You feed your fish. Your fish poop. The poop turns into algae. You scrape the glass. Repeat. It’s the endless cycle of fishkeeping.
But what if you could hire someone to do the cleaning for you? Enter the Cleanup Crew.
In Malaysia, we are lucky. We have access to some of the best freshwater shrimp and snails in the world for very cheap prices. They are not just “fish food”—they are the hardest working pets you will ever own.
Here is who you should hire (and who you should avoid).
1. The Worker: Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina)
If you walk into a fish shop, you will see tiny red, blue, or yellow shrimp. These are usually Neocaridina.
- Why get them: They spend 24 hours a day picking at algae and leftover food on your gravel and plants. They are fascinating to watch.
- The “Temperature” Trap:
- Buy: Neocaridina (Cherry, Blue Dream, Yellow Fire). They are tough and can survive in our 28°C – 30°C water.
- Avoid: Caridina (Crystal Red Shrimp / CRS). They look like candy canes (Red/White). They are expensive and require cold water (24°C). If you don’t have a chiller, they will die in a week.
- Breeding: If your tank has moss, they will breed like crazy. Soon you will have a colony of hundreds.
2. The Tank Cleaner: Nerite Snails
Most beginners are scared of snails. “Won’t they take over my tank?” Not if you buy the right one.
- The Magic Snail: You want the Nerite Snail (Zebra Nerite or Horned Nerite).
- The Superpower: They eat the hard green spot algae on the glass that even you struggle to scrape off.
- The Safety Lock: Nerite snails lay eggs, but the eggs cannot hatch in freshwater. They need saltwater to hatch. This means they will never overpopulate your tank. You buy 3, you keep 3.
- Avoid: Apple Snails (They grow to the size of a tennis ball and eat your plants) and Pond Snails (They breed uncontrollably).
3. The “Amano” General
The Amano Shrimp (Yamato Shrimp) is the king of algae eaters.
- Pros: They are bigger than Cherry shrimp and eat tougher algae (like Hair Algae).
- Cons: They are clear/grey (boring color) and tend to jump out of the tank if stressed.
The Two Golden Rules of Shrimp Keeping
Before you buy a bag of shrimp, read this:
- The “Copper” Warning: Most fish medications (especially “Anti-Ich” or “Blue Water”) contain Copper. Copper is like cyanide to shrimp. If you pour medication into your tank, you will wipe out your entire shrimp colony in minutes.
- The Predator Warning: To a Betta, a Channa, or an Angelfish, a shrimp is not a friend. It is a premium snack.
- Safe Tank Mates: Guppies, Tetras, Plecos, Corydoras.
- Danger Zone: Anything with a mouth big enough to fit a shrimp.
A tank with just fish feels like a cage. A tank with fish, shrimp, and snails feels like a living world. Start with 5 Red Cherry Shrimp and 2 Horned Nerite Snails. Sit back and watch them scrub your rocks for free.
