Clean up crew for 75g

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Gilled21

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 20, 2018
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Hi everyone, I will be starting up my 75 gallon SA cichlid tank soon and was wondering if I could get some advice on a good clean up crew. The tank will be moderately planted with drift wood and rocks for hardscape. I know they're not a substitute for maintenance, but I just want my tank to look as best as it can. I would like something to eat algae off glass, eat leftover food, and hopefully clean off plants as well.

My stocking will be as follows:
1x Severum
1x Blue Acara
3x Bolivian rams
School of congo tetras

I was thinking about a BN pleco to help clean the glass and scavenge for food but from what I've researched, they produce a ton of waste and I'm worried it would do more harm than good. I've also thought about Oto cats, but I don't know if they'll be a snack for my larger cichlids. Not sure if nerites would survive in this tank either.

I came across the red tail and rainbow sharks today while researching and they need about the same water parameters as the fish I plan on stocking. Some people claim them to be great algae eaters and scavengers and they don't get very big either. With these fish, my concerns are: 1.) they're not a fish you typically think of as a suitable cleanup crew and 2.) I don't know how they would be with my rams since they swim around the bottom of the tank and are a tad bit smaller than the sharks.

I would appreciate opinions on fish I've listed as potential cleanup crew as well as any other suggestions. Thank you!
 
BN plecos stay relatively small, so their impact on bio-load isn't the same as the common pleco that grows to 12"+. I keep BN plecos in many of my tanks, but keep in mind that they will also eat cichlid eggs, so be wary if you are trying to spawn the rams. When small, they do a good job with algae. I have found that as they mature, they don't do as good as a job.

My experience with red tail sharks has been that once they reach maturity, they are pretty snarky and will be territorial. I had one that co-existed in a similarly stocked 75, but he would give chase to the cichlids and nip fins.

If you are really concerned with uneaten food, just don't feed as much. I am of the opinion that many hobbyists overfeed their fish, leading to unhealthy, overweight fish. Many of the experts that I have seen give presentations at various club meetings and conventions have the same opinion and recommend limiting feedings, with some even recommending feeding every other day. Although this type of feeding schedule won't lead to your fish growing exponentially, they may end up being healthier in the long run. Just something to consider.
 
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Get black racer nerite snails. I have two in my 75 and they do a great job. They even ate all the bba I was fighting to get rid of. I love them.
 
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I agree that a team of snails would probably do a good job and have minimal impact on bio-load.
A BN pleco would be fine as well, they do make a lot of poop though. It comes down to, would you rather have algae on the glass, or poop on the ground.
 
Thank you for all the replies everyone. I of course don't plan on overfeeding but it would be nice to have a bottom dweller to pick up scraps because cichlids are messy eaters.
MrsE88 said:
Get black racer nerite snails. I have two in my 75 and they do a great job. They even ate all the bba I was fighting to get rid of. I love them.
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I love nerites. Your cichlids don't bother them? I figured they'd be a snack lol.
 
Nope, they completely ignore them. They mostly stay hidden during the day and come out at night when the cichlids are asleep.
 
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Agree with Jon a bristle nose is not the same as those common types that crapp out foot long streamers of feces.
And if there's left over food, you are feeding too much, so better than any clean up crew, vacuuming and regular water changes are really the ticket to a good water quality system.
If you want a South Americam tank, the Epalzeorhynchos (red tails are not S American, but Asian, and can be aggressive (then again the Congo tetras are not S American either).
 
I think I will do a BN pleco with several nerite snails. Nerites cannot breed in freshwater correct?
 
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