Question of the Day Clean up crew for the planted tank - still a thing?

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When I started the hobby, it was a BIG deal to have a clean up crew (CUC) in your aquarium. It was mandatory. Siamese Algae Eaters, Amano shrimp, Ottos, etc. They helped you keep the algae at bay.

However, today I see less and less of the CUC being talked about. Even having a CUC is a question. For example, I haven't had a CUC in my last two tanks besides the hitchhiking snails. Algae was controlled by proper horticultural techniques, not physical removal by the CUC.

What's your opinion on this? Are CUC still necessary? Do you have any?
 
I don’t actively add those types of creatures for the cleanup purposes, but I do add them because I like certain ones. I really enjoy Malaysian trumpet snails, and Amano shrimp.
 
I use cherry shrimp in my main tank solely to eat decaying leaves. They’re extremely efficient at eating dead algae and melting plants. I’m away from the tank for extended periods and with very dense growth they help manage the decaying plant mass.
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A large group of Otos or young bushy nose plecos is also the best method to get over a GDA problem. I prefer Otos since plecos tend to bulldoze.
 
Chris Hendy said:
I use cherry shrimp in my main tank solely to eat decaying leaves. They’re extremely efficient at eating dead algae and melting plants. I’m away from the tank for extended periods and with very dense growth they help manage the decaying plant mass.
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A large group of Otos or young bushy nose plecos is also the best method to get over a GDA problem. I prefer Otos since plecos tend to bulldoze.
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I like using cherry shrimp also. My cleanest tank is over run with them. I started with 6 or 8 and have thousands now. They even started turning yellow and orange from all the inbreeding. Otos are hard to come by here, we’ll healthy ones anyway. I’ll pass on any more bristle noses. I have a couple dozen and I’m constantly culling more babies. I thought it would be neat to have a breeding pair…..
 
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Chris Hendy said:
I use cherry shrimp in my main tank solely to eat decaying leaves.
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This is a great tip. I've never done this but may try it. Do you find any problems keeping them with low KH?
 
I'm going to try them again soon.
 
I keep cories. No they dont eat algae, but they eat food that falls on the ground, and their foraging stirs up mulm and detritus and resuspends it in the water column giving the filter another shot at it.

I have hitchiker snails as I gave up trying to eradicate them.

I have some American Flag fish,but havent been all that impressed with their efficacy.

Horticultural practices and nutrient , hardness, stability and weekly water changeshave been the best tips on controlling algae for me.

And I just realized everything was being underlined.. And too tired to go retype it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fixed! Thanks for replying, @Pepere!

I used to keep Cories but found that I don't feed enough for them to do well with leftovers. At that point, I needed to buy and use tabs or go without the Cories. As I travel a lot, I had to go without as I didn't have a way to autofeed the tabs.

I've never tried the American Flag fish but always heard it was a good algae eater. Have you tried shrimp?
 
The Flag Fish do indeed eat Algae…. But they were notas hungry as my Algae growth was before I learned maintenance tips to reduce Algae.

unfortunately all freshwater shrimp are banned in my state.
 
Pepere said:
The Flag Fish do indeed eat Algae…. But they were notas hungry as my Algae growth was before I learned maintenance tips to reduce Algae.

unfortunately all freshwater shrimp are banned in my state.
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Interesting, which state?
 
The State of Maine prides itself on having the most restrictive rules for tropical fish keeping.

saltwater fish keeping though, pretty much anything goes…
 
Pepere said:
The State of Maine prides itself on having the most restrictive rules for tropical fish keeping.

saltwater fish keeping though, pretty much anything goes…
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Really? Why is it such an issue in Maine?
 
Art said:
Why is it such an issue in Maine?
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My leading suspicion is a combination of laziness and fear.

we have a whitelist of accepted fish. I dont think any have been added for a few decades. Yes, there are provisions to petition for an addition but the burden of information and documentation to add a species means none will be added without a very string financial incentive to add one. It makes the job of Inland fisheries easier, they dont need to take time or effort considering new fish. And by the same token, there is a fear of overlooking something in the approval process and fear of unintended consequences…
 
Interesting. Here in Florida, they are more concerned with noxious weeds getting into the waterways. Although, many are already there. So, for example, Hygrophila polysperma is banned for retail sale.
 
Well, more specifically Maine has a ban on keeping any approved tropical fish in outdoor containers or ponds…

goldfish are fine to keep in home tanks.

Now if you have a fishing license you can legally keep native baitfish in an outdoor pond or container. But they are not allowed to be kept with non native fish, so if overwintering they would need a separate indoor tank.

Specifically the law does not say you can keep baitfish as pets, but you are allowed to keep them live between “fishing trips”.

it is sort of a grey area that some exploit.

Maine lakes have experienced significant problems with variable leaf millfoil that is assumed to have escaped the aquarium trade.

There are indeed several banned plants as well.
 
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