What fish to sift up the sand.
- Thread starter Kyel
- Start date
i agree with everybody above, your cichlids will do a great job of shifting the sand around. I dunno if your fish are mature yet or not. If not, then you should see a lot more digging behavoir as your cichlids get older and start to claim territories.
If you still want a fish for sand shifting, i wouldn't say that just any catfish would do that. Pictus are a lot more about just swimming around the tank than going through the substrate. Corydoras would work, but may eventually get eatin by a larger cichlid. Banjo cats love to hide themselves in the substrate, but they also may eventually get eatin. Dojo and kuhli loaches do a great job, but they would probably get picked on by the cichlids and need cooler water.
i would recommend:
-some kind of pleco
-bichir (polypterus)- they're armored and like to dig (some species more than others)
-or carefully think about intrducing a species of snail to the tank. These would turn over your sand very well, but they could also easily have a population explosion and take over your tank(from over feeding). Your cichlids will probably keep the population pretty low though. i've never ever had a snail problem in any of my cichlid tanks. i would recommend either ramshorn or trumpet snails. (but you could probably get them for free from your LFS)
If you still want a fish for sand shifting, i wouldn't say that just any catfish would do that. Pictus are a lot more about just swimming around the tank than going through the substrate. Corydoras would work, but may eventually get eatin by a larger cichlid. Banjo cats love to hide themselves in the substrate, but they also may eventually get eatin. Dojo and kuhli loaches do a great job, but they would probably get picked on by the cichlids and need cooler water.
i would recommend:
-some kind of pleco
-bichir (polypterus)- they're armored and like to dig (some species more than others)
-or carefully think about intrducing a species of snail to the tank. These would turn over your sand very well, but they could also easily have a population explosion and take over your tank(from over feeding). Your cichlids will probably keep the population pretty low though. i've never ever had a snail problem in any of my cichlid tanks. i would recommend either ramshorn or trumpet snails. (but you could probably get them for free from your LFS)
That's what I first thought too. Geos.
Might also try a Amphilophus robertsoni.
Geophagus was the first thing that popped in my head as well 
...might be torn apart by the other fish though.
...might be torn apart by the other fish though.Geophagus was the first thing that popped in my head as well
You would be suprised my fish are actually pretty laid back. I am amazed at how nice they are.
