fish poop

On the sand issue, I have a question, if you all don't mind. My tank is probably still cycling (established tank that recently moved to my house). It has an ug filter that I am using in conjunction with an HOB aquaclear 150. The ug is run by a 301 power head.

Can i remove all of my substrate and put sponges down under the ug filter (for added bio filtration) and then cover it with sand? Would you recommend taking the fish out? (I don't have another aquarium at the present). So I was thinking of leaving them in and doing a big water change again to take care of the nasty stuff kicked up in the process.

Lastly, what kinda sand (just regular old sand from teh hardware store)?
 
DSR- nice thread hijack :thm:! I'm not too experienced on changing substrate- especially with an undergravel filter, but I do recommend getting another tank set up as a "hospital tank". even if its just a 10g.
 
Kuhlifan said:
This would be me if I didn't have a big pooping machine, aka a pleco. Before I really knew what I was doing, I bought a baby common pleco for algae control (har har). Of course, he's a monster now and literally coats the bottom of my tank with poop daily. I don't think a shop vac could get it all.....
Click to expand...

I've got a 4" Flash Pleco we got to replace our Bristlenose Pleco that jumped ship a couple weeks ago... Good Lord this fish never stops making turds! As soon as I'm done vacuuming up one bunch, he's building a new pile. He's taken to hiding them under plants now too... it's like he's trying to protect his fortune or something! It's just turds Henry! You can't keep them!
 
skmmurphy said:
someones been eating it. i got up thismorning and it was all cleaned up!
Click to expand...

The snails dont eat, I dont think. They seem to break it down into little particles, I dont know why they do this.

I've actually seen my Ghost shrimp eat poop. They must've been starving.
 
DSR said:
On the sand issue, I have a question, if you all don't mind. My tank is probably still cycling (established tank that recently moved to my house). It has an ug filter that I am using in conjunction with an HOB aquaclear 150. The ug is run by a 301 power head.

Can i remove all of my substrate and put sponges down under the ug filter (for added bio filtration) and then cover it with sand? Would you recommend taking the fish out? (I don't have another aquarium at the present). So I was thinking of leaving them in and doing a big water change again to take care of the nasty stuff kicked up in the process.

Lastly, what kinda sand (just regular old sand from teh hardware store)?
Click to expand...


You can't use an under gravel filter with sand. Water just doesn't travel through those fine particles good enough for that. Under gravel filters only work, well, under gravel.
 
DSR said:
On the sand issue, I have a question, if you all don't mind. My tank is probably still cycling (established tank that recently moved to my house). It has an ug filter that I am using in conjunction with an HOB aquaclear 150. The ug is run by a 301 power head.

Can i remove all of my substrate and put sponges down under the ug filter (for added bio filtration) and then cover it with sand? Would you recommend taking the fish out? (I don't have another aquarium at the present). So I was thinking of leaving them in and doing a big water change again to take care of the nasty stuff kicked up in the process.

Lastly, what kinda sand (just regular old sand from teh hardware store)?
Click to expand...


I wouldn't put anything under the sand, I don't see how it would work seeing as how the sand is so fine. As for changing over, you don't need to take all the water out but I would remove the fish. If you can't then just change it in sections. I devided my tank into thirds and each week I will change the next third. Remember to wash the sand at least 2 or 3 times before adding it in.
 
Nobody is eating the poop.
Animals that eat waste are rare, and barely any (if any at all) in the aquatic hobby.

Shrimp sift through the waste for edible material
Snails do the same.

The only way to get rid of wastes is to gravel vac out the waste, or let it break down into material your filter bacteria can use. Eventually the waste breaks down to nitrite(or nitrate I can't remember which) and plants use this up, or you have to manually remove it (gravel vaccing).

When you thought the waste disappeared, it probably was stirred up some by your fish, and then sunk into the gravel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom