New Tank Help?

[Le Sorcier]

Have finally got my Rio 180 up and running and was wondering what I should add that will help keep waste down (Platy poo etc)

Obviously I know the solution is regular cleaning and maintenance but I just wanted some natural critters to aid the process?

My tank so far has a sand substrate and contains....

4 Corys
2 Platys
2 Mollies
1 Endler

to be added later will be

3 Cockatoo Cichlids
2 Bolivian Rams
1/4 Angelfish?
4/6 more Corys
4 Polka Dot Loach

Any advice gratefully received

 

[saltynay]

You will need to add more endlers, atleast 1-2 more platies and mollies to your current stock as they are schooling fish.

This is the mix I would advise
Malaysian trumpet snails - to eat the detritus
Amano shrimp - algae eaters
Nerite or Apple snails of the bridgessi genus (4 in total of any mix of these two and any nerite species) - algae eaters
Cherry shrimp to add some colour and eat algae
If "pest" snails (Pond or ramshorn) inhabit the tank then 3 assassin snails will deal with them, they will also eat MTS but will prefer the pond or ramshorn as MTS/apple snails have a trapdoor on their shell to save themselves. Nerites are normally to large for an assassin to kill but I have seen mine gang up to take down a pond snail twice the size of one of the assassins and 3 assassins shared the kill.

 

[Le Sorcier]

Thanks great answer.

Would I be overrun if I added Malaysian Trumpet Snails, or would the Loach keep them down (or even wipe them out)?

The Platys and Endler are leftover from my previous tank and I don't want to add any more.

 

[saltynay]

The polka dot loach will eat snails as it is a botia. MTS will be safe I suspect as they are tough shelled and have the trapdoor to close there shell, plus numbers of mts help as they are sometimes seen as a pest snail but I deliberately add them to my tank as they are the only FW deitrivores I know of and they help to turn over the sand keeping it loose for fish to dig through. Most people will send you MTS for free provided you cover postage due to their "pest" snail stigma. I am not sure how well nerites will do against the loach perhaps horned nerites would be the best choice as they are not only gorgeous but their horns act as a defensive mechanism. Apple snails also have a trapdoor and strong shells so canbe ok provided they are of a large size, you want bridgesi as they are the only species of apple snails which do not eat plants when algae is freely available. You can find the id of bridgessi on applesnail.net. Here is a pic of my horned nerite (click to enlarge)

 

[meguro]

Would the loaches prevent the snails from getting to the surface? Or isn't that a problem?

 

[Le Sorcier]

The polka dot loach will eat snails as it is a botia. MTS will be safe I suspect as they are tough shelled and have the trapdoor to close there shell, plus numbers of mts help as they are sometimes seen as a pest snail but I deliberately add them to my tank as they are the only FW deitrivores I know of and they help to turn over the sand keeping it loose for fish to dig through. Most people will send you MTS for free provided you cover postage due to their "pest" snail stigma. I am not sure how well nerites will do against the loach perhaps horned nerites would be the best choice as they are not only gorgeous but their horns act as a defensive mechanism. Apple snails also have a trapdoor and strong shells so should be ok provided they are of a large size, you bridgessi (probably spelt wrong but I can't be bothered to look it up, its similar to that) as they are the only species of apple snails which do not eat plants when algae is freely available. You can find the id of bridgessi on applesnail.net. Here is a pic of my horned nerite (click to enlarge)

Many thanks again for that answer. That horned snail looks great.

So you are saying that the MTS is the only snail that eats fish waste?

Could you clarify if Loaches will eat some of them as I don't want to be overrun?

Thanks

 

[saltynay]

Loaches may eat some but I can't say for sure they are loaches of the botia family which are snail eaters normally. You will need to do your own research in to a polka dots and specific snail species. I am saying that MTS normally are under the sand so difficult to reach, have harder shells then some other species such as ramshorns or ponds snails, MTS also have a door on their shell to defend them against predators.

None of these species need to go to the surface although although both nerites and apple snails may go walk about. Especially the apple snails as they lay their egg clutches above the water line, they are however sexed not hermaphrodites so you need both a male and female snail for eggs to occur telling the sex of them is however quite difficult.

 

[Le Sorcier]

MTS looks a decent option.

Just don't want to look at my tank and see it overrun with snails?

 

[saltynay]

Then don't overfeed....

 

[loraxchick]

"overrun" with snails is a frame of mind. i think snails can be just as interesting as fish...they are neat little critters!

 

[Le Sorcier]

Definitely not a frame of mind lol

You should see my last tank. I was cleaning out 500 per water change!!!!

 

[saltynay]

Snails only breed when food is in abundance you should of cut back on the feeding severely.

 

[Platygirl11]

Which snails breed easily and which do not?

 

[loraxchick]

Snails only breed when food is in abundance you should of cut back on the feeding severely.

agreed...i had loads of pond snails in my planted tank and they would lay lots of eggs but only a FEW ever made it to be adults. the babies generally were small as a pin head then just disappeared...i had around 20 or su adults that did a wonderful job of keeping my plants nice and clean without damaging them. when not overfed as suggested, their population does have a threshold.
but then again, im a snail lover! THEY ARE NEAT!

 

[Le Sorcier]

All of mine are tiny. From the the tiniest pinhead to the size of a smiley max

I'm sure mine don't lay eggs!!!

Are some snails livebearers?