Cleaning crew for a pygmy sunfish tank

I am thinking of setting up a pygmy sunfish tank with a colony of about 8 pygmys and about 20 hets. My question is what type of a cleaning crew can you use with these small fish?

I would suggest snails and/or grass shrimp. The snails will also provide food for them since the pymies will eat the emerging baby snails.

does it matter what type of snail it is? I have one tank ( taht I was thinking of using) that is overrun with tiny snalls ( well uner 1/4"), would those be food?

I just started using dwarf crayfish. From what I've been told they do a good job.

I just started using dwarf crayfish. From what I've been told they do a good job.

I know they are not natives, but would pygmy cory cats work in there? and you say the crayfish are fine, they don't pick on anything?

I know they are not natives, but would pygmy cory cats work in there? and you say the crayfish are fine, they don't pick on anything?

I don't see why not. They wouldn't have to be pygmy corys either, unless you prefer them. The dwarf crayfish are tiny and don't bother fish. They are about the size of ghost shrimp.

I don't see why not. They wouldn't have to be pygmy corys either, unless you prefer them. The dwarf crayfish are tiny and don't bother fish. They are about the size of ghost shrimp.

Cool, and yeah, with a tank full of small fish, I would prefer smaller corys. with the whole snail thing, do they eat the adult ones with the hard shell or just the "emerging" young ones?

None of the corys I've kept seem to eat snails. I haven't had the dwarf crayfish long enough to say, but I doubt if they will.

The snails will also provide food for them since the pymies will eat the emerging baby snails.

Ah, sorry schambers, asked the wrong person.

Dustin, do the pygmy sunfish eat snails with shells or is it just the emerging ones that are still technically "soft"? I will try to get some pictures of the snails that are overrunning that tank so maybe you could see if they would eat them or not?

Thanks for all the advice guys!

-Nate

Ah, sorry schambers, asked the wrong person.

Dustin, do the pygmy sunfish eat snails with shells or is it just the emerging ones that are still technically "soft"? I will try to get some pictures of the snails that are overrunning that tank so maybe you could see if they would eat them or not?

Thanks for all the advice guys!

-Nate

They will only eat the small very soft ones. They will not likely eat the Malaysian trumpet snails at all. My first choice would be plain old pond snail, then ramshorns as a backup. If you need some of either, I can send some when I get them again.

As for the dwarf cories, be careful. Most of the dwarf cories, hastatus, pygmaeus and to a lesser extent habrosus, are mid water swimmers. They spend very little time on the bottom. They actually school around and spend time resting on plants or other shelter up in the water column.

I've kept banded pygmies (E. zonatum) with syntopic ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes kadakiensis) and had no issues, but I have heard that ghost shrimp may feed on fry.

well then looks like dwarf crays and snails maybe the way to go? i will be looking around through the vendors to see who has bluespotted sunfish, banded pygmys, hets and dwarf crays, or maybe just to see who has what.

thanks guys,

Nate

Not to hijack the post, but where did you get the dwarf crayfish or do you perhaps have a species name?

http://forum.nanfa.o...?showtopic=1948

Perfect captive bred and with prices.

Thanks a lot.

At the risk of being stoned for heresy on this list, my favorite clean up fish for a pygmy sunfish tank is corydoras paleatus. They like soft, acid water, and, since they're from southern SA, they don't mind the cold. I got one down to 43 degrees F once, with no ill effects.

I am thinking of setting up a pygmy sunfish tank with a colony of about 8 pygmys and about 20 hets. My question is what type of a cleaning crew can you use with these small fish?

No reason to get stoned ( physically with rocks I take you mean ) Bob, for using the corys. No different than using java moss for its the best in most cases to provide cover and breeding substrate for tons of small fish. Is it anymore unnatural than a power filter sucking up gunk and a yarn mop for fish to lay eggs on?

I use the dwarf craws, ramshorns snails ( and some other species are in the tanks) and they seemed to work well. Try sand for substrate ( there are some threads somewhere about sand substrates). This makes using the vac easier to suck up gunk since it sits on top of the sand. Blackworms and some other critters will help with keeping the sand from becoming sulfur filled, think earthworms areating the soil.

At the risk of being stoned for heresy on this list, my favorite clean up fish for a pygmy sunfish tank is corydoras paleatus. They like soft, acid water, and, since they're from southern SA, they don't mind the cold. I got one down to 43 degrees F once, with no ill effects.

Don't tell anyone, but I have a native tank with corydoras paleatus in it, too. I thought the paleatus would be more comfortable in a room temperature tank. If anyone says anything, I'll tell them the cories are invasive exotics.

Don't tell anyone, but I have a native tank with corydoras paleatus in it, too. I thought the paleatus would be more comfortable in a room temperature tank. If anyone says anything, I'll tell them the cories are invasive exotics.

I have them in my soon to be darter tank .

HiYa Ray! How's it going? How do you like the dwarf crays? Some folks were auctioning them off at our local plant club, but the price got too steep for me to try them.

No reason to get stoned ( physically with rocks I take you mean ) Bob, for using the corys. No different than using java moss for its the best in most cases to provide cover and breeding substrate for tons of small fish. Is it anymore unnatural than a power filter sucking up gunk and a yarn mop for fish to lay eggs on?

I use the dwarf craws, ramshorns snails ( and some other species are in the tanks) and they seemed to work well. Try sand for substrate ( there are some threads somewhere about sand substrates). This makes using the vac easier to suck up gunk since it sits on top of the sand. Blackworms and some other critters will help with keeping the sand from becoming sulfur filled, think earthworms areating the soil.