Bottom Dwellers ...........?!?

[Malfie]

Hello fish fanciers.
I'm having such fun with my first tank,but apart from wanting a much larger one I need help in chosing a bottom dweller.
I have done a little research,but there or plecs,catfish,ottos,bristle nosed thingies etc etc and many need to live in shoals and I'm quickly running out of fish inches.

Do I really need any?
I have just bought one of those syphon gravel hoovers which is great fun and I clean the glass on the front and sides about once a week.

Are there any that like to live alone ?
My tank is 60ltr and contains 3 guppies,2 platys and 5 black neons(plus two baby guppy fry the lfs gave me when I bought the other guppies which I may have to give away if I'm overstocked)

This picture might help
Thanks Malfie

 

[NatKing]

Hello fish fanciers.
I'm having such fun with my first tank,but apart from wanting a much larger one I need help in chosing a bottom dweller.
I have done a little research,but there or plecs,catfish,ottos,bristle nosed thingies etc etc and many need to live in shoals and I'm quickly running out of fish inches.

Do I really need any?
I have just bought one of those syphon gravel hoovers which is great fun and I clean the glass on the front and sides about once a week.

Are there any that like to live alone ?
My tank is 60ltr and contains 3 guppies,2 platys and 5 black neons(plus two baby guppy fry the lfs gave me when I bought the other guppies which I may have to give away if I'm overstocked)

This picture might help
Thanks Malfie

Hi there,

You don't definitely need a bottom dweller, but they will help with the inevitable algae you'll get in your new tank. I would recommend a bristlneose catfish - they only get to 4" and don't mind being alone. You have bogwood, which is part of their diet. Apart from that they just need algae wafers a few days a week and will relish a piece of courgette every now and again (you can drop it in, weighed down with plant lead).

Hope this helps.

Nat

p.s. tank looks great

 

[wendywc]

With the plants, I'd recommend otos. Nothing like seeing those little guys perched in your plants.

 

[LisaLQ]

I agree with otos. They're lovely in an established planted tank - really busy little fellas Cories are nice too, and you could always get a trio of dwarf cories rather than the bigger ones?

I wouldn't recommend a BN in a 60l tank really - although it could be done, they can get to 6" and all plecs poo a lot - so it'd mean a lot of clearing up. Mine also love to chew on amazon swords.

 

[catxx]

i third the otos! i love otos.

 

[Malfie]

Thanks guys.
Just had a look at some oto species and I think I shall get two of them and call them Dale and Eddie !

They are not the most colourful of fish,but they're cute and seems like they will do a great cleanup job on glass/plants etc.

Thanks again.

I love this forum. It's helped me SO much.

M x

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yay otto's are a good choice, i'm not 100% sure but they may prefer being in a larger group than that

 

[LisaLQ]

They're so tiny, I'm sure you could get away with 5 or 6

 

[shaz3271]

how about adding an apple snail for something diffrent

they keep the tank nice and clean

sharon

 

[wendywc]

Sharon, how do apple snails handle their eggs? I ask because I had zebra nerita snails and I hated that they laid their eggs all over the glass, rocks, heater, etc...

 

[discus dreamer]

Khuli loaches are great fun and althlough they are long they are also very thin so i don't think you need count their full length re. inch per gallon
DD

 

[shaz3271]

Sharon, how do apple snails handle their eggs? I ask because I had zebra nerita snails and I hated that they laid their eggs all over the glass, rocks, heater, etc...

my apple snails lay there eggs out of the water, usually on the hood of the tank,

i breed them to sell on so keep all my clutches

but if you dont want them just remove them.

brigs dont eat aquarium plants, canas do i have brigs