clean-up crew in small fry/livebearer tanks?

[gabysapha]

I have a 5g tank with 10-ish platy fry, with eco-complete substrate (the tank wasn't supposed to be a fry tank!).

I have a 20g tank with a couple trios of Endlers- I'm trying to breed them.
My 3 supposed "virgin" female platties are in there too, churning out babies every 4 weeks or so. There is natural colored gravel in this tank.

Both tanks are heavily planted with hornwort and java moss. Low light, low tech.

I'm currently using my juvenile mystery snails as clean up crews in both these tanks, but I don't think they're doing a very good job! Are there other options that are fry-safe? I don't expect anything for the 5g; it is very small and I can't imagine any nano bottom dwellers that won't add too much to the bioload.

pH: 8.2
I am super diligent with water changes, of course

Just thought I'd ask! Thanks!

 

[robby]

what about some small shrimp? otos should also be safe and will take care of algae.

 

[gabysapha]

what about some small shrimp? otos should also be safe and will take care of algae.

Yes i thought of the same thing after a couple days haha! I just added some 3 wk old fry to my 10g RCS colony, just to see what would happen. The fry are buzzing all over and the shrimp could care less; they clean up the uneaten fry food with relish. Perfect. Now I just need to watch when the fry will get big enough to eat shrimplets, but at that point they would probably be big enough to go in the livebearer tank without danger of getting eaten. I think.