|
Bottom
Feeding Fish
Different types of fish feed at different levels in an
aquarium. Many types are capable of
feeding at all levels, but take most of their food at one level. The fish that are specialised for feeding at
the bottom of the tank are useful in finding the food that has been missed by
the fish at the surface and on the way down.
None of these scavengers can be expected to eat the wastes of the other
fish, and having them is not a substitute for proper aquarium hygiene. Remember that these are fish as well; make
sure the conditions in your aquarium are suitable for them.
There are many specialised bottom feeders. Here are a few of them.
Bronze
Catfish
The Bronze Catfish, Corydoras aeneus, and the Corydoras genus generally, are excellent
bottom feeding fish. The fish of the
genus vary in their temperature preferences, and although they are all
considered to be tropical fish, some like the Bronze Catfish and the Peppered
Catfish can tolerate slightly lower temperatures and can be used in an unheated
tank as long as the tank is kept in a place that does not get very cold.
The Corydoras Catfish should be kept in groups of the
same species. These catfish cannot eat
large amount at one time and need food frequently.
Kuhli
Loaches
The Kuhli Loach, Pangio kuhlii, and the  Black
Kuhli Loach, Pangio oblonga, are good scavengers.
Their small size limits the amount they can eat. They should be kept in groups of the same
species. Like the Corydoras Catfish
these loaches cannot eat large amounts at one time. Much of their feeding is at night.
Blind Cave Tetra
The Blind Cave Tetra is an excellent bottom feeding
scavenger. They cannot see, but appear
to have an excellent sense of smell and can locate the general area that has
anything edible in. They will then move
round this area at high speed eating anything they can find. They have a fairly big mouth for their size
and can eat an astonishingly large amount in a short time.
The Blind Cave Tetra is a tropical fish with a good
tolerance for lower temperatures and is sometimes used as a scavenger with
Goldfish in inside aquariums in
areas that are not very cold in the winter.
Bristlenose
Catfish
The Bristlenose Catfish is not specialised for
scavenging, but is predominately an algae eating fish. They will certainly do some scavenging when
the opportunity presents itself.
| 
