# what is the best "cleaner" fish?



## JOMA

i admit, i have a problem with overfeeding so what kinds of fish will help clean up the leftover food. i already have 4 ghost shrimp and 2 cory cats in the 20 gallon tank. i have heard that loaches are the best but im still not sure. Thanks JOMA *H2


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## mk4gti

Over feeding your fish is a serious problem that causes poor water conditions. The best "cleaner" would be to do regular water changes of 20%. Your typical clown loach will out grow a 20 gallon very fast. Its clear that your somewhat bright for a 15 year old since your on this forum and what not. You really should research and read about how to care for fish. I got into this hobby at about the same age as you wtih a 10 gallon starter kit, i kept everything in there from bala sharks to clown loachs and had nothing but problems. Reaserch the fish you buy, be sure your tank is cycled (read about the nitrogen cycle), dont over stock, dont over feed, dont keep your light on too much, check your water conditions weekly (api master test kit). I know its fun to watch your fish eat but its less fun to watch them die, i killed a lot of fish in my young age and i wish that when i was 15, i had the same resources and knowledge at my finger tips like you do now... USE IT AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER THAN YOU!!!!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

Id get 8-10 more corydoras.


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## Justine

I have an apple snail as well which eats left over food. The best thing to do is to only feed what they are capable of eating in 2 minutes a couple of times a day. I also do weekly 10% water changes and test water weekly with a nutrafin mini master test kit. don't forget even if you get fish to eat the left over food they will be producing waste.


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## mk4gti

8-10 corys is way too much for a 20 gallon tank, do not get that many MAX i would have 3-4


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## JOMA

to mkgti

i have had my tank cycled for about two weeks now, i get my water tested once a week at the least, most times twice, sometimes three times, and i dont mean i dump half a container into the tank, i just put 1-2 flakes per fish twice a day. is that over or under feeding? i also put a shrimp pellet in the tank twice a week to feed my cats and ghosts.


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## JOMA

ps i do my water changes weekly


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## susankat

WhiteDevil said:


> Id get 8-10 more corydoras.


8 to 10 cories in a 20 gal tank, no way, the tank is to small.


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## susankat

How many times a day do you feed? The best thing would be is to feed a little less. Try just feeding a small pinch at a time, once it starts going to the bottom stop there. I feed my fish every other day and they do fine. The only tank that gets fed more is my fry tank.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

20g x 1"=20 
adult size 2" /20=10, so 8-10 is not overstocking. 
Thats if you follow the junk 1" rule 
50% pwc weekly split twice a week
40g rated filter

Corydoras are not big and really always hide except at dusk and dawn, they create a small bioload on the system but id compare a dozen cories to maybe 2-4 goldfish.


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## mk4gti

yeah if u were gonna keep JUST 8-10 corys but he has other fish stocked, that is WAY to many for a 20 gallon. I think most would agree with me.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

mk4gti said:


> yeah if u were gonna keep JUST 8-10 corys but he has other fish stocked, that is WAY to many for a 20 gallon. I think most would agree with me.


what other fish? 4 ghost shrimp and 2 corydoras? there is NO bioload on that tank from the inhabitants we KNOW about already so overfeeding in this case is what is keeping the tank alive and healthy as far as we KNOW.

I stand solid by my statement. 8-10 more will be FINE in that 20g(long or tall? who knows). If its a 20H id cut down to maybe 6 corydoras due to height and surface area on the gravel, if its a 20 long then 8-10 more would do just fine.

I am assuming its planted as well which gives a keeper even more leaniance with stocking.


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## JOMA

its a 20 gallon long and it isnt planted, i might add plants eventualy though, who knows?


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## susankat

I'm assuming a 20 tall, as the longs cost a little more and he is just 15, in just a tall tank 6 would be a max that I would put in it.
I breed cories so I know how big they get and they do have more of a bio load than what people give them unless they are the dwarf cories. Now if he was going with dwarfs I would say 10 to 15.
And it is always best to correct the problem than try to add more fish to clean it up. If he added that many more cories there will be a tendency to feed more. Adding more cories should be done on the basis of liking that fish, not just for clean up.


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## JOMA

i just said its a 20 gallon long, its an older tank that my parents had set up years ago and i go it out and set it back up


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

how long has it been set up?

Susan, hit me up on facebook. I gotta pick your corydora brain.(and got exclusive pics for you of the half wild fry, you wanted 6 right?)

Joma, id curb the overfeeding as you dont have many big eaters in there anyways and see if that helps. What filter are you running on that tank?
Adding more will clean up your issue but not solve it as susan said. I keep them in every tank but my turtle and feeder fish tank due to their cleaning habits but I am turning my water over from 4-8x an hour depending which tank.

There are tons of loaches out there, which ones were you thinking about?


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## JOMA

like i said before, i dont know even if im over feeding, i might not be, i give each fish in the tank, besides the shrimp, a flake of food twice a day. i have an aquaclear 150, its really nice, i just wanna get some more scavangers so i know for sure there wont be high ammonia/nitrite levels coming from uneaten food. i dont have high levels, im just trying to prevent them. another reason i want to make sure that my fish dont die because like i said, im 15 and i dont have much money to buy fish, so im making sure the ones i have will survive. 

about the loaches, i dont know, maybe a kuhli?


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## susankat

If you consider loaches, look into the dwarf species, clowns will outgrow the tank pretty fast. And loaches will eat your shrimp.

I would cut down feeding to once a day. I feed mine everyother day except for the fry tanks. In the wild they may go a week before finding any food so it wont hurt them and in fact will help them in many ways.

devil: how do I find you on facebook? What is your user name on there.


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## JOMA

thanks for all the help, and if you want to help me even more you can answer this post: 
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f34/hooking-gravel-vaccuum-filter-7363.html

also if you wanna check out my tank here it is: Aquarium Gallery - tank 


its been set up for about a month, month and a half


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

susankat said:


> If you consider loaches, look into the dwarf species, clowns will outgrow the tank pretty fast. And loaches will eat your shrimp.
> 
> I would cut down feeding to once a day. I feed mine everyother day except for the fry tanks. In the wild they may go a week before finding any food so it wont hurt them and in fact will help them in many ways.
> 
> devil: how do I find you on facebook? What is your user name on there.


you already have. I sent a request from my business account this morning and youve talked to me on my personal account many times. WhiteDevil should be my user name on there too.


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## susankat

Don't mind me, I think I am loosing it sometimes. Been to busy cleaning the 15 tanks getting them ready to put on the stand.


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## pamk59

I like the chinese sucker fish, and plecos,


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## SueD

What else is in the tank besides the shrimp and corys? Since this is a long tank, you can add more cories, but I would just go with 2-3 more. They shoal bettter with their own kind so stick with more of the same ones. Which corys do you have anyway? I find they are generally all you need if you feed properly, but you do want to make sure the corys are getting fed also.


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## zero

the 1" per gallon rule is bollocks, never go by it.

that is all.


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## Bawl

I also support the idea of reducing the frequency of your feedings, even skipping a day about once a week. Most species can go quite a while between meals. Another option that can help out a bit is to get some java moss. Easiest aquatic plant there is- keep it wet and it'll grow.


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## Crazy

I do think that 20 Cory cats is possible, however it will require much more tank maintenance and it puts the 20g on edge. This isn't something I recommend and definately not for a beginner. You would do better while you are learning to ration feed appropriatly, with a light stocking. This gives you a much wider margin for error when you make a mistake as many of us did in the beginning. BTW great job on what you are already doing. I know adults that are much less responsible than you are at this point.


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## navigator black

Corydoras are not scavengers. They simply feed off the bottom. A scavenger eats decaying matter, waste and such by preference, while a Cory or a loach hunts for fresh and living food on the bottom. They sift the sand looking for good stuff.

The best cleaner for the tank is... the fishkeeper. As soon as I figured that out, it became a major incentive for me to learn how not to overfeed

Whitegloves's eight Corys is for a Cory only tank. That would solve the scavenger problem, as you'd only be feeding bottom fish, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea. You'd have to love Corys to follow that advice.

I've had Cory only tanks, btw, and they are great.


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## coralbandit

navigator black said:


> The best cleaner for the tank is... the fishkeeper. As soon as I figured that out, it became a major incentive for me to learn how not to overfeed
> 
> 
> 
> Finally the correct answer.We all try to emulate nature.None of us are mother nature. You will pick up the slack.Cleaner tanks take effort,possibly the true effort only a "breeder" would understand.Thanks nav!


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## ufimych

Joma, to solve the problem, first, do not overfeed! Overfeeding is bad to the fish and to the environment inside the tank. Better slightly underfeed, then overfeed. Mother nature is tight on foods. Time of plenty is often seasonal or only occasional and wild species go through ups and downs. My tank is 30 gallons. I keep 12 Tiger barbs and 5 glowlight tetras in it; I would like to add 5 kuhli loaches in it. This is all. Plenty of plants, good lighting. I feed more, when I want to condition fish for breeding (usually tiger barbs). Otherwise, some days I do not feed my fish at all. When feeding, I watch so all the food disappears in a matter of three minutes and power filter is unplugged. It can suck in some of the food. I do not replace water even partially, I only add water as needed. It is clear and fishes reach full size and live happily. They breed, which is the best evidence that they are healthy. I use Aqueon 30 power filter only at night and unplug it for day time, when plants supply oxygen in water. Water filter is rinsed one time in two-three months.


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## bgabler

Better off feeding in smaller quantities over the period of a day than a lot all at once. Fish food does wreck your tank really fast, really messes with the levels.


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