Best bottom feeder for mbunas

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Deadeye

Deadeye

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I’ve been looking to add some non cichlid activity to my 36 gallon mbuna tank, but because of tank size and large, established mbunas (zebra, johanni, auratus, kenyi - I think) it seems really hard to find a good fit (or a large enough Bristlenose pleco). Really just to add some more life, I’d rather not just keep packing in mbunas. Ideally I would like something that would help eat some uneaten food (once a pellet touches the ground they ignore it, and won’t touch floating pellets :duh:). I can’t seem to find any easily available synos that will fit in the tank. Plecos seem hit or miss. I’ve heard good things about botias? I know firemouths will pick through substrate for food, but having watched how they behaved with a convict I can’t imagine a fm faring better (unless it looks different enough in shape/pattern to be fine?).
So I guess the question is what are some non-mbuna fish that will coexist but also pull their weight in the tank? Have I already answered my question? Is the only good bottom feeder a gravel vacuum?

Thanks in advance
 
My front runner is a syno, it just seems like selling size is always small enough to get killed, unless mbunas would ignore them? What species would you recommend in a 36 for life?
 
I'm curious if the reason why they won't touch pellets on the ground because there is enough food to go around to get more than full? I wonder if you drastically reduce the amount fed and how often if they will go to grazing (like most mbunas do) on the substrate. Or maybe they are not hungry enough to touch floating pellets? I know that NLS Algaemax will float for a period of time before sinking due to surface agitation.
 
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Deadeye said:
My front runner is a syno, it just seems like selling size is always small enough to get killed, unless mbunas would ignore them? What species would you recommend in a 36 for life?
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aquatic arts has some real cool ones for sure. What about an upside down catfish? Have you thought about dwarf frogs?
 
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KATALEKEEPER said:
aquatic arts has some real cool ones for sure. What about an upside down catfish? Have you thought about dwarf frogs?
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Upside downs used to be easily available, haven’t seen them nearby in years though. I love dwarf frogs, but I’d give one 10 minutes in that tank before it becomes a tadpole.
Rocksor said:
I'm curious if the reason why they won't touch pellets on the ground because there is enough food to go around to get more than full? I wonder if you drastically reduce the amount fed and how often if they will go to grazing (like most mbunas do) on the substrate. Or maybe they are not hungry enough to touch floating pellets? I know that NLS Algaemax will float for a period of time before sinking due to surface agitation.
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I feed the api sinking pellets. I may just never see them grazing. I’m sure they are and I just don’t notice. From what I’ve watched though they just like to only take them as they are sinking. Usually after about 20 minutes they will take the floating ones. I usually don’t feed a lot to encourage them eating every last pellet.
 
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Deadeye said:
Upside downs used to be easily available, haven’t seen them nearby in years though. I love dwarf frogs, but I’d give one 10 minutes in that tank before it becomes a tadpole.

I feed the api sinking pellets. I may just never see them grazing. I’m sure they are and I just don’t notice. From what I’ve watched though they just like to only take them as they are sinking. Usually after about 20 minutes they will take the floating ones. I usually don’t feed a lot to encourage them eating every last pellet.
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aquatic arts sells upside downs :)
 
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