Help Please

[fishlearner66]

i  really need a bottom feeder but my tank is only 64l
 
which catfish or pleco is the smallest and best for this size tank
 

 

[Valiant]

Pygmy corydoras, but you will have to get 6 of them, 4 is the minimum. They grow up to 0.75 in. and they will need sand or smooth gravel or else it will hurt there barbels.

 

[Sophie]

I wouldn't have less than 6 imo - I went from 3 adoptees to 12 and the difference was remarkable.
 
Apparently, fish feel more comfortable in groups of 6 or more because they cannot count more than 6 so immediately assume they are in a large shoal? Something like that I heard anyway

 

[Megalodon]

there are always shrimp...assuming you havent thought of that.

 

[Zikofski]

shrimp are great but depends on the other tank mates as shrimp can be seen as live food for most corys is the safest option i would go with 6 to 10 in that tank size woud look nice as well, and again with Sophie minimum of 6 for me
 
if you wanted a pleco as well i would go with a single BN pleco i plan to have one maybe two in a 88L tank but 64 i would say 1 max

oh and if you get a pleco make sure you got some bogwood in they love to rasp on that

 

[germanblueR]

I would personally go with cherry shrimp. I've not had issue with population loss of shrimp in community tanks long as sufficient cover is provided. Usually with a proper setup tanks and a shrimp safe filter mine do breed in community tanks just slower then they would in a 100% shrimp safe tank. The fish won't bother adults or half grown shrimp but young shrimp that don't stay in cover are free range for the rams. Shrimp for the most part are very fast tho.

 

[fluttermoth]

OP; why do you think you 'need' a bottom feeder?

 

[Sophie]

IMO I wouldn't have a full grown BN in a 64L Maybe one per 100L but that's just me.

 

[fm1978]

On the shrimp side, it would have to be Amanos...they are very tough cookies if you have "adventurous" fish already. One single Amano of mine, not even the largest one, threw out 3 Bandit Corys from their hidey hole and took it for himself. They're avid algae eaters and very interesting creatures and don't add much to your bio-load either.
 
I just don't think I'd recommend any sort of plec for that size tank. 
 
6 Sterbai Corydoras might be a good addition, too. Fun to watch and they're not quite as skittish as some of the other types of cory. 

 

[Sophie]

On the shrimp side, it would have to be Amanos...they are very tough cookies if you have "adventurous" fish already. One single Amano of mine, not even the largest one, threw out 3 Bandit Corys from their hidey hole and took it for himself. They're avid algae eaters and very interesting creatures and don't add much to your bio-load either.
 
I just don't think I'd recommend any sort of plec for that size tank. 
 
6 Sterbai Corydoras might be a good addition, too. Fun to watch and they're not quite as skittish as some of the other types of cory. 

 
Sterbai's I'd say are also too large once fully grown for a 64L.. They do get pretty chunky, trust me!

 

[fm1978]

 

On the shrimp side, it would have to be Amanos...they are very tough cookies if you have "adventurous" fish already. One single Amano of mine, not even the largest one, threw out 3 Bandit Corys from their hidey hole and took it for himself. They're avid algae eaters and very interesting creatures and don't add much to your bio-load either.
 
I just don't think I'd recommend any sort of plec for that size tank. 
 
6 Sterbai Corydoras might be a good addition, too. Fun to watch and they're not quite as skittish as some of the other types of cory. 

 
Sterbai's I'd say are also too large once fully grown for a 64L.. They do get pretty chunky, trust me!

 

 
In that case, I defer to your wisdom! Mine are still wee ones!
 
And BTW, I shake the 'bad word' out of those bottles and bash them off counter tops...still nothing. In 7 weeks, I've not tested positive for NO2 nor NO3. 

 

[Sophie]

 

 


On the shrimp side, it would have to be Amanos...they are very tough cookies if you have "adventurous" fish already. One single Amano of mine, not even the largest one, threw out 3 Bandit Corys from their hidey hole and took it for himself. They're avid algae eaters and very interesting creatures and don't add much to your bio-load either.
 
I just don't think I'd recommend any sort of plec for that size tank. 
 
6 Sterbai Corydoras might be a good addition, too. Fun to watch and they're not quite as skittish as some of the other types of cory. 

 
Sterbai's I'd say are also too large once fully grown for a 64L.. They do get pretty chunky, trust me!

 

 
In that case, I defer to your wisdom! Mine are still wee ones!
 
And BTW, I shake the 'bad word' out of those bottles and bash them off counter tops...still nothing. In 7 weeks, I've not tested positive for NO2 nor NO3. 
 


 
Sometimes the kit can be faulty. My last kit continuously told me that the Nitrate was 0, I had the kit for a year! Got a replacement and immediately got a reading.
I had just been fobbed off for an entire year, I was very lucky!
Best bet is to go and get it tested else where from a legitimate source, then see. My LFS still refunded me for the duffness even a year later.

 

[the_lock_man]

There are 3 cory species that would work in a 64l - c. pygmaeus, c.habrosus and c.hastatus. I think I'm right in saying that pygmaeus, common name Pygmy Cory, are more mid-water fish, rather than bottom feeders. My fish book tells me this, however I have never kept them myself, so I can't confirm. I have kept habrosus, and they definitely are bottom feeders, and are just hilarious little fish to watch.