Best Bottom Feeders?

azn1stknightsou · 12-12-2005, 10:23 PM

Many of my friends who are fish keepers are insisting that cory catfishes are the best bottom feeders. I say that clown loaches are. Is either of us right? Or is there another bottom feeder that is a better bottom feeder?

DUSTIN323 · 12-12-2005, 10:45 PM

I would say its an opinon. I like plecostumas myself.

shev · 12-12-2005, 10:46 PM

plecos are not bottom feeders at all.

I'd say snails and ghost shrimp are the most efficient.

**Damon** · 12-13-2005, 03:15 AM

Depends on tank size and personal preference. I like cories myself as they produce less waste per intake. Clowns are nice but get too big for many common tanks. Cherry shrimp and Amano shrimp are probably the most efficient but can't be kept with as many types of fish.

micstarz · 12-13-2005, 04:05 AM

in my limited exerience, ghost shrimp or other scavenging shrimp.

**Damon** · 12-13-2005, 12:32 PM

Ghost shrimp are not good scavangers. For shrimp, you cant beat the 2 listed above. Bamboo shrimp are good filter feeders and are large enough for most non cichlid tanks. Crystal reds are pretty good. Bumblebee are not but are pretty and active.

DavidDoyle · 12-13-2005, 12:34 PM

I always felt the best of all bottom feeders is a good tank vaccuming system.

flamingo · 12-13-2005, 01:52 PM

Yep, honestly I don't think most fish are good bottom feeders.

They are supposed to be there to eat uneaten food and all that, well they have to have food and produce waste right?

Some like plecos produce way more waste than what they eat up for you. I had a pleco that ate all the uneaten food and whatnot off the bottom but it totally ruined my tank with the mess it made.

To eat uneaten food though I really prefer kuhli loaches.

**Cichlid Man** · 12-13-2005, 01:56 PM

Technically cories should be the best bottom feeders because they are strict bottom feeders while clown loaches often take food from the surface.
(Some cories do take food from the suface but they don't do this naturally).

stealth · 12-13-2005, 02:37 PM

What do you guys suggest for a bottom feeder in a 10gallon?

**Scuba Kid** · 12-13-2005, 02:45 PM

my geophagus cichlid is a wonderful bottom feeder. it's constantly sifting through the sand for any uneaten food. stingrays also make good bottom feeders for their endless appetite and their constant grazing through sand.

BigEyedFish · 12-13-2005, 04:01 PM

Clown Loaches definately aren't the best...My three ATTACK the food at the top of the tank when I feed my fish. I vary my fish's diet, but the main food I use are blood worms. As soon as I drop the frozen cubes in, the Loaches SHOOT to the top and compete with the rest of the fish.

shev · 12-13-2005, 04:09 PM

I still say snails and ghost shrimp. snails eat leftover food, even if it starts to spoil. though thry do produce quite a bit of waste. My MTS are great, they horde around wafers and such when the lights go off, and dont touch my live plants. Cories are good, but you do have to specifically feed them things to keep them. ghost shrimp will eat anything, and will find the food within seconds of it hitting the ground. they dont produce much waste, and even eat other fish's waste. they also cost around a quarter.

Ive never kept clown loaches, but my yoyo loaches do a great job at eating flakes and frozen foods that hit the bottom. they will eat from the top, but after they do that they scourge the bottom for missed moursels.

DUSTIN323 · 12-13-2005, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shev

plecos are not bottom feeders at all.

I'd say snails and ghost shrimp are the most efficient.

I believe they are bottom feeders

shev · 12-13-2005, 04:41 PM

They will eat things fed to them that reach the bottom, like pellets, zuchini, green beans, algae wafers.

but are not scavengers.

DUSTIN323 · 12-13-2005, 04:45 PM

Ok I'm not tryin to argue with you but he said bottom feeder ot scavenger I know they're not scavengers but after checking just to make for sure everywheres says they are bottom feeders

Lexus · 12-13-2005, 04:48 PM

The clown loaches I had were not good bottom feeders. They also get too large for an average sized aquarium.

My cories do a good job but the gravel is dirty still because I supplement them with shrimp pellets and algae wafers. They are for pleasure not use in my tank.

Snails are good but to me their poop is nasty and it smells horrible when they die.

Ghost shrimp tend to disappear or get eaten in my tanks and they cant dig too far down.

12-12-2005, 10:23 PM	#1
azn1stknightsou Shark Bait Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sacramento Age: 19 Posts: 84	Best Bottom Feeders? Many of my friends who are fish keepers are insisting that cory catfishes are the best bottom feeders. I say that clown loaches are. Is either of us right? Or is there another bottom feeder that is a better bottom feeder? __________________ God has a sense of humor. Want proof? Just go to Walmart and look at people.

12-12-2005, 10:45 PM	#2
DUSTIN323 ~/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\~ Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 20 Posts: 522	I would say its an opinon. I like plecostumas myself. __________________ Gen1Performance.com Gen 1 Performance Forum

12-13-2005, 03:15 AM	#4
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	Depends on tank size and personal preference. I like cories myself as they produce less waste per intake. Clowns are nice but get too big for many common tanks. Cherry shrimp and Amano shrimp are probably the most efficient but can't be kept with as many types of fish. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

12-13-2005, 04:05 AM	#5
micstarz Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hong Kong Age: 14 Posts: 658	in my limited exerience, ghost shrimp or other scavenging shrimp. __________________

12-13-2005, 12:32 PM	#6
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	Ghost shrimp are not good scavangers. For shrimp, you cant beat the 2 listed above. Bamboo shrimp are good filter feeders and are large enough for most non cichlid tanks. Crystal reds are pretty good. Bumblebee are not but are pretty and active. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

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12-12-2005, 10:46 PM	#3
shev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montana Age: 19 Posts: 1,561	plecos are not bottom feeders at all. I'd say snails and ghost shrimp are the most efficient.

12-13-2005, 12:34 PM	#7
DavidDoyle Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Age: 89 Posts: 497	I always felt the best of all bottom feeders is a good tank vaccuming system.

12-13-2005, 01:52 PM	#8
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 17 Posts: 1,899	Yep, honestly I don't think most fish are good bottom feeders. They are supposed to be there to eat uneaten food and all that, well they have to have food and produce waste right? Some like plecos produce way more waste than what they eat up for you. I had a pleco that ate all the uneaten food and whatnot off the bottom but it totally ruined my tank with the mess it made. To eat uneaten food though I really prefer kuhli loaches. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

12-13-2005, 01:56 PM	#9
Cichlid Man Super moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,100	Technically cories should be the best bottom feeders because they are strict bottom feeders while clown loaches often take food from the surface. (Some cories do take food from the suface but they don't do this naturally). __________________ If you have a big enough tank with enough hiding places, pH of around 7, you can keep virtually any fish together as long as all the fish are around the same size and these two groups of fish are avioded: Serrasalmus Tetradon(figure eights and dwarfs are the exception). I keep a successful community of fish in a 4 foot tank including the following families: Cichlids, tetras, loaches, gouramis, barbs, rainbows, livebearers, killiefish, catfish, puffers.

12-13-2005, 02:37 PM	#10
stealth Interested fishman Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Central Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 123	What do you guys suggest for a bottom feeder in a 10gallon?

12-13-2005, 02:45 PM	#11
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 18 Posts: 4,224	my geophagus cichlid is a wonderful bottom feeder. it's constantly sifting through the sand for any uneaten food. stingrays also make good bottom feeders for their endless appetite and their constant grazing through sand. __________________ Current setups: 1800 gallon koi pond, 10 gallon planted, 150 gallon reef, other FOWLR tanks

12-13-2005, 04:01 PM	#12
BigEyedFish Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 24	Clown Loaches definately aren't the best...My three ATTACK the food at the top of the tank when I feed my fish. I vary my fish's diet, but the main food I use are blood worms. As soon as I drop the frozen cubes in, the Loaches SHOOT to the top and compete with the rest of the fish.

12-13-2005, 04:09 PM	#13
shev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montana Age: 19 Posts: 1,561	I still say snails and ghost shrimp. snails eat leftover food, even if it starts to spoil. though thry do produce quite a bit of waste. My MTS are great, they horde around wafers and such when the lights go off, and dont touch my live plants. Cories are good, but you do have to specifically feed them things to keep them. ghost shrimp will eat anything, and will find the food within seconds of it hitting the ground. they dont produce much waste, and even eat other fish's waste. they also cost around a quarter. Ive never kept clown loaches, but my yoyo loaches do a great job at eating flakes and frozen foods that hit the bottom. they will eat from the top, but after they do that they scourge the bottom for missed moursels.

12-13-2005, 04:41 PM	#15
shev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montana Age: 19 Posts: 1,561	They will eat things fed to them that reach the bottom, like pellets, zuchini, green beans, algae wafers. but are not scavengers.

12-13-2005, 04:45 PM	#16
DUSTIN323 ~/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\~ Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 20 Posts: 522	Ok I'm not tryin to argue with you but he said bottom feeder ot scavenger I know they're not scavengers but after checking just to make for sure everywheres says they are bottom feeders __________________ Gen1Performance.com Gen 1 Performance Forum

12-13-2005, 04:48 PM	#17
Lexus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 22 Posts: 2,406	The clown loaches I had were not good bottom feeders. They also get too large for an average sized aquarium. My cories do a good job but the gravel is dirty still because I supplement them with shrimp pellets and algae wafers. They are for pleasure not use in my tank. Snails are good but to me their poop is nasty and it smells horrible when they die. Ghost shrimp tend to disappear or get eaten in my tanks and they cant dig too far down. __________________ 55 Gallon 2 Blood Parrots 2 Angelfish 1 Fantail Goldfish 46 Gallon 1 Albino Bristlenose 2 Angelfish 4 African Dwarf Frogs 4 Black Skirt Tetras 5 Zebra Danios 8 Tiger Barbs 9 Neon Tetras 13 Assorted Corys 29 Gallon 8 Daffodil Cichlids & fry 1 Electric Blue Crayfish 10 Gallon 2 Snails

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