What eats *crap*?

[bonolover]

I have a 20 gal tank that is 9 weeks old. I started with CC but switched to LS last weekend. I currently have a cleaner shrimp, saron shrimp, halloween crab, 3 tiny blue leg hermit crabs and 2 astrea snails. After reading the posts here, I don't think I want to get a starfish. So what can I get to eat the *crap* that is on my sand bed?

 

[sodium, chlorine, hydrogen2, oxegen]

Im not an expert on *crap* but wont the LS(bacteria and worms) eat the *crap*? I thought they would?

 

[goofyreefer]

Had to laugh when i saw that topic title. That would be on my top ten for sure. Good question though since I'm in a similiar situation. Do snail scavenge on the sand or within the sand bed?

 

[bonolover]

Glad I made you laugh - was trying to be polite!!! But I've good a lot of *crap* in the tank. It's got to be coming from my shrimps, and possibly my halloween crab, cuz my blue hermits are tiny (putting out the size *crap* I have would give those little guys hemmoriods!). About my snails, they do a good job on keeping my brown algae off, but they pretty much stay on the rocks. Every time they need to move to another rock, they seem to use the sides of the tank to move around, not really liking the sand too much.

 

[susiepan]

The crap is probably coming from your snails, cuz I'll tell you, mine crap up a storm...It amazes me..but anyway..if you have LS..the brisle worms will eat the poop..with out a doubt..Im not sure your LS bed is deep enough though..
~Susie

 

[fishfreek]

ijji, that was a very good post, really, no "crap".

 

[karvis]

hermit carbs. i think some snails do to. bristle worms let the crap and bacteria escape.

 

[kris walker]

Guys, there seems to be lots of talk about what goes into these critters. Are you suggesting nothing comes out?
kris

 

[tellico tornado]

The "crap" your talking about???? is it brown looks really bad and smells when you wipe it off your glass? IF so this is not crap at all, this is Diatom Blooms. Algae that feeds on silicates in your water. You can correct this problem by doing frequent water changes... about 10% every two weeks. So in your case dip out 2 gallons every two weeks, and replace with two gallons of freshly mixed saltwater. Also you can add several hermit crabs they eat detritus or "crap" on the sand bed. Snails just clean the surface and glass, and hermits to an extent only clean the surface of your sand and rocks but they get a little deeper. If you want something that litteraly "EATS" sand and "Craps" out GOOD CLEAN sand then get a cucumber or a realllly good deep Live Sand Bed.

 

[kris walker]

Okay, I'm learning here, so bare with me. Cucumbers, hermits, bristleworms, all these things don't crap themselves? I always thought they pooped too, which means then you are replacing poop with other poop.
Of course, if there is left-over poop, it can eventually decay away.
kris

 

[kris walker]

Anybody going to reply to set me straight? If not, I assume that everyone is simply ignoring this issue, and that critters really do not magically eat crap without crapping themselves, i.e. no net crap removal by critters.
kris

 

[bonolover]

Kris, I agree that what goes in must come out. That's why I question what will clean this up. I have read several times where someones sand bed is pristine. So I wonder, how is that? And what bothers me is that there are no fish in there right now. If I can't keep up with it now, how am I gonna keep up with it when I get fish? So I guess I'm just as confused as you. So anyone with a clean sandbed wanna guess as to why they don't have the *crap* problem that I do.

 

[sodium, chlorine, hydrogen2, oxegen]

Well, i do eat crap. I will charge $10 per hour,How does that sound? Well, if your not up to that, get a tiger cucumber. They will eat *CRAP* and *CRAP* the *CRAP* out into tiny balls. These balls contain certen bacteria that will help the sand bed. Now, the snails eat the algea, *CRAP* the algea, and leave it. Same as the hermets. So, thats when the cucumbers and sand sifting stars come in to eat the *CRAP*. It's the cicle of life. Get it? Good. Wait, actully, if you have a DSB, forget about the star. They will eat all the good critters in the DSB. Well, the cucumber idea worked. If you have any questions about the cicle of life, ask me. And, sorry if i used the *CRAP* word too much. I was trying to sound nice. If you have any probs w/ this, i will be more than happy to edit my post.

 

[bonolover]

When i eventually get fish, I want a very passive tank which is why I have ruled out the stars (read that they could eat sleeping fish). So your idea of a cucumber sounds good to me. But, are they toxic in any way. Are you suggesting ONLY the tiger cucumber, or will any do? Thanks for this idea.

 

[sodium, chlorine, hydrogen2, oxegen]

Well, some cucumbers are toxic when stressed or they have died. I have 2 tiger cucumbers and i am 99.9% they will not realess any toxins. Thats why i recommended them to you. There are much more cucumbers that are not toxic, just I havent had any experience with them yet. But watch out for some. They could wipe out you whole tank. And, i have noticed you said you read a book and they said the star could eat sleaping fish. Thats not all true. I know the some serpents, brittles, and coco stars will eat fish. Some, like the sand sifting star and the linka(im not 100 in this one) will be reef safe and wont really eat fish. I really wouldnt recommend the sand sifting cuase you have a DSB. The stars are better in CC.