?Clean Up Crew?

[FishGeek]

I was wondering if anyone knew how many cleaner fish I should have. Right now I have 2 dwarf (bronze) otos and 3 fancy guppies in a 3 gallon. I that good? I think that it is but I want to make sure. Is it true that you dont really count "the clean up crew" into the bioload of your tank? It doesnt sound right to me.
guppy_newbe

 

[Cutlass]

In a 3 gallon tank, you probably shouldn't add any more fish. 1 oto would probably be able to take care of that.

I don't see how the clean up crew wouldn't count toward the bio load. They poop too.

 

[FishGeek]

That is exactly what I thought. Thank You, Cutlass.
guppy_newbe

 

[FroggyFox]

I agree, your tank is well stocked. Ottos aren't that messy...but a lot of other bottom feeders are VERY messy fish.

 

[Stevie]

I agree with all said above^^^^^ what about a ghost shrimp or 2. They have almost no bioload (Some one correct me if Im wrong!!!)

 

[FishGeek]

I read somewhere that shrimp have almost no bioload. I wanted to get some red cherry shrimp but I found out that no one around my area carried them. The only shrimp that I found was ghost shrimp and I was told that they dont do much for algae. ??? So I had to settle for some ottos. I think they are pretty cute though.

Does anyone have an answer....When I bought my 2 ottos there color was dull and you couldnt really distinguish the black line or anything. Now the black line is very bold and they seem brighter (color wise). Any answers?

 

[twoluvcats]

Does anyone have an answer....When I bought my 2 ottos there color was dull and you couldnt really distinguish the black line or anything. Now the black line is very bold and they seem brighter (color wise). Any answers?

Your otos are acclimated and happy...this is a good thing I just got some zebra otos and they were nearly clear with stress when I got them.

 

[FishGeek]

Ok. I knew that it was a good thing I just wasnt sure what did that. I wanted to get some zebra ottos but no one had them; they only had dwarf (bornze) ottos. But they are still cute!
guppy_newbe

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

Shrimp do a great job of cleaning up algae and sifting through the gravel one piece at a time looking for food. No tank with small fish should be without shrimp IMHO.

 

[FishGeek]

I didnt realize how addictive this fish tank stuff is. lol. I tried to start out with a small tank cause I live in an apartment (for now) and my husband is in the Navy. At first we got a 1.5 gallon and we figured that we would get a betta and that is that. Little did I know!! lol. A few weeks later we got another tank. Now I think that I want to get another bigger tank!! How do you guys stop!?!? lol.
guppy_newbe

 

[FroggyFox]

haha what makes you think we stop?? It is very addicting...and the wanting to set up more bigger tanks we fondly refer to as "MTS" (Multiple Tank Syndrome) We stop when we run out of room...and then we ponder whether we should move to get more space, or consolidate some of the smaller tanks into larger tanks!

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

I think the only thing that would stop you is when you run out of time to take care of all of them. I really, no, really want a 180gallon densely planted tank with about 300 fish in it, and when (or if) that happens, it will probably cure my MTS as I'll run out of time. I guess you could sacrifice sleep, but that can only go on for so long...

With 300 fish, you've just got to have weekly, or maybe even daily fatalities. Counting the fish would be an exercise in futility.

 

[Davy]

With 300 fish, you've just got to have weekly, or maybe even daily fatalities. Counting the fish would be an exercise in futility.

Wouldn't the only way to count them be to take a pic and count the fish in the pic? *crazysmil I wish I had a tank that big. I would probably make it a cichlid or saltwater tank though. *celebrate

Back to the original question, I think your pretty set on the cleanup crew. My guppies dig in the substrate looking for stray food after I feed them. 1 or 2 ghost shrimp probably wouldn't hurt any though.

 

[Lotus]

I wouldn't add any shrimp to that tank. While they may have a light bioload, they still add some bioload. Shrimp are also extremely sensitive to nitrates, and with a tank that heavily stocked, I doubt your shrimp would last long.