# Need bottom feeder for community tank



## Tha Bizness (Aug 14, 2011)

I have a community tank that I need to get a bottom feeder for. The tank is a 30g planted tank with bolivian rams, rasboras, neons, and dwarf gouramis. I want something that will eat waste/algae/the random worm it may come across but not eat my plants. I will most likely relocate a group (neons probably) as I think the tank is stocked full now.

Suggestions on what I should be looking at? I am familar with the bristlenose pleco as I have one in my cichlid tank and would want something else (if possible). I want something that will not grow much as it is a smallish tank.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Tha Bizness said:


> I have a community tank that I need to get a bottom feeder for. The tank is a 30g planted tank with bolivian rams, rasboras, neons, and dwarf gouramis. I want something that will eat waste/algae/the random worm it may come across but not eat my plants. I will most likely relocate a group (neons probably) as I think the tank is stocked full now.
> 
> Suggestions on what I should be looking at? I am familar with the bristlenose pleco as I have one in my cichlid tank and would want something else (if possible). I want something that will not grow much as it is a smallish tank.


 
Are no fish that will eat waste that I know of.
Nerite snails,Amano shrimp,trumpet snails, all do a good job on algae and don't bother healthy plant's /leaves.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Agree with 1077. 

Corys will eat flakes or pellets that make it past the main tank but no fish that I know of will eat waste. You still need to siphon that out with water changes.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> You still need to siphon that out with water changes.


Or, since you have plants, leave it to work down into the substrate and be broken down by bacteria into plant nutrients.;-)

And yes, snails help this immensely. Especially Malaysian Livebearing that burrow throughout the substrate.


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## Tha Bizness (Aug 14, 2011)

I have read that the Malaysian Livebearing snail population would soon take over my tank - on the other hand I do like the idea of them borrowing thru the gravel in this tank and the sand in my other cleaning it ... The good and bad huh... 


Thanks for the advice.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Tha Bizness said:


> I have read that the Malaysian Livebearing snail population would soon take over my tank - on the other hand I do like the idea of them borrowing thru the gravel in this tank and the sand in my other cleaning it ... The good and bad huh...
> 
> 
> Thanks for the advice.


I'm not understanding this...:question:

But as for overtaking the tank, these snails will exist at the level needed to handle their food. You would be surprised how much "waste" acumulates. And these snails assist bacteria by breaking down the larger bits into smaller that the bacteria can more readily breakdown further. This is a complex and absolutely necessary process in the substrate of a healthy aquarium--the breaking down of organics I mean. Denitrification is as essential as nitrification. You can read more here:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-articles/bacteria-freshwater-aquarium-74891/


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## Tha Bizness (Aug 14, 2011)

I just hear a lot of horror stories on how fast that snail reproduces and its considered a pest but I will be taking your advice. From what I have read if I dont over feed the population will not explode.


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## Boredomb (Feb 21, 2011)

Tha Bizness said:


> I just hear a lot of horror stories on how fast that snail reproduces and its considered a pest but I will be taking your advice. From what I have read if I dont over feed the population will not explode.


As Byron as pointed out they are a very good thing to have. The population can be controlled some what by not over feeding. I just wanted to throw this in through. I don't over feed my fish and I have hundreds of them in my 55 gallon tank. Now wait here is the good part. Since MTS borrow into the substrate you will hardly ever see them during the "daytime" but at night they will come out. I went weeks thinking I had killed all of my snails because I had not seen any for awhile. Then one day my timer for my lights got messed up and when I fixed it and the lights came on. There they were hundreds but in a matter of a couple of hours they had disappeared again. I also have a snail tank. Its a ten gallon tank that has some live plants and a peice of driftwood in it and that's it other then the snails. I may put some aglae waffers in the tank for them once in a blue moon but they are still thriving without me feeding them. They love the driftwood because it has aglae all over it. I keep it like that for them plus I think it looks natural. With that said you don't have to overfeed to still have a healthy thriving population of snails. It all depends on your tanks make up.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

And remember, they will not be numerous if food is not available, so if you see many of them it means they are obviously eating "stuff" that would otherwise probably cause problems. Snails will not live if they don't eat. So if you do find lots of them, it means there is a lot of organics in the tank. Having these little snails handling the organics cannot be considered a "pest."


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