Detritus Eater

[chrisf9801]

Anyone have a good recomendation for a freshwater cleanup crew?

Snails? Cory Cats? What can I get to keep the uneaten food and fish poop off the bottom in between cleanings?

[Deborah]

You might want a few Amano Shrimp. They are often used as algae eaters but they'll grab any leftover fish food if they can get their little claws on it. And I think they are fun to watch. But cories are good at cleaning the bottom and very attractive - they like to be in groups.

Snails are good, esp. if you don't have plants they might damage. Malaysian trumpet snails are supposed to leave the plants alone and burrow through the substrate.

So, in short, yes.


Deborah

[OodleyBoodely]

Ditto on the Malaysians, although if you have a planted tank, they will uproot plants with thier digging. They are very prolific also and you will eventually be overrun with them. I used them in my tanks and thought they were more useful than a hindrance, beware though, once established the only way to eradicate them is through complete sterilization of the tank. OK, I've given you a lot of cons, here's the pros:
1. Eat detritus (food, fish waste, plant waste
2. cheap to establish (buy 4-5, in 5months you'll be lookin' to market the excess)
3. won't eat plants
4. rototill the gravel (it will literally roil with snail activity) keeping the gravel aerated (no deadly gas pockets)
5. Easy to harvest using snail traps/net on glass in mornings
6. make great suplimentary live food for larger fish (crush shell against glass-fish will do the rest) loaches love them and even bettas will takle one that can't hide in its shell.
7. how many great snail recipies do you know? Escargot anyone?

[Stang69]

Cant add anymore than what was said in the above posts



Jeff

[chrisf9801]

Very cool! Thanks for the advice!!

I love this site!

[chrisf9801]

Anyone have a good online source for Malaysians, or Amonos. I checked at LFS and they've never even heard of em!

[OodleyBoodely]

Your best bet is to go to a store with lots of live plants and examine the tanks holding the plants very carefully for snails. They will often be found on the plants when new plants arrive. Also, check in the substrate where they will burrow into the gravel, and, also check for them on the glass. They are small, usually less than an inch long, dark grey or black, and turret/spindle shaped. Most stores don't order them on purpose but will often have them as a byproduct of selling plants.