# Best Bottom Feeder??



## TheSimster (Jul 30, 2009)

So far I have a Rainbow shark, a Synodontis, and a BN pleco, but they still don't completley do the job. Any ideas on bottom feeders?


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## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

bristle nose plecs arent the best workers. i have a rubber mouth who does NOTHING but eat algea all day. hes the man and they are a smaller size...as far as plecos go. and they're pretty cheap too.


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## il0veCichlids (Nov 9, 2009)

get some botias, got some with my cichlids. or clown loach. they are very active in groups


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## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

Weekly water changes and not over feeding is your best bet :thumb:


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

MCKP said:


> Weekly water changes and not over feeding is your best bet :thumb:


I agree, water changes are a must regardless but you must be over feeding.
Any small size group of bottom feeders should be plenty.
I actually had to get rid of my botias and bushy nose pleco because they couldn't get any food from my cichlids.


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## ladybugzcrunch (Jul 26, 2009)

My synos eat my anubis because they are hungry; the mbuna do not leave them much!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Hey *TheSimster*,

What cichlids are you keeping or looking to keep? What size tank are we talking about here? and what substrate are you using?

I have kept a number of good bottom feeders with my SA cichlids. Some of my favourites are;

A school (gang) of corydoras, best going all one species. They are continually in search of uneaten fish food, what ever the type.

Royal whiptail catfish are very good omnivores, and eat algae as well as uneaten fish food. Royal whiptails don't have the bulk that most plecos have, so thier length is kind of deceptive.

Peckoltia species plecos are good "meat eaters" and will eat up any frozen brine shrimp, bloodworm, krill that you might feed your cichlids, as well as more traditional fish foods.

But, by far the best bottom feeders I've kept have been some of my cichlids. Any of the true eartheaters, geophagus species, will spend all day sifting sand looking for food. My apistos are also pretty good at looking for food and will sift through sand as well.


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