Cleanup crew for 20g fry tank?

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missmary

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 27, 2008
119
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Boone, NC
I'm looking for a cleanup crew for my 20g L fry tank. It's between...

1) 2-3 mystery snails
2) shrimp
3) corydoras (4 or 5 of a small species)

Which would you choose?

Also, would adding some java moss to the tank help with water quality/provide some microscopic munchies for the fry?
 
You've got to be careful on that one... "Cleaning" fish are usually "scavengers"... and I doubt there is a scavenger around that wouldn't see fry as a desired meal...

At my house the best "clean up crew" for my fry tanks is me, a 4' 1/4" diameter hose (air tubing) and a 1 gallon jug... I use that to clean out my fry tanks every other day or so...

I have snails in my fry tanks also, but I have snails in all of my tanks, and none of them are on purpose... It would take a boat load of them to keep my fry tank clean enough for me to not need to clean it every 2~3 days...


I do think that plants in a fry tank are a great idea. I have 'Lucky Bamboo' in mine. I could miniature milk crates at Wal-Mart that have holes in them. The crates fit in 5 & 10 gal tanks wonderfully and 'Lucky Bamboo' fits right in the holoes...

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I figure the snails won't make a meal out of any of the fry (unless it's already dead at the bottom of the tank), but will the shrimp/cories try to eat them?
 
When I was in Charlotte I had a friend in my local fish club who was a plant junkie... he gave me about 5~7 different species of moss when he would trim his tanks... I always appreciated the gifts but have never been into plants enough to remember which is which...

There are at least 2 different species in that particular tank... darker, denser stuff in the back... lighter, thinier stuff on the right...


I had the idea of breeding ghost shrimp in a fry tank once... since I had the lightly stock tank that was heavily fed with bbs daily... sounded like a great idea...

Shrimp are mean little suckers though if given a chance... Older fry did fine, but their first couple of days free swimming they are prone to fall victim to larger shrimp...


Cories will gobble them up for sure...


I'm sure a snail would, IF (big if) it could catch it... though snails don't eat very much...


I still think stickign with the bare bottom & frequenty bottom cleanings with a small diameter hose is your best bet.
 
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