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what is the best fish or creature that 'cleans' your tank?
- Thread starter scottie
- Start date
It is a very competitive between the bristlenose and the brig.
They are the two best i have seen!!
They will eat anything they find in my tank and keep it clean.
Ghost shrimp will help greatly too, they are superb scavangers, pic up the smallest particals and too eat algae.
The typical "CAE" does a good job but is not with the best of choices and usually become territorial.
The true "SAE" is the only fish known to consume "red bush algae" and eats (moderatly) other source of alge along with some uneaten food, (though they very rarely go to the bottom.)
Hope this helps, good luck.
They are the two best i have seen!!
They will eat anything they find in my tank and keep it clean.
Ghost shrimp will help greatly too, they are superb scavangers, pic up the smallest particals and too eat algae.
The typical "CAE" does a good job but is not with the best of choices and usually become territorial.
The true "SAE" is the only fish known to consume "red bush algae" and eats (moderatly) other source of alge along with some uneaten food, (though they very rarely go to the bottom.)
Hope this helps, good luck.
Bristle nose plecoes are better than regular plecoes just because bristle noses don't grow as big. They stay around 3 inches maximum, but the regular plecoes can grow to much larger, so needing a much larger tank size.
By cleaning, do you mean like cleaning the algae, leftover food that falls to the gravel, or both?
Otocinclus' are small and like to be schooled (although they don't behave like they school - they don't stay together) and they clean up algae pretty well. They stay around 1 to 1.5 inches max. They may also eat the leftover food.
Corydoras (cory catfishes) stay around 2 to 3 inches, and they will clean the leftovers from your tank really well. It's just that I had a diatom/brown algae problem in my tank, and it didn't fix that for me.
So basically I would recommend otos or corys, whichever fits your need the most.
By cleaning, do you mean like cleaning the algae, leftover food that falls to the gravel, or both?
Otocinclus' are small and like to be schooled (although they don't behave like they school - they don't stay together) and they clean up algae pretty well. They stay around 1 to 1.5 inches max. They may also eat the leftover food.
Corydoras (cory catfishes) stay around 2 to 3 inches, and they will clean the leftovers from your tank really well. It's just that I had a diatom/brown algae problem in my tank, and it didn't fix that for me.
So basically I would recommend otos or corys, whichever fits your need the most.
Stillwaters
New member
Firstly, as some others have mentioned, don't expect any creature to significantly clean up the tank, regular tank maintenance is your responsibility. And another common myth is there are certain fish that eat poop, there's no such fish.
However, a clean up crew in a tank does help to some extent. Some are like general janitors, helping to hoover those bits of uneaten food before they decompose. Corydoras catfish, loaches & dwarf shrimp do great here but you still need to feed them specialised bottom-feeder food & shrimp pellets for their optimal health.
Some tackle a specific problem like algae but note no algae-eating creature handles all types of algae. You may need to supplement their diet with algae wafers. Consider the pros & cons of each and whether it suits your tank setup.
- Snails: great for algae on walls, plant leaves & decor but may leave live plants looking like swiss cheese & breed insanely (there are exceptions that are quite plant-friendly & don't breed in freshwater, try nerites)
- Plecos: also good at wall algae but may grow too big for many species, uproot plants & the amount of poop to rival goldfish for the Champion Pooper belt (ok if your tank big enough & filter up to the task). Note some plecos also need wood to rasp on as part of their diet. As recommended by many, bristlenoses are the preferred choice if you want plecos.
- Chinese algae eater (CAE): A sucker mouth fish, in greyish & golden variants. Initially industrious, then as it grows older it tends to prefer fish food over algae & gets pretty territorial, becoming a real nuisance. May also attach to sides of larger fish to suck body slime, causing much distress. Very difficult to catch in heavily planted or decorated tank if you start having 2nd thoughts, so strongly not recommended.
- Siamese algae eater (SAE): a firm favourite of many, provided it's a true SAE. There's a few similar looking fish like the flying fox & garra, but not as good at algae eating as the SAE. Even fish shops can get confused in identification.
- Otocinclus midget catfish (otos): Really good at what they do, don't bother other fish or create additional problems. But make sure tank is well established & water quality excellent as these fish are sensitive.
- Dwarf shrimps: pretty good at hair algae as long as they can grasp it with their 'hands'. Also need excellent water quality. A good choice are Amano shrimps, big enough not to be eaten by most fish & generally tougher than other shrimp species (but won't reproduce in complete freshwater).
- Ruby shark: also grazes on some hair & filamentous algae but sharks are generally very territorial & advisable to only keep one individual. But the ruby shark is a real beauty especially when its jet black body & red fins intensify in color.
So consider your own tank setup & existing fish to decide on the make up of your clean-up crew, they are both functional & attractive in their own right, contributing to the beauty & diversity of your own underwater world.
However, a clean up crew in a tank does help to some extent. Some are like general janitors, helping to hoover those bits of uneaten food before they decompose. Corydoras catfish, loaches & dwarf shrimp do great here but you still need to feed them specialised bottom-feeder food & shrimp pellets for their optimal health.
Some tackle a specific problem like algae but note no algae-eating creature handles all types of algae. You may need to supplement their diet with algae wafers. Consider the pros & cons of each and whether it suits your tank setup.
- Snails: great for algae on walls, plant leaves & decor but may leave live plants looking like swiss cheese & breed insanely (there are exceptions that are quite plant-friendly & don't breed in freshwater, try nerites)
- Plecos: also good at wall algae but may grow too big for many species, uproot plants & the amount of poop to rival goldfish for the Champion Pooper belt (ok if your tank big enough & filter up to the task). Note some plecos also need wood to rasp on as part of their diet. As recommended by many, bristlenoses are the preferred choice if you want plecos.
- Chinese algae eater (CAE): A sucker mouth fish, in greyish & golden variants. Initially industrious, then as it grows older it tends to prefer fish food over algae & gets pretty territorial, becoming a real nuisance. May also attach to sides of larger fish to suck body slime, causing much distress. Very difficult to catch in heavily planted or decorated tank if you start having 2nd thoughts, so strongly not recommended.
- Siamese algae eater (SAE): a firm favourite of many, provided it's a true SAE. There's a few similar looking fish like the flying fox & garra, but not as good at algae eating as the SAE. Even fish shops can get confused in identification.
- Otocinclus midget catfish (otos): Really good at what they do, don't bother other fish or create additional problems. But make sure tank is well established & water quality excellent as these fish are sensitive.
- Dwarf shrimps: pretty good at hair algae as long as they can grasp it with their 'hands'. Also need excellent water quality. A good choice are Amano shrimps, big enough not to be eaten by most fish & generally tougher than other shrimp species (but won't reproduce in complete freshwater).
- Ruby shark: also grazes on some hair & filamentous algae but sharks are generally very territorial & advisable to only keep one individual. But the ruby shark is a real beauty especially when its jet black body & red fins intensify in color.
So consider your own tank setup & existing fish to decide on the make up of your clean-up crew, they are both functional & attractive in their own right, contributing to the beauty & diversity of your own underwater world.
Fish don't clean tanks. They might eat some algae depending w hat type they are, and some eat uneaten food off the bottom. But wastes will always build up and no fish eats that, nor should they.
You don't need cleaner fish.
If you like the look of a fish that happens to be called a "cleaner fish", go ahead and get it. But cleaning the tank is your job, not the fish's.
I do like how my corys eat uneaten food off the bottom though. I have sterbai corys and they are good cleanup.
You don't need cleaner fish.
If you like the look of a fish that happens to be called a "cleaner fish", go ahead and get it. But cleaning the tank is your job, not the fish's.
I do like how my corys eat uneaten food off the bottom though. I have sterbai corys and they are good cleanup.
sharklover8
New member
If you are going to buy a fish just so it will clean your tank, don't. That's cruel. You should buy fish because you want them, not because you 'need them to clean your tank'.
To clean your tank you will need a gravel vac, as Emily has stated. You can also used treatments such as 'Waste Control', which helps break down fish poo so it doesn't build up at the bottom of your tank. Cat fish, algae eaters, sucker fish etc, don't eat fish waste, they simply eat algae. Algae isn't harmful to your tank, just makes it look unpleasant if it builds up, but having algae doesn't make your tank dirty. It's water conditions and fish poo that do, and to clean those you will have to do it your self with water changes and gravel cleans using the gravel vac. Bristlenose pleco's will assist only in keeping your algae bloom down to a minimum on the walls and floor of the aquarium, they aren't much good at cleaning the ornaments. They are also very, very slow workers, but very effective as they will clean the one spot until it's spotless. Faster workers are cory's, they clean the floor and ornaments, and thrive in schools but are fine on their own. Both types of algae eaters need at minimum of 15 gallons of water to themselves, so if you tank is less then 20 gallons with other fish I wouldn't recommend getting either of them. Pleco's can get to be very big, averaging about 6 inches (not 3 like someone said) at adult size for Bristlenose's, and for other such as common pleco's, they get can to be over 30cms long and very wide.
These algae can't survive on just eating algae either, you need to feed them algae tabs, or veg pallets, and boiled and crushed up green vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, peas, beans etc.
To clean your tank you will need a gravel vac, as Emily has stated. You can also used treatments such as 'Waste Control', which helps break down fish poo so it doesn't build up at the bottom of your tank. Cat fish, algae eaters, sucker fish etc, don't eat fish waste, they simply eat algae. Algae isn't harmful to your tank, just makes it look unpleasant if it builds up, but having algae doesn't make your tank dirty. It's water conditions and fish poo that do, and to clean those you will have to do it your self with water changes and gravel cleans using the gravel vac. Bristlenose pleco's will assist only in keeping your algae bloom down to a minimum on the walls and floor of the aquarium, they aren't much good at cleaning the ornaments. They are also very, very slow workers, but very effective as they will clean the one spot until it's spotless. Faster workers are cory's, they clean the floor and ornaments, and thrive in schools but are fine on their own. Both types of algae eaters need at minimum of 15 gallons of water to themselves, so if you tank is less then 20 gallons with other fish I wouldn't recommend getting either of them. Pleco's can get to be very big, averaging about 6 inches (not 3 like someone said) at adult size for Bristlenose's, and for other such as common pleco's, they get can to be over 30cms long and very wide.
These algae can't survive on just eating algae either, you need to feed them algae tabs, or veg pallets, and boiled and crushed up green vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, peas, beans etc.
sharklover8
New member
If you are going to buy a fish just so it will clean your tank, don't. That's cruel. You should buy fish because you want them, not because you 'need them to clean your tank'.
To clean your tank you will need a gravel vac, as Emily has stated. You can also used treatments such as 'Waste Control', which helps break down fish poo so it doesn't build up at the bottom of your tank. Cat fish, algae eaters, sucker fish etc, don't eat fish waste, they simply eat algae. Algae isn't harmful to your tank, just makes it look unpleasant if it builds up, but having algae doesn't make your tank dirty. It's water conditions and fish poo that do, and to clean those you will have to do it your self with water changes and gravel cleans using the gravel vac. Bristlenose pleco's will assist only in keeping your algae bloom down to a minimum on the walls and floor of the aquarium, they aren't much good at cleaning the ornaments. They are also very, very slow workers, but very effective as they will clean the one spot until it's spotless. Faster workers are cory's, they clean the floor and ornaments, and thrive in schools but are fine on their own. Both types of algae eaters need at minimum of 15 gallons of water to themselves, so if you tank is less then 20 gallons with other fish I wouldn't recommend getting either of them. Pleco's can get to be very big, averaging about 6 inches (not 3 like someone said) at adult size for Bristlenose's, and for other such as common pleco's, they get can to be over 30cms long and very wide.
These algae can't survive on just eating algae either, you need to feed them algae tabs, or veg pallets, and boiled and crushed up green vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, peas, beans etc.
To clean your tank you will need a gravel vac, as Emily has stated. You can also used treatments such as 'Waste Control', which helps break down fish poo so it doesn't build up at the bottom of your tank. Cat fish, algae eaters, sucker fish etc, don't eat fish waste, they simply eat algae. Algae isn't harmful to your tank, just makes it look unpleasant if it builds up, but having algae doesn't make your tank dirty. It's water conditions and fish poo that do, and to clean those you will have to do it your self with water changes and gravel cleans using the gravel vac. Bristlenose pleco's will assist only in keeping your algae bloom down to a minimum on the walls and floor of the aquarium, they aren't much good at cleaning the ornaments. They are also very, very slow workers, but very effective as they will clean the one spot until it's spotless. Faster workers are cory's, they clean the floor and ornaments, and thrive in schools but are fine on their own. Both types of algae eaters need at minimum of 15 gallons of water to themselves, so if you tank is less then 20 gallons with other fish I wouldn't recommend getting either of them. Pleco's can get to be very big, averaging about 6 inches (not 3 like someone said) at adult size for Bristlenose's, and for other such as common pleco's, they get can to be over 30cms long and very wide.
These algae can't survive on just eating algae either, you need to feed them algae tabs, or veg pallets, and boiled and crushed up green vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, peas, beans etc.
There are no fish that eat feaces - thats what a gravel vac is for.
Some fish will eat some algae, but guess what, they convert it into fish poop.
Good options for smaller tanks are Bristlenose Plecos. Oto catfish, Siamese Algae eaters, various shrimp or snails.
These will eat algae and left over food in the tank, but thats seldom enough to maintain them, so you will probably need to put in extra food for them. In the end you, you will have more waste than before.
Doesn't mean you shouldn't get them, but they wont actually clean the tank for you.
Some fish will eat some algae, but guess what, they convert it into fish poop.
Good options for smaller tanks are Bristlenose Plecos. Oto catfish, Siamese Algae eaters, various shrimp or snails.
These will eat algae and left over food in the tank, but thats seldom enough to maintain them, so you will probably need to put in extra food for them. In the end you, you will have more waste than before.
Doesn't mean you shouldn't get them, but they wont actually clean the tank for you.
Fish don't clean tanks. They might eat some algae depending w hat type they are, and some eat uneaten food off the bottom. But wastes will always build up and no fish eats that, nor should they.
You don't need cleaner fish.
If you like the look of a fish that happens to be called a "cleaner fish", go ahead and get it. But cleaning the tank is your job, not the fish's.
I do like how my corys eat uneaten food off the bottom though. I have sterbai corys and they are good cleanup.
You don't need cleaner fish.
If you like the look of a fish that happens to be called a "cleaner fish", go ahead and get it. But cleaning the tank is your job, not the fish's.
I do like how my corys eat uneaten food off the bottom though. I have sterbai corys and they are good cleanup.