What kind of shrimp,fish,etc. can eat leftover food?

[joeyjoeq]

Hi, I am having a real problem finding somebody to eat the leftover food at the bottom of the tank. I had some ghost shrimps but they die too fast. They really are great to have in a tank but dont live that long. Anybody have an idea on what to get? Thanks

 

[THUNDER]

I see that you have a 55 gallons tank. As usual, I would suggest getting a Striped Raphael catfish. They are the cutest catfish on the market. Striped Raphaels are quick eater, everywhere. Cories are slower than Striped Raphaels. Also, Striped Raphaels will continue searching everywhere for food, until it can not be found. They are good at getting all the food, before the food decompose.

So, from me, Striped Raphael catfish. Now you will get choices from other people on here. From then on, you can decide.

Thunder

 

[JustOneMore20]

I see you have a cory....my cories do a good job of eating food off the bottom. Perhaps you should get the little guy some friends. I think he would do more digging around in the substrate if he had a group. Cories are shoaling fish, so a group makes them more comfortable. I'd get atleast 3 more of the same type, preferably 5 more. He would be much happier. Also, you danio would appreciate a bigger group.

The best way would be to avoid overfeeding though. If you have alot of leftover food, thats a good indication that you are overfeeding. How often do you feed the fish and how much?

Also, weekly gravel vacs will get up the uneaten food.

Adding another fish isn't always the solution to the problem.

 

[PlecoCollector]

I agree with JustOneMore- I bet your Cory would do a better job if you had a larger group of them.

For food eaters, I suggest Amano shrimp. I use them to eat my Zebs leftover food and they do a pretty good job of it!

 

[joeyjoeq]

I think I will go to the store and get 2 more juliis and one more danio. I really like that catfish along with the other two algae eaters who never stop moving. I used to have a striped raphael but he would eat the neon tetras I had and he took a big bite at the julii. Maybe it was just that raphael but I did not like him much. He does look very nice in the other hand. I ended up giving him away. I normally do that sometimes just because people come over and ask if they can have this fish or that shrimp, etc. I feed my fish a small amount of flake food in the morning along with a cube of brine shimp. Only the guppys and platys eat the flakes, but most of it sinks to the floor. The ghost shrimp used to attack the food on the floor, but like I said they dont live that long. The food normally will be eaten in I'd say one minute? The fish eat it pretty quick. Could I be underfeeding? Anybody know where I can find amano shrimp in chicago? I have been to many stores here and in suburbs and I dont remember those shrimp.

 

[THUNDER]

I've never heard of a Raphael attacking another fish. They do eat the Neons, but only when the Neons are small enough for the mouth and during the night.

Thunder

 

[joeyjoeq]

I know it was very weird to see that, but like I said maybe it was just that one. Hey Thunder, what about the spotted raphael? They are just about the same. I went to the LFS today and was looking around at the bottom feeders. I did not buy any fish because I still want to see what is in my area. I saw both the stripped and spotted together. One thing I do hate is that they come out in the night. Should I sink a pellet before I turn off the light?

 

[THUNDER]

I like the striped ones better. No, they do not only come out at nights. They do come out during the days. It depends on the ideal enviroment a tank is. I enjoy watching the two I have swim around. I cant explain, I do not see an ounce of aggressiveness in Raphaels. When I look at them, they are so cute and cuddly. I've never seen big Raphaels, so I am hoping for mine to grow to full length.

Thunder

 

[joeyjoeq]

Hey Thunder you think you can help me with my set-up in the tank if I take pictures of it? I never take any because they dont come out that good. Any advice of how or when to take them? I really like both raphaels. Maybe I'll get both. My tank has reached the population limit, but my levels are always good and the filter really helps keep the water crystal clear.

 

[brnttoast]

clean up

well i know the bottom of my snail tank is not only clean but there are so many i can clean out my fridge into their tank too
i dont know if one apple snail would cut it for a tank that size and dont recomend more than one unless you can find a supplier that can guarantee they are all the same sex, that or be prepared to get a fish that eats the small babies

there once was a lady that swallowed a fly..... you get the idea

 

[Kephren01]

i'm don't know much in this area but I just wanted to add about the stripped rafael. I have one with my cichlids, i think he is really cool. He typically comes out when the other fish get fed, he'll swim around the bottom. He likes low light as apposed to bright light. I have also never seen any amount of agression from him at all.