a few months so I am thinking within 6 months I should have a 20
. My tank has been running for about 2 months now. I have had male bettas and thats about it give or take a few feeder goldfish that was won at a fair or what not 
Hello; You may gain some useful information from a thread I started titled Stocking Density Opinion in the freshwater genera discussion section of this forum. One consensus so far appears to be that it is best to start slow when new to the hobby. Folks with experience learn how to stock at higher densities, but at some increased risk of problems.
ottos are wild caught, need pristine water, difficult to feed unless you can grow tons of algae and overall not a beginner fish they also should be kept in groups
if you said you would rate your skill at an 8-10 and your tank was up 6+ months i might have suggested ottos if you were willing to reduce the numbers on the guppies a tad, but since you are probably a skill of 4-5 with a 2month old tank ottos are out.
clown pleco would be a decent choice
corries also make a nice addition to any tank but because you need to group them you don't have the room.
I wouldn't say you are packed but adding one or two more fish would get you to a full house for sure.
so if you want a bottom feeder i would go clown pleco, not common, not bushy but clown
again they are going to stay pretty small betcha you will find 1" or so size fish and you will likely have it for a few years before it hits 4" which is its max adult size.
if you said you would rate your skill at an 8-10 and your tank was up 6+ months i might have suggested ottos if you were willing to reduce the numbers on the guppies a tad, but since you are probably a skill of 4-5 with a 2month old tank ottos are out.
clown pleco would be a decent choice
corries also make a nice addition to any tank but because you need to group them you don't have the room.
I wouldn't say you are packed but adding one or two more fish would get you to a full house for sure.
so if you want a bottom feeder i would go clown pleco, not common, not bushy but clown
again they are going to stay pretty small betcha you will find 1" or so size fish and you will likely have it for a few years before it hits 4" which is its max adult size.
Do you want a bottom feeder because they are interesting fish? (They are.) Or do you feel that you need a bottom feeder because "EVERYONE has a bottom feeder"? Because your tank may actually not 'need' one.
Also, there is a distinction between a cory and a pleco in terms of what they 'clean up'. In theory, cories will scavenge for uneaten food in the substrate; plecos will eat the algae off of glass and decor.
Also, there is a distinction between a cory and a pleco in terms of what they 'clean up'. In theory, cories will scavenge for uneaten food in the substrate; plecos will eat the algae off of glass and decor.
Simon is right on the nose, you have to feed your bottom feeders... the clean up the excess food, but if you don't provide excess food... well then you don't need them.
LauraF how do you talk your plecos into eating algae?? mine are lazy sob's lol. no in all honesty clowns are scavengers that prefer a meaty diet so he will likely do the same job as the corries bushies are into veggies and in theory are good algae eaters... in theory, but mine are lazy....
Ottos will eat algae but you are not set up for a school of ottos which is how they need to be kept. you don't have the room, you don't have algae (or you haven't told us you do, they need a lot) and with your stocking levels and your fish knowledge at 2 months i doubt you would have that much success considering how finicky they are about water quality.
Fish can only poop as much as they eat, my plecos eat flake and pellets and veggies not algae (they are lazy) corries would eat the same cant have corries because you don't have room for 3 more 2" fish so thats out
I keep lots of plecos it's kind of my thing (and probably my area of expertise) first i will say that lots of the "clown" plecos i have seen photos of on this forum are not clowns they are common, second clowns max at 4" by the time his/her fish was 4" (that includes fins) they will have either a. a new tank b. some die off in stock c. the fish keeping expertise to keep that heavy of a stocking order.
Ummm but yes LAURAF is totally right why do you want a bottom feeder, no one really "needs" one it's a preference thing, i keep them because well i love plecos I really only keep cichlids to take up the rest of the space lol if you WANT one then the pleco is probably your best bet
LauraF how do you talk your plecos into eating algae?? mine are lazy sob's lol.
no in all honesty clowns are scavengers that prefer a meaty diet so he will likely do the same job as the corries bushies are into veggies and in theory are good algae eaters... in theory, but mine are lazy....Ottos will eat algae but you are not set up for a school of ottos which is how they need to be kept. you don't have the room, you don't have algae (or you haven't told us you do, they need a lot) and with your stocking levels and your fish knowledge at 2 months i doubt you would have that much success considering how finicky they are about water quality.
Fish can only poop as much as they eat, my plecos eat flake and pellets and veggies not algae (they are lazy) corries would eat the same
cant have corries because you don't have room for 3 more 2" fish so thats outI keep lots of plecos it's kind of my thing (and probably my area of expertise) first i will say that lots of the "clown" plecos i have seen photos of on this forum are not clowns they are common, second clowns max at 4" by the time his/her fish was 4" (that includes fins) they will have either a. a new tank b. some die off in stock c. the fish keeping expertise to keep that heavy of a stocking order.
Ummm but yes LAURAF is totally right why do you want a bottom feeder, no one really "needs" one it's a preference thing, i keep them because well i love plecos I really only keep cichlids to take up the rest of the space lol if you WANT one then the pleco is probably your best bet
yeah drift wood and scraps, they do like veggies but they are not known to be great algae eaters.
lots of plecos more like most actually (including the common) are actually not much for eating algae.
planetcatfish says this
"A wood-eating fish, the tank should be decorated with several different types of driftwood. These fish really like to have something to chew on and squash, cucumber, and other vegetables should be readily available to them. Supplement two to three times weekly with frozen foods."
nothing about being an effective algae eater....
best algae eater = snails and ottos
(see previous post about why OP can't do ottos)
planet cat also says should be fine in a small tank pairs should be housed in no less then 15g, but if a pair needs 15 a single would be fine in a 10g
lots of plecos more like most actually (including the common) are actually not much for eating algae.
planetcatfish says this
"A wood-eating fish, the tank should be decorated with several different types of driftwood. These fish really like to have something to chew on and squash, cucumber, and other vegetables should be readily available to them. Supplement two to three times weekly with frozen foods."
nothing about being an effective algae eater....
best algae eater = snails and ottos
(see previous post about why OP can't do ottos)
planet cat also says should be fine in a small tank pairs should be housed in no less then 15g, but if a pair needs 15 a single would be fine in a 10g
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Otos? They are pretty clean (not as much spaghetti as plecos), and stay small (1.5-2 inches). Just no frogs or very very slow moving fish with them- bettas are fine.
No frogs or slow moving fish with otos? Curious...why not?
ottos won't bother the other fish, other fish would be more likely to bother them (not in this set up, but i have never heard of an "aggressive otto") but op is at stocking limit and can't do a school of ottos, they didn't mention algae as an issue as much as wanting a bottom feeder. They didn't in fact mention any "issue" they were trying to solve just that they thought they needed a bottom feeder
Ottos are very clean although they don't "feed from the bottom" per say they eat algae from plants, decor etc
great fish but not suggested for this level of stocking, with out algae to eat, or for the new fish keeper
Ottos are very clean although they don't "feed from the bottom" per say they eat algae from plants, decor etc
great fish but not suggested for this level of stocking, with out algae to eat, or for the new fish keeper
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