Yep, Kuhli loaches won't eat waste (although they do make great bottomfeeders for small tanks), supposedly however, the Scat (argus fish) will eat fish waste in its natural habitat, which is how it got its common name. I don't know, this may be a myth, but a book I read said it was true.Kuhli loaches do not eat fish wastes. No fish does.
OrionGirl said:Kuhli loaches do not eat fish wastes. No fish does. They may root through it looking for undigested foods, but they will not remove waste from the tank.
Nor does it exlcude fish waste. Specifically, for those who want to be informed, it means any organic waste that makes it to the bottom of the tank. Then, as it all decomposes, it makes the "mud" in the Limnivore definition of "Mud Eater". At that point, any of it that is comsumed can very well have elements of fish waste in it, as it has become homogenous.OrionGirl said:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritus_(biology)
Detritus can be any number of things, including plant matter, dead fish, or bits of food that other fish aren't eating. It does NOT mean fish waste.
Well- let's explain things more clearly then.OrionGirl said:The point I am making is that no fish will remove wastes from the tank, and that it is erroneous to assume that because some fish go through the waste searching for undigested food actually consume and can live off that waste. In other words, saying that a kuhlie loach will eat fish waste implies that they do not need another food source, and this is wrong. Kuhlie loaches should not be relied upon to consume the waste of other fish in the tank.
Actually, some fish do comsume some of the waste from a tank. In turn, they will create their own waste. I never said Kühli will eat ONLY fish waste, nor did I state they LIVE off it exclusively.OrionGirl said:The point I am making is that no fish will remove wastes from the tank
Actually, that is exactly what I am saying. I am saying that they do live in part off of decaying biological waste, including fish poop, on the bottom of the tank. And nobody but you to this point has suggested they live exclusively off of it.OrionGirl said:and that it is erroneous to assume that because some fish go through the waste searching for undigested food actually consume and can live off that waste.
Nobody suggested that. In fact, what I said was "A Kuhli Loach or two might do a great job for you too, as they not only would eat much of the food that hits the bottom (they come out mostly at night though, if they have places to hide during the day), but Kuhli's also eat detritus"OrionGirl said:In other words, saying that a kuhlie loach will eat fish waste implies that they do not need another food source
Again, not something I claimed or recommended.OrionGirl said:Kuhlie loaches should not be relied upon to consume the waste of other fish in the tank.
I love a good informed debate... thanks Indi for adding some clarity as well.indiginess said:in addition to TetraBiota's comments, i would like to add something for clarity.
"fish waste" is too broad of a term for this particular discussion. there are mainly two excrements released into the water. one is nearly all ammonia and water, with some protien chains in solution filtered from the blood by the kidneys. (#1, hehe). i've yet to encounter or come across any animals (macroscopic,that is) that feed on ammonia.
fish feces (#2) is the byproduct and excrement by the digestive tract. it can contain many undigested foods and large carbohydrate chains which ARE the main food for other organisms. in a 'mud,' even more organisms thrive on the feces, ameobiods and invertebrates, for example. another reason fish eat feces.
i love a good debate.