Peaceful Bottom Dweller For Small Tank?

[minikarter]

Hi! I'm looking for a peaceful bottom dweller for my tank, It's a 35L Arcadia Arc tank, with black gravel, a good few plants and large piece of bogwood (relative to the tank). I've considered cories, I especially like pygmy or dwarf cories but I've heard they like sand and I don't really want to change my substrate.. also my local LFS's are fairly limited on the cories front! I've heard of one or 2 people maybe using clown plecs?

Bottom line is, bottom dweller without a single bad bone in their fishy body! suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[greenscooby]

Ottos are a good bet. Need a mature tank though.

 

[deanT]

ever thought of mayb a few shrimp on the bottom?

 

[stang1]

What else are you planning on keeping in the tank?

 

[HalcyonDays]

Hi MiniKarter. I've also just bought a 35 litre tank with a few plants and some bogwood etc. It's for my young son and is currently in a fishless cycle state. Hopefully I'll be in a position to add some fish very soon.

A peaceful bottom dweller or dwellers are what we really want to keep the most and I've spent ages looking through the threads on here. I really want a Clown Plec but opinions are divided whether at 100mm it will be too big for the tank. I feel a Bristlenose catfish is too big at 125mm. Pitbull Plecs seem great, but I can't find them for sale.

As has been said - Ottos need a mature set up. I have considered Pygmy Corys, but I don't have a sandy substrate either. Not sure how essential that is and I've heard you'd need to have at least six of them too.

I'm also looking at shrimp and Apple snails...

Mark.

 

[GSD]

Shrimp are nice bottom feeders.
Pygmy cories or ottos would be your best bet, i have kept cories in gravel and they were fine, as long as your gravel isnt sharp.

 

[Ed Green]

Hi! I'm looking for a peaceful bottom dweller for my tank, It's a 35L Arcadia Arc tank, with black gravel, a good few plants and large piece of bogwood (relative to the tank). I've considered cories, I especially like pygmy or dwarf cories but I've heard they like sand and I don't really want to change my substrate.. also my local LFS's are fairly limited on the cories front! I've heard of one or 2 people maybe using clown plecs?

Bottom line is, bottom dweller without a single bad bone in their fishy body! suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Hello - I have just bought an Arc Arcadia 35ltr and have been looking at small stock for it. The recommendations for a small tank thread suggests 'Neolamprologus multifasciatus' - a tiny cichlid that lives on the bottom in shells - might be an interesting choice?

Someone with more experience might be able to tell you more.

Ed

 

[minikarter]

As has been said - Ottos need a mature set up. I have considered Pygmy Corys, but I don't have a sandy substrate either. Not sure how essential that is and I've heard you'd need to have at least six of them too.

I wonder, does anyone actually know if having a non sand substrate is much of a problem? I've heard the bioload of 5 or 6 pygmy cories is fairly low, so with a betta in addition in a 35L tank should be ok right if it worked out? I'm actually using a fluval U1 filter, but have modified it slightly to accept the spraybar that came with the little filter with the tank itself.. giving a fantastically low powered current without disrupting the flow rate itself.

Also, how mature are we talking about when referring to ottos? My tank has been setup for several months, and has housed a pair of small angelfish, then an apistogramma, and finally a few pencilfish.... without knowing what is meant by mature i'd say this tank pretty much covers it right?

In response to the others, I'm not so keen on the idea of shrimps, though may try them in the future, though I've heard betta's find them quite tasty! And Cichlids of any kind I think are a big nono

 

[LongS]

I would say your tank is well mature enough for them. My friend bought 4 ottos and put them in a new set up. Although one of them did die the other three are doing great now that i have explained to him about frequent water changes.

Keep the water quality spot on and you wont have many problems with ottos in my experience.

 

[loraxchick]

i have cories in tanks with sand and with gravel...it makes no difference to them from what i can tell...they snuffle around all the same...gravel concerns some folks (i think) becasue if it is not smooth all around (ie-has sharp pieces) it may injure their barbels...id say go for the cories (as they are less sensitive than ottos)..and besides, cories are so much fun to watch...right little characters, they are!!!

 

[minikarter]

...id say go for the cories (as they are less sensitive than ottos)..and besides, cories are so much fun to watch...right little characters, they are!!!

I definitely love the sound of cories, I've heard they chase each other around and alsorts so definitely sound like a very entertaining option .. right now my only problem is laying my hands on some pygmys!!! Do people ever buy them off of the net? I think I did see them in an LFS.. though it was a good 45 minutes - 1 hour drive away at a maidenhead aquatics in swindon.

 

[lyotim88]

i'm sure people do buy them online, but unless you're ordering a large quantity, the shipping charges are going to make it pretty expensive