Some loaches, like the large clown loach, require moderate care and are more suited for experienced aquarium keepers. There are so many different species of loach suitable for home aquariums and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. For the substrate, choose aquarium sand or very fine gravel so that your bottom feeders’ barbels don’t get damaged. They require a minimum tank of 10 gallons (38 L), which should be well-planted with plenty of hiding spaces, like coconut caves, so they can get away from the light. You can feed them freeze-dried bloodworms, sinking fish, or shrimp pellets, as well as live food. Peppered cory catfish require an omnivorous diet, and therefore will need both plant- and animal-based food. These fish do their best and are especially fun to watch when kept in groups of 6 or more per tank. Again, this is a peaceful and easy fish to care for and is completely suitable for new aquarium keepers. This species of bottom feeders has black and green spots all over its body and a white underside. The peppered cory catfish ( Corydoras paleatus, pictured at the top) grows to around 2.3 inches (6 cm). Hover over image to pin to Pinterest Peppered Cory catfish ( Corydoras paleatus) Provide these fish with plenty of hiding spaces throughout the tank by using natural plants and rocks. You can supplement with sinking pellets and algae wafers if you really want to make your fish happy.Īs for tank conditions, these algae eaters will require a minimum tank size of 30 gallons (113.5 L). They require an omnivorous diet, so they are not picky eaters and will pick up all the leftover food lying around the aquarium. This is a peaceful fish species that is pretty easy to care for and fun to watch as they munch their way across the side of the aquarium glass. Their mouths feature small appendages that look like short cat whiskers these barbels are actually useful for sensing and finding food as it sinks to the bottom of the tank. These algae eaters are in the same family (Loricariidae) as the common pleco, but only grow up to 4.5 inches (12 cm) long this makes them a much more suitable species for a typical freshwater aquarium where you don’t have to worry about them quickly outgrowing the tank.īristlenose plecos come in a variety of colors with the most popular being brown with patches of lighter areas. This species is just way too big for most regular freshwater aquarium setups and does much better in outdoor ponds and lakes where there is plenty of algae for them to eat and space to grow.Ī good alternative to these fish is the much smaller members of the Ancistrus genus, also known collectively as the bristle nose pleco. We mentioned briefly above that although fish stores usually sell Hypostomus plecostomus, also known as the common pleco–which look very cute as babies at only 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) in the store–they can quickly grow to 20 inches (50 cm) long. For this reason, we’ll focus only on smaller bottom dwellers suitable for the average home aquarium setup. Some bottom-feeders grow too large for most regular home aquarium setups and should be avoided while others make the perfect addition for a small tank.Ī great example of a species that gets too large for the average tank is the common pleco, even though it is regularly sold in fish stores. Others are strict carnivores that feed on fish and other animals. Some bottom feeders are detritivores, meaning they search for food that is made up of both decomposing plant and animal matter. However, there are some species whose mouths point upwards, too. That’s why bottom feeder fish are often known as part of the ‘cleanup crew’ and essential for helping keep a tank clean. One common thing most of these fish share is their ability to help keep the bottom of a tank clean due to their downward-pointing mouths. Many bottom-feeding fish are adept at burying themselves in the substrate they also usually have a flat underside which is useful for resting on the bottom of the tank. Thank you, Robert! What is a bottom feeder fish? This article on bottom-dwelling aquarium fish is a guest post by Robert from, an aquarium website dedicated to educating fish enthusiasts all over the world. Which bottom feeder fish species are small and easy to keep in a freshwater aquarium? We’re going to take a look at five of the most common bottom feeder fish available and discuss their appearance, behavior, dietary needs, and preferred tank conditions. Bottom feeder fish live and feed on the lower section of the aquarium where they can bring a great addition of life and color! In the aquarium hobby, there are typically three zones in your tank that you want to consider when stocking to ensure you have an even spread of fish: there are surface feeders, mid-water fish, and bottom feeder fish.
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