Doo Doo eaters.....................
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I do see my ghost shrimp picking through the fish waste time to time searching for undigested bits of flakes and what have you. They leave the the actual digested and processed waste in the tank and as OrionGirl pointed out, filtration and cleaning are a must. FWIW, plants use the waste as fertilizer to grow, but there is no plant/fish/invertebrate/amphibian combination to date, that I know of, that would use all of the waste and break it down so quickly there was no need for cleaning.
So, if any geneticist out there wants to work on poo-eating fish, you stand to make millions.
So, if any geneticist out there wants to work on poo-eating fish, you stand to make millions.
I actually don't see how "poo-eating" fish would be useful. The fish would eat the waste, and in turn it would pass waste. Either way the waste would still be in the tank.
Worms do a good job of breaking down waste, but they don't eliminate it. I think they do make it easier for plants to process though, and they also help keep the substrate from forming anaerobic pockets. I'm not sure what kind of worm it is that I have, but I have some in my 29 gal. I thought they were bloodworms, but now I'm thinking they are tubifex. I didn't intentionally put them in my tank, but they don't cause any problems and actually I think they are a benefit. If I knew what they were exactly I would get some for my other tank as well.
Worms do a good job of breaking down waste, but they don't eliminate it. I think they do make it easier for plants to process though, and they also help keep the substrate from forming anaerobic pockets. I'm not sure what kind of worm it is that I have, but I have some in my 29 gal. I thought they were bloodworms, but now I'm thinking they are tubifex. I didn't intentionally put them in my tank, but they don't cause any problems and actually I think they are a benefit. If I knew what they were exactly I would get some for my other tank as well.
i once had fish that ate there own poop. my dad calls them poop eaters but their actual name is zebra danios
Aqualung said:
hmm...i think i may have some of what you're talking about. Are they very small and whitish or clear? I dont know if I still have them, but whenever I used to siphon the gravel, they used to come up squirmin.
No, the ones I have are long, thin and reddish colored. I just learned that they are microfex....hopefully I'll have some more on the way soon.