Cleaning crew for bare bottom

[jpfelgueiras]

I had bought my discus a month ago, they are doing fine (as far as I can see).
The problem that I got is about the algae and wast that is accumulating on the aquarium. I've been doing daily water changes of 10% and on the weekends I do a 50% WC and clean the glass of the aquarium.
I don't want to have a mess of fish in my aquarium, but I'm thinking in adding some fishes to help me maintain the aquarium clean and pretty.

What suggestion does the forum have for the cleaning crew of a bare bottom tank? I heard that plecos need driftwood and corys need substrate. Is that right ?

[Willie]

I keep bushynose plecos without driftwood and dozens of corydoras in barebottom tanks.

Willie

[bluelagoon]

I had nerite snails for algae in a tank once. Did good for being snails and contolling algae near a window, but did not eat left over food nor waste. It was not a discus tank.

[RogueDiscus]

I too have corys and BN plecos in barebottom tanks. When you do your daily WC's do you siphon out waste from the bottom? Also, do you wipe the bottom when you clean the glass? It's also possible you're barely changing enough water. if you can up the amount, especially the weekly bigger one, that might help, too.

[Sturiosoma]

I had bought my discus a month ago, they are doing fine (as far as I can see).
The problem that I got is about the algae and wast that is accumulating on the aquarium. I've been doing daily water changes of 10% and on the weekends I do a 50% WC and clean the glass of the aquarium.
I don't want to have a mess of fish in my aquarium, but I'm thinking in adding some fishes to help me maintain the aquarium clean and pretty.

What suggestion does the forum have for the cleaning crew of a bare bottom tank? I heard that plecos need driftwood and corys need substrate. Is that right ?


Plecos or corys will not eat fish waste other than uneaten food that makes it to the bottom and yes plecos need wood in their diet

Jeanne

[4eye gold fish]

I use a small wave maker placed close at bottom of tank and blowing across lengthwise. Bottom water is circulated and debris don't settle and gets picked up by filter, doesn't help with algae though.
Not sure if my discus likes the added current but am monitoring, so far so good. Might pick me up some corys and take out the wave maker.

[4eye gold fish]

Plecos or corys will not eat fish waste other than uneaten food that makes it to the bottom and yes plecos need wood in their diet

Jeanne

Oh thanks for that info Jeanne no corys for me then.

[harr]

Exactly my thought. 10% weekly may not be much unless the feeding is very well controlled. Any amount of leftover food is going to cause undesired affects incl algae growth.

[LizStreithorst]

Adding some floating plants might help with the Algae. I tank my dwarf water lettuce to the LPS all the time and it reduces their algae by a ton. I have BN that I will sell you but they're still little babies.

[jpfelgueiras]

On a daily base I siphon the bottom and also scrub the bottom

[jpfelgueiras]

10% daily plus 50% weekly. I know it isn’t to much, but more is complicated

[danotaylor]

With your current wc schedule you will always have nutrients available for algae growth. Add light to the equation and you have an ideal environment for continuous algae growth. Adding a clean up crew will also add more waste (nutrients) to your system. If you cannot increase your wc schedule then Liz's suggestion is what I would recommend. Adding a 100% wc on the weekend will bring your weekly nutrient accumulation of nutrients back to almost 0, which is what I would suggest.

[LizStreithorst]

What you really need to do is measure your water parameters for a week and see what they do. I get upset when my nitrates go higher than 5.