Turbo Snail poop, BAD?
- Thread starter FLOPPYFISH
- Start date
Taste it and see.... 
(j/k)
If it accumulates, then you will have trouble with water quality in the future. Instead of siphoning it out, you could increase your water turnover or give your system weekly blasts with either a small powerhead or turkey baster and have it removed via the skimmer.
I don't think that 4 snails are too many for a 20g.
Mitch
(j/k)If it accumulates, then you will have trouble with water quality in the future. Instead of siphoning it out, you could increase your water turnover or give your system weekly blasts with either a small powerhead or turkey baster and have it removed via the skimmer.
I don't think that 4 snails are too many for a 20g.
Mitch
Mitch, are you done with your humping....err, I meant bouncing for the day? :twisted:
Floppy, if you don't have enough detrivores to finish up snail poops, you should increase flows in the tank to have them picked up by either mechanical filtration or skimmer.
Floppy, if you don't have enough detrivores to finish up snail poops, you should increase flows in the tank to have them picked up by either mechanical filtration or skimmer.
I'm not sure if cukes will ingest snail dung directly. The best detrivore in my experience for this use is the terebellid (spaghetti) worm. They seem to have a particular fondness for post-ingestion snail sausages.
Actually, I have been told that these little processed algae excrements are encased in a thin membrane like a sausage. If they are consumed before the casing breaks down then so much the better. That will limit the nutrient release back into the water column.
Your question about nutrient levels prior to ingestion versus after ingestion is a good one to keep in mind. Before an algae is consumed it is not contributing to the nutrient level in the system. In fact, it is a consumer of nutrients, albeit an unwanted one. Once it is eaten the nutrients which were captured in its tissue (and weren't in the water column) are made available to the consuming animal. A percentage is incorporated into the animals tissue or expended as energy. This percentage is typically far less than 50%. The remainder is excreted and if it breaks down before being eaten, then those nutrients add to the nutrient levels of the water column.
That's why not having a complete food chain in terms of detrivores can be such a problem. If nothing eats the snail poop, and it's not removed manually or mechanically, then it winds up in the water column and gets utilized to grow more algae, a viscious cycle. My opinion only.
Actually, I have been told that these little processed algae excrements are encased in a thin membrane like a sausage. If they are consumed before the casing breaks down then so much the better. That will limit the nutrient release back into the water column.
Your question about nutrient levels prior to ingestion versus after ingestion is a good one to keep in mind. Before an algae is consumed it is not contributing to the nutrient level in the system. In fact, it is a consumer of nutrients, albeit an unwanted one. Once it is eaten the nutrients which were captured in its tissue (and weren't in the water column) are made available to the consuming animal. A percentage is incorporated into the animals tissue or expended as energy. This percentage is typically far less than 50%. The remainder is excreted and if it breaks down before being eaten, then those nutrients add to the nutrient levels of the water column.
That's why not having a complete food chain in terms of detrivores can be such a problem. If nothing eats the snail poop, and it's not removed manually or mechanically, then it winds up in the water column and gets utilized to grow more algae, a viscious cycle. My opinion only.
hello floppyfish,
Here's reefs.org hitchhikers worm pic.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/img/faq_bristle.jpg
The hitchhikers FAQ has some really good information.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/index.html
Here's reefs.org hitchhikers worm pic.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/img/faq_bristle.jpg
The hitchhikers FAQ has some really good information.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/index.html
Spaghetti worms are available many places. Two commercial sources online that I know of are IPSF.com and InlandAquatics.com. Both great businesses, and would be able to get you lots of spaghetti worms. Many people on this and other boards also sell detritovore packages from their tanks, and include Spaghetti Worms.
I myself have a lot of them all over my tanks, and find they are awesome at cleaning up. Even when feeding heavily, after a few minutes, all the stuff that was drifting through the water and collecting on th sandbed, has started to form clumps. A few minutes later, the clumps have all these tentacles appearing around and outside them. A few minutes later... and the clumps of extra food are gone.
Great Animal to have in a tank. They do well in Sandbed's and on LR as well. So long as the Rock is Porous and there's somewhere for the worm to place it's bodie, you're A-OK.
- Mac
I myself have a lot of them all over my tanks, and find they are awesome at cleaning up. Even when feeding heavily, after a few minutes, all the stuff that was drifting through the water and collecting on th sandbed, has started to form clumps. A few minutes later, the clumps have all these tentacles appearing around and outside them. A few minutes later... and the clumps of extra food are gone.
Great Animal to have in a tank. They do well in Sandbed's and on LR as well. So long as the Rock is Porous and there's somewhere for the worm to place it's bodie, you're A-OK.
- Mac
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