Pooping Panaque

[russconha]

A couple of weeks ago I added a Royal Panaque o my tank. As expected, he's making mincemeat of my driftwood.

When I was syphonining the sand earlier, I found large piles of droppings. I've never found these before so I can only assume that it's from him.

Is this normal or do you think that it could just be a fibre based driftwood in my tank?

1 Tire track eel
2 Jack Demposey
2 Firemouh
5 Albino tiger Barbs
1 Black Ruby Barb
3 Ancistrus
5 Algae Eaters
1 Royal Panaque

[liv2padl]

it's perfectly normal.

[russconha]

it's perfectly normal.


Cheers fella,

It's gonna be like finding easter eggs, I have so many hiding places for my eel I'm just gonna have to do little bits daily!:Angel:

[Rbishop]

They will never get lost, they just follow their trail back to their main hiding spot. :rolleyes:

[Malefic23]

Don't be suprised if you're sucking up some sawdust with your water changes too. A good panaqe is like keeping a low speed circular saw in the tank.

[russconha]

Your telling me! When I got my tank, it had been left without any attention, so my three bits of bogwood were green and slimy.

My ancistrus and sucking loach cleaned it, but the panaque is now stripping it down and it's ready to varnish!!!!!

[Studdlygoof]

Sounds like a possible buisness opportunity...driftwood restoration possibly?!?

[Rallysman]

Mine crapped more than it ate. I'm not sure how that's possible, but that thing amazed me.

[RoseFishWatcher]

Lots and lots of poop usually means a healthy panaque as far as I know.

And definitely don't remove the wood on him. They need the wood for digestion (roughage I assume).

[wataugachicken]

panaque species (royals and clowns, anyway) actually EAT the wood. it's not an addition to their diets, it IS their diet.

[jm1212]

Mine crapped more than it ate. I'm not sure how that's possible, but that thing amazed me.
theyre EPMs---> just like commons...

Extreme Poop Machines :D

[jm1212]

panaque species (royals and clowns, anyway) actually EAT the wood. it's not an addition to their diets, it IS their diet.
talk about getting your daily fiber requirements.

[Malefic23]

It's not just fiber. Royals have digestive gut bacteria that break down cellulose in the wood and provide them with trace minerals required for their species. Without wood, the bacteria dies, and the royal slowly wastes away over a period of months. So wood is a requirement for life in Royals. They do eat other things, mine loves zuchini, corn, and shrimp pellets, but only occasionally.

Your digestive tract it about 32 feet long. Are'nt you glad you don't have to move that whole thing out every day?

[russconha]

:OT:

My old dog became an EPM. I called him the Anti-Cerberus after the dog with two heads that allegedly guards Hades, except my dog seemed to have one head and two poop-holes!

[russconha]

I'll need a heck of a lot of plecs!