# The Cleanup Crew



## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

What fish/shrimp do you guys keep for cleaning in your tank? I have 5 otos, 2 cories and 6 glass shrimp in a 37 gallon tank. Also have 3 SAEs/Flying Foxes(still trying to figure which it is) in another, but have fear of putting them in my main tank for they munch wallichii.


----------



## ThomE (Aug 26, 2004)

7 albino cories, 7 ottos, ? cherries (I purchase 17 cherries, but only seen one), 7 SAE, ? amano shrimp (I purchase 17, but only see maybe 5-7 at any given time) => 72 gallon tank. I think I like the number 7


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I keep, 1 Otocinclus vittatus, 2 Jordanella floridae, 1 Pangio javanicus, 3 Pangio kuhlii, 3 Botia sidthimunki, 2 Beaufotia kweichowensis, 6 Crossocheilus siamensis, 2 Synodontis nigriventris, 10 Melanoides tubercutata, and 5 Neocaridina denticulata sinensis in a 150.


----------



## Azimuth (Feb 11, 2005)

I got about 15 cherry shrimp, 4 Otos and a small SAE in my 55.


----------



## rwong2k (Dec 24, 2004)

one of my LFS labelled their SAE's as flying fox (yeah they're the real ones)




Anthony said:


> What fish/shrimp do you guys keep for cleaning in your tank? I have 5 otos, 2 cories and 6 glass shrimp in a 37 gallon tank. Also have 3 SAEs/Flying Foxes(still trying to figure which it is) in another, but have fear of putting them in my main tank for they munch wallichii.


----------



## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

"Siamese Algae Eaters" and "Siamese Flying Foxes" are common names for the same species, _crossoheilus siamensis_. There _is_ a species - _epalzeorhynchus kalopterus_ - which is commonly called the "Flying Fox." This species has almost what looks like a dark strip accross the top as well as the side.









"Siamese Algae Eater" or "Siamese Flying Fox" - _Crossoheilus Siamensis_









"Flying Fox" - _Epalzeorhynchus Kalopterus_

Some additional good cleanup crew fish are _ancistrus_ (bushynose) and _chaetostoma_ (rubbernose) plecos, and _misgurnus anguillicaudatus_ (dojo weather loaches).

I have found SAE's are best for algae, while dojo's are best for everything else (debris, detris, food fragments, slime, poop).

Balitoroids also make good cleaner fish. In the aquarium industry there are usually only a few species available under several dozen different common names. The most frequent common names I've seen are "Hillstream Loach" and "Butterfly Loach."

Snails are also great cleaners. For freshwater tanks, I've found that as long as you stay away from the very large fist-sized apple snails (which will bulldoze and eat all your plants), you should be OK. I like _pomacea_ "mystery" snails, _neritas_, and _marisa cornuarietis_ "ramshorn" snails.

Mussels are also nice as water filters. _Corbicual_ are sometimes called "Asian Clams" or "Freshwater Clams." You can put in about 1 for every 2 gallons. They burrow into the substrate (you never see them) but they siphon water through their shells and filter out organic material.


----------



## andyg (Oct 9, 2004)

5 Ottos, 4 Panda Cories, 1 Albino Corie, 2 SAE, 1 common Pleco in a 50.

Re: SAE's The best way to tell them apart;
True SAE - colorless fins ( dorsal, ventral, caudal. ), 1 pair of barbs, Flying Fox - Some coloring in the fins ( black or grey ) 2 pairs of barbs, False SAE -
Side stripe does not extend into the tail fin.


----------



## ginnie5 (Jan 9, 2003)

3 SAE's 
2 cories
2 ottos
2 bristlenose
1 clown plec
3 clown loaches


in my 75.


----------



## FISA (Dec 3, 2004)

2 Sae , 5 amano shrimp, 1 singapore (wood) shrimp, 1 unknown red shrimp, 2 American Flag-Fish and snails :tongue: this is in the 75

In the 29 ... 1 sae and 1 female American Flag-Fish


I have a couple African Dwarf Frogs in each tank that will clean up any frozen foods that fall on the bottom ( besides their own feedings )


----------



## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

Those pics are actually a bit inaccurate. They both appear to be SAEs. The biggest distinguishing feature of SAEs is the black stripe which extends to the tip of the tail whereas the Flying Fox's stripe ends at the base of the tail. There are others, such as the Flying Fox's scales being more roughly textured and their temperment being more aggressive.


----------



## WolverineFan (Dec 15, 2004)

Has anybody had any problems with aggression with the Florida Flagfish?


----------



## FISA (Dec 3, 2004)

WolverineFan said:


> Has anybody had any problems with aggression with the Florida Flagfish?


i did...when i had 3 flag-fish in the 29 gal...

1 female and 2 males...the males got bigger and were really competitive because of the one female..and the bigger male would just bully the smaller one...i think the female finally laid eggs in the java moss....and the bigger male used to protect it...and while doing so.....bullied all the other fishes in the tank...

then i split them up...I put the two males in the 75 gallon...and left the 1 female in the 29...their temperment changed totally...
even though the two males were the first fishes in the 75...the are peaceful...and even though they were eniemies in the 29..they are buddies now and school with each other.....

was a pretty interesting experience....IMO dont mix the males and females together....thats when the males become mean...


----------



## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

> I noticed on one of your recent posts that you use freshwater mussels in your tank. Could you tell me what your experience has been with them and do you find them to be of benifit. Also would yopu be able to tell me where I might be able to purchase these for my tank.


I hope you don't mind Brian but this belongs here in the thread for everyone's benefit, not in private messages. That's the whole point of having a public forum. 

My experience has been nothing but positive with them. I have a 42 gallon tank and I have somewhere between 10 and 20. They are basically like little living filters.

You can order them online from either Live Aquaria (they are currently out of them) or Aquariumfish.net.


----------



## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

ringram said:


> Those pics are actually a bit inaccurate. They both appear to be SAEs. The biggest distinguishing feature of SAEs is the black stripe which extends to the tip of the tail whereas the Flying Fox's stripe ends at the base of the tail. There are others, such as the Flying Fox's scales being more roughly textured and their temperment being more aggressive.


Not True. _Epalzeorhynchus kalopterus_, the true Flying Fox, has a stripe that extends through the tail as well as a dark stripe on top and more coloration in the fins. Perhaps the most telling feature of the true SAE _crossoheilus siamensis_ is a "zig zagging" or "rough" pattern along the edges of the side stripes. The Flying Fox _epalzeorhynchus kalopterus_ has smooth edges along the side stripes. This is depicted in the pictures.

You are problably thinking about a yet unidentified species in the same genus that has a stripe which does not go through the tail, the False Siamensis _Epalzeorhynchus sp_:










Pet shops mix the common names and species up all the time.


----------



## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I have 3 False SAE's in my tank. at the LFS they were in a tank next to the flying foxes, so I figured they were SAE's, I was wrong.


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I have some freshwater clams in my tank but didn't include them as part of my clean up crew, they are interesting to look at when you can find them and I'm sure they help in some small way but no enough to note.


----------



## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

Make that 6 otos(I though one got eaten by the plants.hehe). Also added 10 more ghost shrimp and a bamboo shrimp.


----------



## Azimuth (Feb 11, 2005)

I just added to my cleanup crew over the weekend. Now I have 15 Cherry Shrimp 3 Otos (I had 4, one died), 2 SAEs, and a small pleco. When the pleco gets larger, he's getting traded for some more shrimp or Otos.


----------



## Blinky (Feb 13, 2005)

The cleanup crew in my 65g:

1 - _Acanthophthalmus kuhlii _ Platinum Kuhli Loach
1 - _Ancistrus claro _ Gold Marble Bristlenose catfish
2 - _Crossocheilus siamensis _ Siamese Algae Eater
5 - _Otocinclus affinis _ Oto catfish 
~10 - red ramshorn snails

This gang does a great job of keeping everything clean


----------

