Needing Help.

[Chazwick]

Well, my first tank is halfway done... and i'm starting to consider different fishes. I have a 8GAL tank and have decided to go for something like Danios... or perhaps Tetras... I'm caught between the two.
I've always been interesting in "bottom feeders" or "sucker fish" as i have always called them! lol
Seeing as my tank isn't THAT big (though in a few years time i'm gonna go up to a 20GAL) could anyone recommend a good bottom feeder for my tank? Something quite small, and active would be great. *twirlysmi Thanks!

 

[TheShrimp]

Maybe a cory or two?

... Just dont buy a Pleco and you'll be fine

As for tetras, Neons are awsome, cheap, hardy and pretty, i reallt recommend those.
Good luck.

 

[Balloon Fish]

not just plecos but stay away from chinese algae eaters. A corry is fine or an oto but both fish like to be in groups and you hardly have room for your tetra or danio school... maybe a snail but i would concentrate on a nice sized school of tetras instead of the bottom feeder school. Maybe you should wait till you get that 20g...

 

[Cutlass]

I would go with an Oto and maybe a snail. I'm still not convinced that snails are worthwhile members of the "clean up crew" though. Otos like to hang out in groups, but it's not like they get mean or shy if they're by themselves like Loaches do.

 

[Zman16]

How about some ghost shrimp? There small, very cheap, and hardy. Just make sure you have a hiding spot for them. Maybe an African Dwarf Frog, although there not bottom feeders they stay at the bottom, and are very cool.

 

[FishGeek]

I think that you could do 1 Otto, 2 Cories (Sterbeas maybe) and 4 neons. In that size of a tank the 4 neons will realize that they are safe. When you get a bigger tank you can add to that!!

 

[Balloon Fish]

i would either get cories or ottos and not both because they like to be in groups

 

[FishGeek]

Ottos dont mind being on their own. I have had them since I started and you see just as much of them wether they are by themselves or not. And when there are more they do hang out together but spend alot of time by themselves. Thats just from my experience.

 

[Balloon Fish]

otos dont mind being by themselves but feel safer in groups but it isn't as important compared to corys who like to be in groups and swim around together.

 

[Chazwick]

hmmmmm - I've heard Corys are better than Ottos.. Which would you recommend, i'd rather get two - of one or the other? (I have quite abit of floor space in my tank...).

 

[Balloon Fish]

go with corys. On an 8g i really doubt you have too too much floor space... you might think its a lot but until you've had bigger then you'll never really know... and in my opinion with fish like corys you dont really need to care too much about floor space, what you should be more worried about is the bioload because cories dont get aggressive and dont claim their own territory so not all that much room is needed.

 

[Chazwick]

Kk - thanks. I'll stick with some corys then - is it Okay to get a pair? Or are they better on their own?
Plus - are they the fish that eat the flakes from the bottom of the tank, clean the pebbles... etc,etc.

 

[BigDaddy420]

i like the albino cory's, ive had them in every tank i can ever remember, they are just cool little buggers to watch. i have 2 in my tank, ive never had less than 2 in a tank, but i bet they would be fine on their own, but id recommend getting 2.