Bottom feeder?

[Fergwi]

Hi! I've learnt so much over the past few weeks by reading everything I can on the forum - so thank you everyone.

I've got a little 13 gallon tank which has 10 platys and 10 tetras. I'm really struggling to keep the water clean and the glass just looks dirty. All tests are fine and I do 10-15% water changes each week.

Also, I was thinking about getting a fish which feeds on the bottom but have no idea what to get - any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance

 

[BobK]

Sounds like you're fully stocked or even over stocked. What do you mean by you're struggling to keep the glass and water clean? What type of equipment do you have? If you're getting a lot of algae it could be too much sunlight. You don't have the tank in front of a window, do you? If so, I would move it. Not only will it cause an algae problem but the sun can raise the temperature in the tank rapidly. Any more information on your tank would be very helpful.

As for a bottom feeder, you might want to consider cory catfish. These are peaceful schooling fish that will keep the bottom of your tank free of any uneaten food. They produce little waste of their own. However, since they are schooling, you should have at least 3-4 of them. Maybe you can stop by the lfs and see if you can exchange some of your existing fish. Your tank is really at it's limit unless you have a filter of a much higher capacity than is needed for your tank.

 

[kev_kb]

I would say your over stocked already, your Platies will reach around 2" so that's 20" of fish just for them, and your Tetras will add 6-12" to that. You don't need to stick to the inch per gallon rule, but this is pushing it I think..

Personally I would remove some of the Platies, and/or the Tetras if they are a larger type before even thinking of adding anything else. Cories are a good choice, but they shouldn't be purchased as a clean up crew. If you have food on the bottom of the tank after a feeding your probably over feeding your fish and should cut back a bit. If you do buy Cories they won't clean the glass, and you should buy sinking pellets to feed them with.

Another option is the Oto, see www.otocinclus.com, these will clean your glass of algae, but should also be fed other foods, see the site already mentioned. You should buy at least 3 of these and they are messy little devils, so make sure you maintain a clean tank for them.

 

[sylvia]

I wouldn't add any more fish at the moment. If you lower the number of fish there will be less waste which will mean less nutrients for algae to grow. I would remove all but 3 platies and take out a couple of tetras. If you still have algae problems, I would suggest algae-eating shrimp rather than more fish. If you can reduce the number of fish further, you may consider some otos but deffinately not at the moment.

 

[Fergwi]

Thanks for the info! I think what's on the glass is algae - it's a bluey green colour. I have live plants in the tank and the light is on for approximately 12 hours per day (the tank is in a dark corner of a dark room so no worries re natural light). Can't bear to get rid of any of my platies especially, so will just have to buy a bigger filter - I bought the tank and equipment as a 'set' so I guess the filer is just 'bog standard' (Rena Filstar I1-12).

There isn't any movement of water at the surface even though the top of the filter is just below the water level so do I also need an air pump do you think?

Sorry for all these questions guys but I'm so delighted with these fish and just want them to have the best home possible!

 

[-cAtFiSh-]

i would definately get rid of some of the fish. what kind of tetras do you have?
i dont think you should get any more fish until you have sorted out your current stock. or if you dont want to get rid of any of your fish maybe this could be an excuse for another tank
to help keep the algae down you might want to consider keeping the light on for only 8 to 10 hours a day. i used to keep mine on for 12 and noticed that there was alot of algae but now that i keep it on for a shorter time, there is bairly any algae at all.
as for an airpump i'm not sure but it probably isnt entirely neccessary. just focus on what you are going to do with your stock at the moment.

HTH

 

[freshmike]

I would also get rid of half of the fish, of course the tetras, as you seem to be quite particular about the platies. Get a little bit better filter and maybe some ottos for the algae, as I am sure it is on more than just the glass....however, if it is only the glass-----mag-float is your best friend.

 

[Fergwi]

Thanks guys! Will try the trick with the light and maybe take the tetras back to the shop!

 

[Tarod]

I would definately go ahead and invest in a larger tank. The 10 Gallon kits at Wal-Mart are not very expensive, or consider taking some back. If your platies are like mine then you may soon have many more fish.

I dont think you can fit a big enough filter for your tank with that many fish.

But to answer your question corys are lovely fish and will help keep your tank clean. Always been a staple in my tanks.