I Need Your Suggestions, 'Whats A Clean Up Crew'?

[frenchie851]

I am a newbie but have spent hours night after night reading up,(Im actualy not sure if my girlfriend still lives with me haha) but I think this research has provided me with a few buzz phrases some I cannot find enough out about.

CLEAN UP CREW, what could I use in a tropical tank? Most importantly to aid reducing ammonia levels and keeping them down. Are there any critters that feed fish waste products,and what will clear any uneaten food?

 

[drobbyb]

Some people use corys to eat uneaten food (although you still need to feed them) with great success. Also, algae eaters and snails are commonly referred to as cleanup crew, but you shouldn't get a fish for what it can do for you. Make sure you like the fish you are buying as some of them may have special dietary needs and such.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum. You need to get your priorities straight Frenchie. You should know if your girlfriend is still there or not. LOL
Quite often people refer to the cories, plecs, otos and shrimp as cleanup crew in a freshwater setting. Cories will remove otherwise uneaten food but nothing will actually remove the ammonia or nitrites that build up in a new tank except your water changes, or maybe the beneficial bacteria, if you have taken the time to develop them before adding any fish.

If you already have a tank set up with fish in it, stop adding any fish and please read up on the fish-in cycle. There is a link to it in my signature area.

 

[frenchie851]

at the moment I still have 3 fish. I inherited a tank which had a parrot fich a pleck that was too big for the tank and 2 crosbies, I gave all these to a local aquatics shop so that I can start again.

I have read the nitrogen cycle, but I am struggling to understand where I fit into the cycle as I have some fish and when I changed water I kept 75% of the existing water, I have done several changes so the original water is probably well diluted.

when inheriting the tank I was informed the filters really needed changing so I have contacted people on this board for mature filter matter.

I also cleaned the tank and changed the gravel as it was disgusting and filthy. I now don't know where to start.

 

[OldMan47]

If you still have some fish, you are in a fish-in cycle situation. If you hung on to the original filter media, you are ahead of where you might otherwise be. Filter media only really needs to be replaced when it is falling apart. Otherwise it gets a good rinse in old tank water and goes right back into the filter. What are your present chemical tests telling you? We need to know about ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH to give the best possible advice on your cycle. A good liquid type test kit is essential to a person cycling a tank and is a handy tool to have after that. Most of us here use the API master test kit but there are others that probably work as well.

 

[frenchie851]

Yeah I have read about the testing kits and now fully understand their importance. I have one purchased and I am awaiting delivery!