Clean up crew advice (african)

Goonie

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 8, 2019
174
82
36
40
Northern Virginia
Looking for a clean up crew for the hard to get to areas of a medium planted african biotope, it has 3 ropes, 2 sense, a marbled, a syno, an african butterfly a school of congos and african longfin tetras. Its planted with tiger lotus dwarf water Lilly's african water fern varies anubius and some other african grasses. It's a fine gravel substrate with smooth rocks of various sizes scatred about.

Gravel vac on the open areas is easy but in the areas I have rooted plants and root tabs not so much. Any decent fish or snails that could handle the smaller particles in the more delicate areas of this tank.


Filtration is dual sponges and an aquatop cf400 uv filter if that matters.


If there are no fish that would work and small rooted plants you all would recommend, that could benefit from the leftovers I just cant seem to get to.
 

Rocksor

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Nov 28, 2011
6,129
6,671
423
San Diego
Feed less so you don't get any uneaten food in those areas is the best overall solution. Your fish aren't starving enough to go after the bits leftover. Adding more living things increases the amount of water changes. The decomposing fish food will eventually feed the plants. It's what low tech planted aquarists do, provide fish food for the plants.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey

Goonie

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 8, 2019
174
82
36
40
Northern Virginia
I do 30 to 40 %every week end on my tanks so wcs arent an issue. Most of the food that's getting floated around come from the frozen stuff, they are all almost big enough that I think I'll be making the move to fish and shrimp pieces soon. But if you think the exposed rhizome plants will pull the nutrients, then I wont worry to much.

Tetras get flakes and bug bites nothing hits the bottom, the butterfly is target fed with crickets, meal worms, and the like. The bichirs and ropes alternate between carnivor pellets and frozen food currently.

There are some ghost shrimp in the tank to clean the biofilm I'm sure they'll be eaten.
 

deeda

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 26, 2008
4,019
2,915
1,279
Medina, Ohio
You can also use a powerhead or if filling with a hose, to flush out some of the debris from areas you can't vacuum.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store