# Breeder friendly cleaning crew



## BossRoss (Jun 17, 2010)

Trying to come up with some ideas for a cleaning crew for a breeder tank I just set up. I've got a pair of jewels with some fry in a standard 20g. Right now it's BB but I plan to add some 3M sand. I've had these jewels in a community tank before but once the mating starting they began to tear apart anything viewed as a threat including cities and BNP's. Right now their poop and any exces food is just swirling around the bottom on the bare glass. Any ideas on a good cleaning crew that won't be torn apart? Maybe snails if they don't get eaten?


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## 118869 (Apr 24, 2012)

snails would b the best bet. most parents are pretty aggressive when it comes to protecting their youngs. that our get a bigger pleco lol


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## Immus21 (Jun 14, 2010)

118869 said:


> snails would b the best bet. most parents are pretty aggressive when it comes to protecting their youngs. that our get a bigger pleco lol


Plecos will eat eggs and small fry if they can get them though too. I'm interested in hearing others responses to this question as well.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Correct me if I'm wrong but Otos leave my baby shrimp alone, I don't see why they won't leave fry alone?


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## BossRoss (Jun 17, 2010)

Jewels would eat ottos for for brunch . What kind of snails would be good?


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Try some Bronze Cory's. They get big. They love to eat and other fish dont seem to bother them. A few nerite snails would help too.


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## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

How about Bristlenose plecos? They stay small. When I had yellow labs cichlid fries, I had an Albino bristlenose pleco with no problems.


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## Immus21 (Jun 14, 2010)

clintgv said:


> How about Bristlenose plecos? They stay small. When I had yellow labs cichlid fries, I had an Albino bristlenose pleco with no problems.


Will eat the eggs once the lights go out....


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

in regards to poop... nothing eats it. Many creatures will eat what grows on it, but not the poop itself. In a sand or bare bottom tank poop and left-over food mix together and that's where you'll find scavengers feeding.
Otos aren't scavengers, though they *may* nibble left-over food. Cories are great scavengers but are sometimes the target of bullies - goodeids, SAEs and some other fish attack cories for unknown reasons. They may also eat the eggs you're trying to save.

If you place a handful of small rocks (1 to 3 cm) in the water flow they will trap mulm, making it very easy to just siphon off.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

how about some corys?


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## BossRoss (Jun 17, 2010)

this pair has taken out 2 cory's already in a larger 55g tank - that's why i had to seperate them into their own 20g. They co-existed with the BNP's, but would chase them off whenever they got near and i'm thinking that's not a great life for a BNP, and i really like mine - they are so much happier now that the jewels are gone. I'm thinking maybe some Ramshorns for the breeder - i hear they eat everything!


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Best cleaning crew...you. If they are really aggressive there is not much you can do. There aren't many things that can clean, survive aggressive parents, AND not eat eggs and fries. If it's the stray waste thats bothering just siphon it up. I would try snails, but some may eat the eggs.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I would suggest porthole catfish. But they will eat your frys.


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## BossRoss (Jun 17, 2010)

so..... jewels eat ramshorns i've learned (lets hope Betta's don't cuz thats where the survivors ended up)... need to come up with something else. I don't mind if a few fry get eaten, natural selection and all... just not the whole batch.


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