55G angelfish tank clean up crew

[epsolon77]

Just gonna start out with I'm not a big fan of pleco's.

Moving on. I have a 55G where I am trying to keep the PH at about 6.5 to make my Angels and Tetra's nice and happy. From previous experience, snails don't make it long at 6.5. The shrimp didn't last but a week with those angels (though the angels did grow pretty fast). Now it could be a hiding place issue with the shrimp I had, or lack there of, but what would ya'll recommend for a clean up crew.

 

[mgamer20o0]

cories or a gravel vac.

 

[Etunes]

Snails, The snails should have been fine in a PH of 6.5, as of the shrimp they will get eaten no matter what because everything veiws them as a food source. They are cheap though and you could just restock your tank every month if you wanted. You could try some sort of catfish, corydoras would work nice with angels. What size tank do you have and what fish?

 

[epsolon77]

Snails, The snails should have been fine in a PH of 6.5, as of the shrimp they will get eaten no matter what because everything veiws them as a food source. They are cheap though and you could just restock your tank every month if you wanted. You could try some sort of catfish, corydoras would work nice with angels. What size tank do you have and what fish?

I bred a batch of about 50 mystery snails and god knows how many MTS. Their shells evaporated and they died pretty quick in my 20g angel tank.

My tank that I am speaking of is a 55G with 4 Angels, 6 Neon Tetra's, 7 Black Neon Tetra's and a very lonly, but bossy female betta who is not coexisting in our sorrority tank.

I hear you on the shrimp, and I guess I could have a breeding tank for them. But I belive in renewable fish tanking. Ideally, assuming no screw up's on my part, I should not be required to ever buy a fish or snail or plant again. At least that's my goal, so my shrimpies would need a way to be fruitfull. I might try a cory, but I don't like pleco's because of their size. I'd like our angels to be the focus.

 

[mgamer20o0]

cories do best in groups. there are small plecos but make more waste then what they clean up. cories would prob be the best bet. if you wanted to do shrimp i would do a 10 gallon and breed them. then move them over a few at a time so you never run out.

 

[epsolon77]

As luck would have it someone in the area just gave me a 10 gallon tank they were done with. I guess I'm becoming known as the local fish tank nut!!! Maybe it's a sign I should breed shrimp... I do like that idea, I just am unsure how my wife and kids will take to feeding the pets to the bigger pets. I guess it's one way to find out about the circle of life...

I got 3 cory's for one of my 10 g's because of a hair alge problem and they seem to be working well. Shame I notice ich literally moments after releasing them. Sigh. Treatment is almost done then I can move them out to somewhere else if I desire.

Any advice on raising shrimp?