Bad Wolf

What do you use as a clean up crew?

i want something that wont eat my baby live bearers and that will fit in a 7 gallon tank. i tried mystery snails but they died so quickly. i even kept the water at 7.5, alkaline like they like it.

cichlid_man

i personally think that bristlenose catfish are the top notch cleaners. Even though they grow big and u only have a small tank, when it starts to outgrow the tank u can just sell it and if u find a buyer you can get good mone if they r a reasonable size

JennDFK

I use otos... they are small, very cute, and work hard all day. Just make sure your water quality is good before you add them. I hear they are a tad bit sensitive and like a well established tank.

Oh I didn't notice how small the tank was. You need 3 otos (they are shoaling fish)... and at a little over an inch each you might not want to get them...I don't know what you have in the tank already... I would think a 7 gallon wouldn't really have room for much more than snail.

rainman

Cory cats are meticulous cleaners but they need to be kept in groups of six. On the other hand, one snails could possibly clean the whole tank, and there are so many different breeds for your tank and its needs.

coffeebean

snails for sure

Butterfly

Corys are excellent for cleaning up food that has been dropped to the bottom of the tank. But water changes and substrate vacuums still have to be done. Corys also have to be fed food of their own as well as what falls to the bottom and their bioload must be counted in the tank as well.
Carol

Bad Wolf

when i said clean up i didn't mean algae eaters, thanks any way. i try mystery snails but they died within 3 weeks. i just got a very small Malaysian trumpet snail for free from my LPS today. hopefully he survives.

thanks any way!

heartsongsinger

I also use ghost shrimp. They've kept my nursery impecably clean

Bad Wolf

ghost shrimp here are $8.95 each, i don't bother.

kloseo

my pink kissing gourami does a great job keeping my artificial plants clean,

AlyeskaGirl

I have Corys in my 20 gal.....in my 55 gal I don't have any cleanup crew unless you count my Senegal Bichir and RTS as cleanup....

Pente85Camino

I have 4 Amano Shrimp that do a great job of cleaning everything. From the little bit of algae I get to fallen food to the others "poo". I actually have to fed them because they ran out of stuff in the tank to eat!