Whats a good bottomfeeder for a tank under 5 gallons??!

[Aqueonevolve4]

Can someone tell me!?

 

[okapizebra]

Shrimp!

 

[Aqueonevolve4]

There illegal in maine!! There considered an invasive species!! None of the lfs sell them!!

 

[okapizebra]

There's tons of different species of shrimp out there. They can't all be illegal?

 

[Pawtrekker]

Snails (though I'd only get one since they can multiply out of control VERY quickly) I have shrimp but if you can't get them the next best thing would probably be a snail.

 

[okapizebra]

Nerite snails would be fine. They may lay eggs but they cannot hatch in freshwater. Therefore no multiplying. Mystery snails won't breed out of control either. They lay their eggs above the water line and can very easily be removed. I wouldn't put more than one mystery snail in a tank under five gallons anyways.

 

[HN1]

Nerites really won't get enough to eat long term in a 5G. A few "ghost" shrimp or neocaridina should work. The neos will breed readily though. I see nothing about any FW shrimp being classified as invasive in Me. Invasive Species: Aquatic Species

 

[Aqueonevolve4]

Snails and shrimp are NOT allowed to be sold in maine!! I mean fish!

 

[HN1]

Snails and shrimp are NOT allowed to be sold in maine!! I mean fish!

Please cite a law or regulation. I can find none that so broadly exists. The list I posted comprises all 45 "invasive and illegal" aquatic species for the State of Maine. I've confirmed at two official sites so I'd like to know where the information that all "snails and shrimp are not allowed to be sold in maine" exists for my own learning. Thanks.

 

[Phranque]

Please cite a law or regulation. I can find none that so broadly exists.

Here you go.... Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife - Unrestricted Fish and Wildlife Species

Had a friend stationed up in Brunswick, Maine, and they are nuts about this stuff. If it's not on this list, it cannot be sold without a special (read: expensive) permit.

"Snails - Because they serve as intermediate host for a wide range of aquatic parasites and other pathogens, all snails (Gastropoda) are restricted and can be imported only by a special importation permit with specific health certifications, therefore snails cannot be traded by commercial pet shops. "

Scrolled down through the fish section, and didn't see any shrimp on there either....

 

[HN1]

Thanks for that. Interesting about the snails, but I think the other species listed on that page (can't find FW shrimp either) simply require a fairly standard pet dealer licensing. I haven't researched Maine laws in depth, but I have for Ga. The fish listed are some of the LFS standard fodder.

 

[Phranque]

Back to the OP..... depends on what you're looking for. Otocinclus stays small, but they only feed on algae, not leftovers. Maybe a small group of cory's ??

 

[Pawtrekker]

IMO you could probably get away with a very small group of cories but stick with small varieties like pygmies. And I wouldn't put more than 3 and a lot of people would say you can't do that. An Otto would probably be fine too but you have to already have a decent amount of alge growing in your aquarium and they can be hard to acclimate. I have an Otto myself and I can tell you that they are very good alge eaters.

 

[Autumnsky]

I was advised against Otos and even Pygmy Cories for my 6.6G Edge due to the small size of the tank even if supplementing algae, I have dwarf shrimp and snails, in my 6.6G and Amanos and snails in my shrimp tank.

Is it illegal to own them or to sell (or both) them in Maine? If is is only for the sale of said items, I would just buy them in another state, your state is reasonably sized for driving a nice day trip, and drive them home!

 

[Aqueonevolve4]

Thanks

 

[Borderlesscott]

Definitely no Otos or Cory's for a 5g. Really limited to shrimp or snails unfortuantely.