What fish eat waste in aquarium?
- Thread starter ReyeZ
- Start date
Sometimes my adult mascara barbs will follow other fish and eat the feces. Been doing this for years, I have two of these barbs well over 6 years old and in great shape.
I do not know about fish eating poop,but my Flt turtle loves to eat it.I think the bacteria helps him digest food in his gut,or maybe its like a good meal it taste better the second day lol.
Not a fish, but ive had a thriving breeding colony of ghost shrimp in my sump before and they only got detritus for food. There wasnt even algae to graze on since it was a sump.
Not all detritus is fecal matter. Some of it is plant material, uneaten food, other organic waste products that naturally come from a live system such as an aquarium. Detritovorous species are good at sifting through it in its detritus form... that brown mass of organic waste that pools up at the bottom... taking what they can eat and ignoring what they cant. It's how they live in the wild, too.
Vacuuming and water changes are key...
However...some fish do help, although they aren't meant to replace human responsibilities.
Corydoras help...IMO
Also...is there a fish that seeks out feces..technically speaking...Yes...
Know why a Scat is named a Scat?
Scat AKA Scatophagidae - from Greek skatos meaning "feces" and phagein meaning "eat"
However...some fish do help, although they aren't meant to replace human responsibilities.
Corydoras help...IMO
Also...is there a fish that seeks out feces..technically speaking...Yes...
Know why a Scat is named a Scat?
Scat AKA Scatophagidae - from Greek skatos meaning "feces" and phagein meaning "eat"
In the Camden Adventure Aquarium, there is a hippo tank kept with hundreds of Malawian cichlids where you can observe cichlids eating Hippos poop.
http://www.adventureaquarium.com/Wh...ents/Hippo-Haven.aspx?icid=Rotator-HippoHaven
Except its own.goldfish make a LOT of chemical waste, not only from the rear but from their respiration.
I have a single pleco in my 125, hes the worst offender of all. Constantly feeding with the other fish at feeding time as if he doesnt know hes not a cichlid... and usally trailing 4 or 5 inches of poop behind him. he was one dollar and about 2 inches less than a month ago, now hes pushing 4-5 inches. all he does is eat and poop.
