Can I Add Another Bottom Dweller?

[Mattatat]

In my 110 litre, 29gallon tank with an interpet PF3 filter I have:
10+ Assassin snails, and counting
Looking to add a pair of centrepiece fish, Apistogrammas or Rams to breed
1 WCMM
3 Copper Harlequins
3 Glass Bloodfin Tetras
13 Cardinal Tetras
2 swordtails, hoping for babys, also might add more, so possibly 6 + any babys (I can rehome some)
And finally, a golden nugget pleco, I believe he is a small spot variety at 2 inches.

My question is, can I add another bottom dweller. I thougt cories, but I have gravel, or an ADF, but what would I do on holiday, and would also love another pleco, but Golden nuggets are supposed to be quite territorial

I am also considering: Kuhli loaches, spotted head-standers, otos, shrimp, dwarf loaches or Siamese Algea Eaters?
I have never seen the pleco eat, although his algea wafer is usually gone (this may be a swordtail who occasionally pecks at it). I am just concerned that he will not get enough food, and his algea wafer will be gone before he gets to it. Is there anything else I could feed him that they wouldn't get, would feeding after lights out work

I have previously had otos, a bn plec, and shrimps but all died, probably because I was told that they did not need feeding and would survive on just algea.

Thanks for any help

 

[mhancock]

Hi there,

Kuhli loaches are great and will not add to your bioload much.

CAE are NOT a good idea for community tanks at all, once they start to grow up they suck the sides of other fish, remove the slime coat or worse, and they other fish die.

I have corys on gravel and they are fine, the panda ones do not get too big, and the peppered ones have great personalities.

You are close to being fully stocked, however, with what you already have and both kuhli loaches and corys are better in groups of 5+ so loaches may be more sensible. You'll only see them late in the evening though, or after a good gravel vac and water change which drives mine nuts!!!

 

[tomtomtom1230]

You'll only see them late in the evening though, or after a good gravel vac and water change which drives mine nuts!!!

Kuhli loaches have been proven to prefer low lighting conditions and because some of us have very bright lights on our aquariums, this leads them to become nocturnal which is unnatural for them. So, it all depends on what cover and shaded areas you have for them in your aquarium which is a tell as to when and how often you'll see them.

 

[ZoddyZod]

kuhli loaches and gravel isn't a great match either as they love to bury themselves in the substrate.

with the addition of a pair of apistos, you'd be pretty fully stocked anyway.

 

[Mattatat]

Thanks for the replies, I will either add the swordtails and either apistogrammas or the corys, if they are ok on 3-5mm natural gravel(not smooth, but not that sharp)

There are alot of plants that touch the surface and alot of bogwood, for the Kuhli loaches. But I have a Hagen Aqua-Glo T8 and a Hagen Power-Glo T8, recommended for marine.