# Clean up crew



## Stina (Sep 23, 2007)

Any suggestions on clearner type fish, shrimp, clams ? :fish:

I have a 50/55 gallon community tank that I would like to get one for.
I have small tetras, cherry barbs, and one silver tip catfish. I tried a chinese algae eater, and had to take it back. It was to agressive to the small fish. I was looking for something peaceful enough not to eat my fish (like a lobster), but something too big for the fish to eat.

Any comments welcome. :thumb:


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

adult Amano shrimp. They keep my tanks spotless. Plus, unlike some of the other freshwater shrimp, they can't successfully breed in freshwater so your tank won't be overrun with shirmpies.


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## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

oto catfish are great, just make sure to get a nice school of them. They stay small (less than 2 inches) are good algae eaters, and are active little fish.

The only real problem is that they are prone to a little die off when first introduced to tanks (I've been told this is due to shipping them without food...dont know if thats the reason). Once you get them established things should be fine though.


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

bristlenose plecos and corydoras make up my preferred clean up crews. I recently got some Ameca Splendens, they seem to do a pretty good job of munching on algae and other detritus. I haven't tried shrimp but would like to at some point.


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## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

blue crayfish  they are fun as **** to watch, and they barely catch any fish... id say 1 a month in a heavily populated tank. so if theres some super omg must keep fish dont get one. but if not go ahead. i have a 55gal full of endlers livebearers(very pretty and rare too, mines pure) and 3 blue crayfish in there, truth be told i cant even see any losses, even though im sure they get a few now and then


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## Stina (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks all, for the suggestions.  
I'll check them out. :fish:


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

Cherry shrimp are great looking and do well in higher pH water. Plus if they have babies, you have live food factories. :dancing:


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

Laurel said:



> Cherry shrimp are great looking and do well in higher pH water. Plus if they have babies, you have live food factories. :dancing:


Live food factories is right! I started with 10 last October in my planted 15 gallon tank. I sold 100 last week and it did not even make a dent in the population!


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

They're going for about $1 each that my monthly fish club auction. It would be quite the business to get into!


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

I got about .75 cents each at a LFS. I think I can sell them about 100 every other month.

If I can get my bolivians to spawn and sterbai corys to resume spawning I might be able to make this a self-sustaining hobby.


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## CichlidAndrew (Jun 29, 2005)

How do you guys catch those shrimp?


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

I believe they just use a net.


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## CichlidAndrew (Jun 29, 2005)

Haha, so I figured :lol: I mean though like wouldnt they just dart into the rocks and stuff. 100 shrimp is a lot to catch.


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

A net is way easier than trying to siphon them out. They almost swim into the net. They move crazy-fast when I tried to siphon them out.


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

I just spied an Otocinclus fry in the tank! It is about 1/2 inch long.


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

lol! My cherry shrimp had kids several times... they were always eaten before i could do anything. EVentually the parents were eaten too. They cleaned the tank up nice when they were around though! I also had an pair of amano shrimp that did an awesome job of cleaning up the tank


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## lab911 (Jan 8, 2008)

Anything from the Corydoras family will do an excellent job of cleaning the tank of waste and the small otocinclus will be great for the algae control. Watch that SilverTip shark you have. They can get up to 12" and you will no longer have a nice community tank of small tetras, you will have one fat shark. I would remove him before that happens. If you want a shark try the much smaller Red Tail Black sharks, but only one because they will argue with other sharks like them causing everyone else in the tank to get upset.


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## Stina (Sep 23, 2007)

I know, when I bought the Silver Tip, the paper said that they only got up to 8 inches.  I was under the impression that Cherry Shrimp were harder to take care of than the other kinds of shrimp. :-?


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## drkdragon882002 (Oct 29, 2007)

lol im trying to breed my crystal red shrimp in my 10 gallon man those guys are beautiful


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## Stina (Sep 23, 2007)

I ended up getting 8 Ghost shrimp. I'm hoping Sparky (Silver-tip) doesn't eat them. Thanks everyone for the suggesitons. :thumb: :fish:


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