Aquarium bugs

[esoxlucius]

The long term goal for many of us when trying to create the perfect environment for our fish is to try and replicate what they'd encounter in the wild, in our aquariums. The water they actually live in, of course, is number one, but substrate, rocks, pebbles, various types of wood, and of course plants all add to the mix too. These are all things that not only make the fish feel at home, but are nice on the eye for us the viewer too.

However, all these things are all very well but in the wild there are all manner of tiny bugs too. Copepods, detritus worms, hydra, water fleas, daphnia, seed shrimp, freshwater limpet, tubifex, nematodes, etc etc. A quick search on this stuff shows there is a vast array of bugs that can live side by side with our fish, often ending up as food, which fits in with our 'natural' goal, right?

But during my searches on these various critters there was one common, and surprising element that stuck out. It seems that most of these bugs thrive in conditions that may be good for them, but not necessarily our fish. Possibly the most common example would be detritus worms. If you want to avoid such bugs the common prevention/eradication method is to ensure "regular aquarium maintainance and proper filtration".

The message i'm getting from it is if you want critters in your 'natural' tank, adding to the overall benefit for your fish, then let your maintainance slip considerably. So.....critters thrive, fish suffer!

I realise that if you breed fish, shrimps or snails then most of these bugs are unwelcome anyway as many of them would feast on the eggs and/or tiny young. But if those elements of the hobby don't apply to your set up is there a way of having these critters in your tank without having to let your maintainance slip.

 

[duanes]

This is why I believe refugiums are as important to fresh water tanks, as they are to reef/salt water tanks.
I had a tendency when living in the states use small tanks such as 20s, and 40 breeders in sunlit areas to grow bog plants, snails shrimp, algae, and as many of the other critters you mention.
Of course some would occasionally overflow into the main fish tanks.





Because they were "in line" with my main tanks, when water was changed in the main tanks, therefugiums also received the benefits, although I usually never vacuumed or cleaned them, I considered the detritus as part of the system.
But in many cases these critters also over flow into sumps and algae scrubbers, doing quite well there too.

 

[Deadeye]

Ever since I started my reef and found all of the microorganisms in there, I’ve also been interested in seeing how it could be done with freshwater. I think part of it involves a large enough tank where these bugs can thrive while proper maintenance for the fish can still be done.

 

[twentyleagues]

This is why I believe refugiums are as important to fresh water tanks, as they are to reef/salt water tanks.
I had a tendency when living in the states use small tanks such as 20s, and 40 breeders in sunlit areas to grow bog plants, snails shrimp, algae, and as many of the other critters you mention.
Of course some would occasionally overflow into the main fish tanks.
View attachment 1447587
View attachment 1447588
View attachment 1447589
View attachment 1447590
View attachment 1447591
Because they were "in line" with my main tanks, when water was changed in the main tanks, therefugiums also received the benefits, although I usually never vacuumed or cleaned them, I considered the detritus as part of the system.
But in many cases these critters also over flow into sumps and algae scrubbers, doing quite well there too.
View attachment 1447592

This is imperative for the intended species to survive. It gives them the "safety" to breed. Mulm is important I feel for them but it's "unsightly" in your main tank that's why a sump is perfect. As long as you can keep nitrate in check mulm will cause no harm and actually is beneficial for the health of the fauna you want to propagate.

 

[FreshyFresh]

The message i'm getting from it is if you want critters in your 'natural' tank, adding to the overall benefit for your fish, then let your maintainance slip considerably. So.....critters thrive, fish suffer!

That's a very wise statement.

It's all about the balance. IMO, trying to maintain that balance will be too precarious for most fish.

 

[tlindsey]

esoxlucius great question and I agree with everyone above.

 

[tlindsey]

esoxlucius great question and I agree with everyone above.

Coepods and other microorganisms help greatly especially when fish decide to spawn imo.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Through my own research, while filters are useful. I noticed to usually recreate a natural environment for fish, is to usually under stock it, heavily plant it, and no filter. Though this usually would work with only smaller fish in a much larger tank, the tank will mostly be self sustaining besides for water top offs/small water changes, or taking out some fish/invertebrates if they are over populating. The small critters act as food for the fish(a lot of my fish would usually love to hunt a copepod), the fish fry act as food for larger critters. One day I’ll like to try both, instead of either a self sustaining critter vase or a heavily planted tank with very few fish, and have nice low maintenance tank, but that will probably be a 20+ gallon tank depending on the size of the fish.

 

[duanes]

Its not so much letting maintenance slip in the main tanks, but allowing mulm and debris build up only in refugiums or sumps, where animals like shrimp break it down even further.
In many cases that mulm is a place where pathogenic bacteria could proliferate if in a main tank, but in a refugium, the tiny desired animals keep it in balance.
In the main tanks, the tiny animals that would keep balance are usually eaten by the fish, allowing only "non-desired animals" to overwhelm, and potentially cause disease.
The every other day water changes performed in my main tanks, also changes water in the in-line refugiums, by default helping to maintain aerobic conditions, and maintain a nitrate level of @ 10ppm or less.

 

[BIG-G]

Through my own research, while filters are useful. I noticed to usually recreate a natural environment for fish, is to usually under stock it, heavily plant it, and no filter. Though this usually would work with only smaller fish in a much larger tank, the tank will mostly be self sustaining besides for water top offs/small water changes, or taking out some fish/invertebrates if they are over populating. The small critters act as food for the fish(a lot of my fish would usually love to hunt a copepod), the fish fry act as food for larger critters. One day I’ll like to try both, instead of either a self sustaining critter vase or a heavily planted tank with very few fish, and have nice low maintenance tank, but that will probably be a 20+ gallon tank depending on the size of the fish.

Reading thin made me think of this video.
Interesting how some critters thrive in low maintenance fish less systems.