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Anon Promotes Shrimp Farming (i.imgur.com)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/greentext@sh.itjust.works
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[–] 8 points 4 months ago (1 child)

So, forgive my ignorance, because I really don't know what I'm talking about, but isn't it possible to use oysters and/or snails to filter and clean your tank in lieu of a mechanical filter? Or does that have a lot of issues I'm unaware of along the way

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Snails can eat leftover food waste so it doesn't decompose in the water, but they still excrete waste of their own so it doesn't completely eliminate ammonia. Filter feeders can help prevent algal blooms, but many have precise requirements that aren't compatible with most tank set ups.

    There is something called the wallsted method though, and the concept is to use a planted tank with low bioload and enough plants to consume the ammonia that's produced. It doesn't work for every setup though, it's more of a niche thing that requires a bit of planning to pull off

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    A deep substrate can also help filter ammonia. My 75 gallon freshwater tank requires very little in filter cleaning and water changes thanks to a good cleanup crew, lots of surface area for bacteria, deep-ish substrate, and lots of plants.

    Our marine tank is similar. That tank also has a second smaller tank beneath, called a sump, where there is extra rock and biomedia for beneficial bacteria. That tank has a second lighting system set to an opposite photoperiod from the main tank and has a specific type of macroalgae (chaeto) which gobbles up phosphates during the main tank's night hours.

    It can be a delicate balancing act getting it all working well, but when tanks get established it gets to be fairly routine keeping it all going.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    My 75 gallon freshwater tank requires very little in filter cleaning and water changes thanks to a good cleanup crew, lots of surface area for bacteria, deep-ish substrate, and lots of plants.

    (Emphasis added).

    Yes, deeper substrates can support more beneficial bacteria, but without those plants it wouldn't be enough to replace frequent water changes. That's kind of the whole point. And the wallsted method does include deeper substrates than usual.

    Also, you don't want your substrate to be too deep, because it can cause anaerobic bacteria to bloom, and those aren't the kind you want.

    That sump filled with chaeto sounds like a cool setup though, especially with the inverted day/night cycle

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah, deep substrates without someone rooting around in them to aerate can be a time bomb. I got (un)lucky and have a massive malaysian trumpet snail population that keeps the bottom well churned. They're considered a pest but I've recruuted some assassin snails and we have a spotted congo puffer that loves his crunchy snacks.

    All the little white shells you see along the bottom here are trumpet snails. My substrate is a writhing mass:

    I have a video of it moving but lemmy wasn't letting me copy paste it like I can with pics.

    On vacation with no pics of the sump on my phone but below are Fishadelphia (where It's Always Sunny) 75g, Lady and Her Shramps 20g, and the School of Rock 125g:

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Nice loaches

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    Thanks! I didn't know they were large until we had a visit from the local fish store for some maintenance help with the marine tank. 12 and 13 inchss puts then at the top end for tank raised dojos, so we're doing something right.

    They're such fun fish. They'll swim right up to your hand and let you pet them.

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