urchin add to bioload?

[greebs]

I've noticed lately that my pincushion urchin sure leaves a lot behind, if you know what I mean. I've got to add to my janitorial staff because I've lost some crabs and other cleaners. But does anything clean up what Mr. urchin leaves behind? I've been giving strong consideration to returning him to lfs if they'll take him and now that I've actually come to realize the mess he makes, I'm even more inclined to do so, but if getting my janitor numbers back up will take care of it, then I'm not so concerned

 

[saltyrich]

If I'm not mistaken, inverts do not contribute to your bioload.

 

[jonthefb]

if he is droppin deuces like your saying, im sure hes contributing. try some hermits or cerith snails, or maybe a nice small brittle star!
good luck
jon

 

[saltyrich]

jon,
I'm certain I read on a post that inverts do not contribute SUBSTANTIALLY to the bioload. I'm interested in your response. I think this is a great topic of information sharing I'd like to know more about. I know trochus snails dump it out too. I hope others can add to this!

 

[jonthefb]

IMO, inverts always contribute to the biolad. However their degree of contribution is what is questionable. i think that if an urchin such as greebs' is consuming algae a t a nominal rate and then producing waste from it it woud contribute significantly more that the hermit who feeds on the urchins droppings. if the scales of the urchin and a bicolor were weighed and the intake/export of nutrients were the same would you then say that they contribute to the bioload in the same manner? corals are a whole nother discussion, because corals surely are animals, of which most consume food for energy other than that which they use from their zooxanthellae. and the wastes from these foods are then excreted along with dead zooxanthellae from the main oral opening. and then you have sps corals such as acroporids and such who mainly get theire energy form the products of thier zooxanthellae and photosynthesis, and who never reall intake or export much in the way of organic matter. how then do we consider the bioload of the corals and at what point do our systems reach carrying capacity? i think this is an interesting discussion and would like to hear more aobut what other members think.
sorry to ramble on like this!
good luck
jon

 

[rsd]

From what I've read and been told many snails and detritus eaters (poop eaters my wife calls em) take in the food, "wrap" it in mucus like a sausage(digestive enzymes and stuff) where it is partially digested and absorbed and the rest comes out ast that tan colored dropping we see. The enzymes and digestive juices com=ntinue breaking the material down to be eaten and absorbed by smaller detrivours... so really if a detrivour eats detritus and leaves behind detritus(missing some edible bits) would they really ADD that much? waste - a bit of waste = waste.. no much change.
Algea eaters...I could see adding alittle. Living material becoming waste = waste
Just a thought

 

[angelofdeath132]

yummy!