"cleanup crew"

[cacichlids]

Leporinus are nasty, hyperactive and love to nip fins. I got rid of mine because of that... they had my cichlids on the verge of a nervous breakdown 24/7 lol

Algae-eating snails (like plecos) produce so much waste that it's not worth the algae they clean. I once got 40 Nerites (about the best algae eating freshwater animal you can get) and oh boy, do they like algae. They devoured green algae, green/purple cyano, brown diatoms, driftwood fungus, everything; they basically kept all the surfaces in the tank spotless. That's until they start laying billions of eggs that look like white sesame seeds EVERYWHERE. The eggs never hatch in freshwater and they take months to disappear, I still have some after a long time of no snails. And let's not even get started on the poop... if you think Oscars are messy you have never owned Nerites.

After trying several different "cleanup crew" alternatives over the years, I've realized the only reliable cleanup crew for your tank is yourself. Every creature you put in your aquarium with the purpose of "cleaning up" will, most of the times, become a problem on their own.

 

[Decker504]

I have a 8 in Leporinus and it hangs w/ some monsters. I was watching it boot up to my 8 inch Ornatum today, which bit the living crap out of it and the Leporinus stood its ground.

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[redfish_33]

I agree that water changes and tank maintenance is the best " clean up crew" . I have tried to keep snails in my tank but my cichlids seem to be snail eaters lol. I have kept a pair of leporinus in my tank for a little over a year and have not had any problems with them so far, they do a great job of catching any of the food particles from my messy eaters and finding food that might get left behind. Even though I have had a good experience with mine so far, they are like any other large aggresive fish where they all have a different personality and even that can change in a day. As far as killing tank mates, most CA/SA cichlids have been known to kill tank mates lol


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[everlastace]

I just got my first flagtail recently and after only a day, my 90 gallon is almost algae free. Also cleans up extra food. Even the silicon is clean. Not to mention that they are BEAUTIFUL fish! And if kept with the right fish, which yours seem pretty right, they can be excellent in a community as well. I have mine with 2 oscars, 2 delhezi bichers, 2 clown loaches, and I am going to soon add my 5 inch peacock goby.

 

[Stratoquarius]

yup goood old flag tails,

thing is, I also have a huge pleco, I know they produce waste but the thing is, I got him cause I like plecos. If you like a fish you get it. unless you like any of the algae cleaning fish you are just adding more waste to your tank without getting any extra enjoyment.