Tropical Bottom Dwellers
The characteristics of bottom dwelling fish are almost the mirror opposite to those of surface dwellers. The bottom of the fish is completely flat which allows their mouths to get as close to the bottom as possible in order to find food. Having a flat underside means the fish will not be swept away by fast flowing water currents. While not being entirely bottom dwelling, the some Catfish have a sucker for a mouth that allows them to attach themselves to rocks and suck off algae from the rocks while there.
The Bronze Catfish
This Catfish has no scales, instead their skin is covered by a couple of rows of bony plates named scutes. This is one of the few fish that have the capability to rotate each eye independently. Many different variations of this fish have been bred including an albino.The Pleco
This fish is remarkable at removing algae from the aquarium, once they are done removing algae they continue thriving on green foods in the tank. Much of their diet is constituted from vegetable matter so the addition of spinach, lettuce and green peas will go down a treat. They can adjust the level of light they receive through their eyes so the lighting you give the fish is not of the most importance, placing the tank near sunlight will encourage the growth of algae in the tank.The Clown Loach
Having very tiny scales this orange and black striped fish looks very smart and elegant. This fish is very fast moving and a sociable fish, they can grow to 17cm in length and like to be kept in a group, this makes them best suited to a larger tank. It is reported that their skin can become irritated by the use of cleaning chemicals in the tank as their skin is less protected than most fish.Scavengers
With over 2000 species they are considered to be one of the largest fish families, native to South America and Africa. Many tropical fish keepers regard the bottom dwelling fish as scavengers as they eat the remaining foods left by other fish in the tank. This is not to say they will be ok if just left to forage, you can buy fast sinking food tablets that will make up the bulk of their diet.
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