Bottom Feeder?

[ginceng102]

Hi! what bottom feeder is good for my mono angels and archer fish?

 

[nmonks]

Depends what you mean by "bottom feeder". If you're after a scavenger, then the answer is, as always in fishkeeping, you don't need one. If you're adding so much food that some ends up uneaten on the substrate, then you're overfeeding your fish. If you're using a food that these relatively large fish can't catch easily, then change to something more suitable (carnivore pellets are ideal for both species).

Scats will consume food from all levels, and they get along extremely well with monos and scats. Similarly, bottom-dwelling cichlids, particularly the earth-sifting tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron, will also consume food from the bottom of the tank. Most other cichlids feed in a more or less similar sort of way, and my Brackish FAQ gives a long list of possible options, most of which will coexist with monos and archers given space. I certainly maintained an archerfish and school of monos alongside cichlids such as Tilapia rendalli in a 200-gallon brackish water system without any problems.

There are numerous catfish that inhabit brackish water, but relatively few are traded. Sciades seemanni is probably the most commonly seen and will do well across a broad salinity range. Less often seen are things like Mystus gulio, which prefers low to mid salinity levels, and Plotosus lineatus, which needs mid to high salinity to thrive.

Violet gobies are fascinating fish and do well in large community tanks, but they are somewhat difficult to feed so you should research their needs beforehand. The same goes for things like morays and flounders.

Blue-legged hermit crabs will do well at medium to high salinity levels (SG 1.010 upwards at 25 C), and there are also any number of nerite snails that might be an option. Again, there's lists of these on my FAQ.

Cheers, Neale

Hi! what bottom feeder is good for my mono angels and archer fish?