Inverts???
- Thread starter pooh tang
- Start date
jacksonpt
Active Member
Most are scavengers, so they help clean up left over food, pick at algae, etc.. Generally, they help with biological filtration, effectively reducing the bioload. They key though is not to feed them. In most systems, they will find enough leftovers to keep them happy. If you start feeding extra so make sure they get food, you'll end up with problems.
HTH.
HTH.
ophiura
Active Member
Actually, this is not entirely true, because all of those animals produce waste (ammonia). So just because they are eating left-overs, does not mean they remove waste from the equation. Because they are eating, they are producing waste, and that must be taken into account...just as if you had a bunch of extra food rotting away. You can certainly overdo your invert bioload, especially if you go out and buy these huge packages with 50-60 snails for a 30 gallon tank, etc. Definitely. Especially because not all of these animals are scavengers- or can survive simply by scavenging.
What sort of starfish in particular are you talking about? Sand sifters are not good for a sand bed, and eat the critters that scavenge. Reef safe stars can not be put in small tanks, tanks with little LR, or (generally) more than one in tanks under 100g. Non reef safe forms need to be fed, as do brittle/serpent stars.
A lot of shrimp can get into big trouble if simply left to pick up a few extra morsels.
What sort of starfish in particular are you talking about? Sand sifters are not good for a sand bed, and eat the critters that scavenge. Reef safe stars can not be put in small tanks, tanks with little LR, or (generally) more than one in tanks under 100g. Non reef safe forms need to be fed, as do brittle/serpent stars.
A lot of shrimp can get into big trouble if simply left to pick up a few extra morsels.
broomer5
Active Member
Pooh Tang
As mentioned - everything that's "alive" in the tank will either be primairly considered a producer or wastes - a consumer of wastes - but in reality all will be doing both.
The number of consumers/producers will be limited to the carrying capacity of the tank. This "capacity" is different for each of our tanks - and depends a great deal on things we either do OR don't do as individual caretakers.
Filtration, feeding habits, types of creatures in the tank, lighting, nutrient load, water changes ... etc etc
All of these factors, plus a combination of a ton of other variables will either allow us to keep more or less living critters in the tank - including the invert/janitors.
It's a balancing act for sure - and I don't see anyway to answer your question - except by following some very loose guidelines.
I adhere to the 1 janitor per pound of live rock - and so far - this has worked for me, be it a snail, hermit, starfish or whatever.
I doubt any of us are "prepared" to enter into a discussion on how much a snail excretes in waste vs the amount it eats.
I'm sure there are folks in the world that do this - but I don't have that much time to invest in the hobby.
Any marine biologists out there that study hermit crab poop - would be the person better equipped to answer this one.
Suffice it to say - that everything eats and everything produces wastes - and let your own experience with your tank be your guide.
As mentioned - everything that's "alive" in the tank will either be primairly considered a producer or wastes - a consumer of wastes - but in reality all will be doing both.
The number of consumers/producers will be limited to the carrying capacity of the tank. This "capacity" is different for each of our tanks - and depends a great deal on things we either do OR don't do as individual caretakers.
Filtration, feeding habits, types of creatures in the tank, lighting, nutrient load, water changes ... etc etc
All of these factors, plus a combination of a ton of other variables will either allow us to keep more or less living critters in the tank - including the invert/janitors.
It's a balancing act for sure - and I don't see anyway to answer your question - except by following some very loose guidelines.
I adhere to the 1 janitor per pound of live rock - and so far - this has worked for me, be it a snail, hermit, starfish or whatever.
I doubt any of us are "prepared" to enter into a discussion on how much a snail excretes in waste vs the amount it eats.
I'm sure there are folks in the world that do this - but I don't have that much time to invest in the hobby.
Any marine biologists out there that study hermit crab poop - would be the person better equipped to answer this one.
Suffice it to say - that everything eats and everything produces wastes - and let your own experience with your tank be your guide.
