# best option for bottom feeders in a piranha tank?



## primetime3wise

what's the best option for a bottom feeder that, ideally, will help keep the bottom/gravel free of chunks and pieces of leftover meat, as to not spoil in the tank?

i was thinking raphael cats? or a pleco esp. with algae. any other thoughts?

thx,
pt


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## taylorhedrich

Not to be an ass, but is it _that_ hard to just not feed your piranha(s) as much, so you don't have any chunks of food on the bottom of the tank to begin with? I

If you add any fish, chances are they won't last long, especially if they don't have many hiding spots. I think your best chance would be a large pleco, but beware, they crap a lot and don't clean algae at large sizes. However, they are likely to eat chunks of leftover food at the bottom.
~Taylor~

_*Topic Moved to General Freshwater Discussion Forum*_


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY

the best way to do it, just feed your piranha and take the food out from the tank 30min after you feed them. you dont really need a bottom feeder.I'tll just will become food for your piranha.


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## the REASON

crayfish in a serra tank as long as mine got to the food within a few minutes of it being on the bottom i let him eat any leftovers.


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## primetime3wise

well, they are sloppy eaters and i have white gravel, so any small bits they miss will be hard to see on the floor of the aquarium. may just toss in 1 raphael, plecos get too big too quickly.

pt


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## dj huzz

When I was bringing up my first set of pirahnas I got a pleco that was of larger size compared to the pirhanas... your best bet is to start them off together so they grow up with eachother and become use to one another. Whenever I feed I always pull out the excess krill or fish that aren't eaten within 30min to an hr


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## Mr. Hannibal

primetime3wise said:


> well, they are sloppy eaters and i have white gravel, so any small bits they miss will be hard to see on the floor of the aquarium. may just toss in 1 raphael, plecos get too big too quickly.
> 
> pt


If you feed your Ps bite size pieces of food there should be less leftovers... anyway you can always vacuum your gravel after feedings... other than that Raphael catfish are a great option if you provide enough hiding spots (driftwoods are recommended)...







!


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## bobz

I would reccomend a bristlenose pleco, my little guy does a good job of munching on leftovers, and is also very fasta nd good at hiding.

Bobz


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## redrum781

i wanted to try a raphael cat and bought one a year and a half ago at 3in
today he is still 3in, so i couldn't put him in with the reds
i do have a 12in+ pleco and he is doing ok for the moment


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## smallmouth

Try not to think of a P tank as a garbage can.


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## assclown

i find that if you cut up the food in bite sized chunks, they eat better and you can control
the amount of food. a stripped cat will do fine in a p tank as long as its big enough
and you provide hiding places


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## Draven1

I have had a bristlenose with my rbps since they were young, been almost a year and no casualties. My bristlenose is small and hasn't grown that much as compared to other plecos I have had plus the bristles look really cool.


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## C0Rey

syphon


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## maddyfish

That's funny about the crayfish, mine just ate one today. At least the back half of one.


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## kigrind

How do plecos get too big too fast? I had one for 3 years and it never got 6" long. My dad had one in a 125g tank and it never got big for the 5 years the tank was up.

wtf?? Mine must suck.


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## ChilDawg

There are many types of Plecos--you might just have had one that never gets large or you might have had one with stunted growth...


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## Michaeljames

when I had my p tanks. Any bottom feeder was eatin dirt inside of 4 days. snails, crays, gobies, catfish, etc


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## bobis187

i have 3-3inch red bellies in 75gal with a 12inch pleco and my pleco is making life hard to my red bellies its weird he keeps chasing them around but hes been there alot longer than the pirahnas its his territory


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## acestro

C0Rey said:


> syphon


Thank you!

Or, seriously, snails? I mean many small ones, btw...


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