Planted tanks

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Mymonsterfish

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 25, 2013
208
1
18
St Paul, MN
A fully planted tank (aquascaping). Does it need to be siphoned for poop or does the poo get used by plants for food. How is it on maintenance?

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If your tank is heavily planted, and lightly stocked, you may find fish waste is not a problem. But plants use chemical nutrients from solid waste that has already been broken down by a myriad of other animals.
In nature worms, crustaceans and molluscs, etc, break down waste into smaller pieces that are broken down then again, by rotifers, and smaller nematode worms, and other microscopic life.
In aquariums, fish tend to eat the macro animals that are the initial stage of waste breakdown.
Although some of the shrimp, and small nocturnal snails that live within the substrate, are available, and do a pretty good job of breaking it down for plant use.

 
The fish typically kept in planted tanks will not produce the copious amounts of waste that are required to be removed by physical means. And yes many plant species will use the by-products of waste to feed, like Java fern does.
 
Personally, I don't siphon crud out at all since some of my tanks are really heavily planted, but you could carefully if you want to if you would rather not see any unpleasant fecal matter laying around.

Once the poop settles and decays away on the bottom, it becomes the decent food source for the plants in the tank.
 
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