Adding darters or cory cats to a newt tank

[jackj921]

As an experienced tropical fish keeper but a total novice to newts, has this been successfully done? I was thinking of something to eat the left over frozen bloodworms on the bottom of a totally aquatic N kaiseri tank.

 

[Azhael]

I would not house corydoras with any caudate. They have different requirements and therefore housing them together automatically compromises the care of one of the species.
I´m unfamiliar with the darters, but if they live in warm waters, they are not suitable.

Judging by the pictures, they appear to have a spine on the opperculum, which is a dangerous thing if one was to be ingested.

If you want something that eats left-overs, cherry shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda) are a good option. Bare in mind that eating left-overs does not mean taking care of cleaning the tank. Having something that eats un-eaten food is ok but doesn´t solve the problem of cleaning.

 

[Abrahm]

There are a great many good reasons to not keep Corydoras catfish with newts. They compete for territory and they are armed with particularly dangerous spines on their pectoral and dorsal fins. You can read more about fish with newts in the Caudata Culture article, Fish and Newts.

Well, I wouldn't advise housing darters with any newts. While darters generally enjoy cooler waters they also generally prefer a current, can be nervous and are territorial which are all bad signs in a fish to keep with newts.

Considering both are bottom dwelling species there will be fighting for hides, food and good territory. There will be considerable stress on both sets of animals. Darters are amazing little fish and I would really recommend a single species enclosure for their care. Have you read NANFA's excellent article on darter care?

Considering you are specifically asking about Neurergus kaiseri I would highly recommend against keeping this critically endangered animal with any other species. Every care should be taken to provide the absolute best habitat and reduce all possible sources of stress.

Also, as Azhael mentions, these fish wouldn't actually help in clean up besides turning uneaten food into ammonia and other fish waste.