Any fish that eat fish waste?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I've seen videos of barbs and Tilapia buttikoferi eat feces as it is torpedoing from a hippo rectum.
But in our world, that's what aquarium vacuum siphons are for, and in the end, makes for healthier fish, especially when you have to replace old water with new.
 
Hello; Much will depend on the food that a fish eats. Many vegetarian type fish have relatively inefficient digestion and their feces can contain a portion of partly digested material that still contains food value. Even so I know of no fish that we keep in aquariums that will keep the material from showing up. As already mentioned if such a fish existed it would also produce poop. Eventually the feces would have no food value at all and would be showing up in the tank.

Improving the movement of water and the filtration can be a help as already mentioned.

I like to keep snails in my tanks. They contribute several benefits to a tank. They will work on the fish feces getting the remaining food value out and additionally will break the stuff into much finer material. The finer material should move in the water column much easier. Snails also eat any food the fish miss and other organic material.
 
Hello; Much will depend on the food that a fish eats. Many vegetarian type fish have relatively inefficient digestion and their feces can contain a portion of partly digested material that still contains food value. Even so I know of no fish that we keep in aquariums that will keep the material from showing up. As already mentioned if such a fish existed it would also produce poop. Eventually the feces would have no food value at all and would be showing up in the tank.

Improving the movement of water and the filtration can be a help as already mentioned.

I like to keep snails in my tanks. They contribute several benefits to a tank. They will work on the fish feces getting the remaining food value out and additionally will break the stuff into much finer material. The finer material should move in the water column much easier. Snails also eat any food the fish miss and other organic material.

I've always been afraid to get snails because I heard they reproduce like crazy or something? I've never owned one.


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Although no fish eat fish waste, you may consider getting some bottom dwellers that will sift through the waste and stir it up, allowing for your filtration more time to get it. Cory cats are good for this, but are peaceful and don't do well with aggressive fish.

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I've always been afraid to get snails because I heard they reproduce like crazy or something? I've never owned one.


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Hello; I have had tanks overrun with snails myself. over many years I have discovered that the problem with snail overpopulation was due to my overfeeding. The snail numbers no longer get out of hand as I have finally learned the hard way about feeding. It took me many years.

If you get ramshorn snails and they do become too numerous, they can become a live food snack for the fish. I keep a small set of pliers or hemostats around and will crush a few and fed them to the fish. I learned the hard way that crushing them with my fingers is not a good idea. Since going to a more careful feeding procedure and skipping a day or two a week with no feeding, the snails are not an issue. They seem to be doing the task of working on the algae and cleaning up any excess food much better. I also suspect that feeding less and not so often has helped with somewhat better water quality over time. I first began to suspect this many years back when I would come back from a few days away and find my tanks looking better than before I left.

There are some snails that do not reproduce in fresh water but are reported to lay a lot of unsightly unfertilized eggs about.

At any rate I have found my tanks do better with snails. I have tried with and without them and now have them in almost all tanks. I will not introduce them into a breeding setup until after the fish eggs are hatched.

Good luck
 
Hello; I have had tanks overrun with snails myself. over many years I have discovered that the problem with snail overpopulation was due to my overfeeding. The snail numbers no longer get out of hand as I have finally learned the hard way about feeding. It took me many years.

If you get ramshorn snails and they do become too numerous, they can become a live food snack for the fish. I keep a small set of pliers or hemostats around and will crush a few and fed them to the fish. I learned the hard way that crushing them with my fingers is not a good idea. Since going to a more careful feeding procedure and skipping a day or two a week with no feeding, the snails are not an issue. They seem to be doing the task of working on the algae and cleaning up any excess food much better. I also suspect that feeding less and not so often has helped with somewhat better water quality over time. I first began to suspect this many years back when I would come back from a few days away and find my tanks looking better than before I left.

There are some snails that do not reproduce in fresh water but are reported to lay a lot of unsightly unfertilized eggs about.

At any rate I have found my tanks do better with snails. I have tried with and without them and now have them in almost all tanks. I will not introduce them into a breeding setup until after the fish eggs are hatched.

Good luck


+1!

Overfeeding practices produce the 2nd highest death rate amongst fish in aquaria, imo snails are the least of your worries if your tossing in handfuls of food (not saying you)

As said above water quality, algae, nitrates etc will all add up to some costly/timely maintenance but snails maintained in a healthy environment not only look natural but they consume algae and waste not to mention they clean/stir the substrate and in planted aquariums trumpet snails can be very beneficial by digging in sub and mixing it up.

Just buy a couple and try em out.


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Cheap way to decrease nitrates and keep your fish healthy: http://monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504763
 
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