Best bottom feeder for mbunas

[A201]

The best scavengers in my African tank are my four Y. Modesta aka Red Tail Loaches.
They are fearless. Even the big predator Haps leave them alone.
My Red Tails are about five inches & are built like trucks. They are relatively slow growers.
Another benifet, especially in a large tank w/ big hardscape, the Red Tails quickly devour hidden dead fish that fall into the cracks or wedged under rocks. Unexplained fish deaths aren't all that common in my tanks, but those things do happen. Lol.

 

[Deadeye]

I really like those, remind me of rainbow sharks. Would 3 loaches be enough of a school or are more necessary?
Do petricolas need schools or would it be fine solo?
Also how would rainbow sharks be? I’ve heard mixed things there.

 

[Rocksor]

Rainbow and redtail sharks are territorial to anything in it's bottom area. It's not surprising to only be able to keep 1 in a 4 foot long tank. How aggressive will a rainbow/redtail be in an African tank, which is generally more aggressive than a community tank, I never tried it.

 

[Deadeye]

I used to have a rainbow that got itself killed by breeding kribs. Always wanted to give it a try again. It seems like if I could get one as large as the mbunas it would have a shot. Anything too small is a snack.

 

[A201]

My Modesta Red Tails aren't particularly territorial. Three juveniles would likely be fine in your tank. Might need to eventually upgrade to a bigger tank in a couple of years.

 

[Deadeye]

Would yo-yos be a better fit for the tank, or would a small size make them an easier target? Same for skunks?

 

[A201]

YoYos are a really good choice. Be sure to stock only those 1.5 inches or bigger.
I recently stocked five YoYos in my Barb tank. The two less than an inch quickly became lunch. The three bigger ones survived and are doing well.

 

[Deadeye]

Same for skunks?

 

[A201]

IMO, Skunks are tougher than either YoYo's or Red Tails.

 

[Deadeye]

Good to know. I was looking and for the price of 3 red tails I can get 6 skunks (which means happier loaches and better survival rate). Thanks! Purchase size is a bit small though (1-1.5 inch), so if I go with them I may have to grow them a bit.