Daily poop pick-up?

[MiamiDan]

I finally got my 180g bb tank on an automated water changing system- about 33% daily, aged water...all done with timers. I don't feed beefheart, just frozen bloodworms, flake food, Tetra color bits & shrimp sisctis. Apart from my discus, I got about 10 corydoras, 6 albino bushynose plecos, and 7 giant apple snails. They clean the leftovers so well, that what remains is just collective poop. I used to syphon this out everyday, but now with the automated system (& helpers) I wonder if poop is that bad, that it cannot be picked up every other day or so? :confused: Other than looks, is discus poop harmful in anyway?

[Ryan]

Well, any dissolved wastes in the water leads to a decline in water quality. So yes, the longer it sits on the bottom and dissolves into the water, the more it deteriorates water quality. Most people who have automated systems still take 5 minutes or so to siphon off the debris on the bottom.

Ryan

[MiamiDan]

Well, any dissolved wastes in the water leads to a decline in water quality. So yes, the longer it sits on the bottom and dissolves into the water, the more it deteriorates water quality. Most people who have automated systems still take 5 minutes or so to siphon off the debris on the bottom.

Ryan
My problem is timing. I got a drilled tank with twin corner overflows.... water goes to twin wet-dry's & back to the tank. I used to syphon debri when new water was being pumped in, otherwise the water level of the wet-dry's would fall to low & could burn the underwater pump. I set the water change between 6-6:30 pm. Unless I syphon during that time frame, I will have the above problem. Shortly after the aged water is pumped in, new water refills the reservoir for next day sequence. If I override & pump manually more water while doing the syphoning at other time, it won't be correctly aged water....hummm...problems, problems.... :(

[Cosmo]

Yep... poop is the bane of automated systems :( If only there was an automated way to "sweep" the bottom on timers :p

[raglanroad]

from what info is around, I've heard that the amount of waste coming from the gills outweighs the amount coming from the poop.

However, this must be in certain specific circumstances only, because if one let the poop build up, the total daily release from the buildup might be more than the amount released from the gills.

Perhaps it is meant that the daily poop produces less waste in the water column than daily ammonia from the gills.

It would be different in different situations; in a situation with all the poop getting sucked into a prefilter, for instance, there it gets physically broken down and dissolved, and release to the water is faster. Poop just sitting on the tank floor doesn't dissolve as fast.

Dave

[MiamiDan]

Yep... poop is the bane of automated systems :( If only there was an automated way to "sweep" the bottom on timers :p
I once had a house with a swimming pool. Bought a gadget called "Kreepy Crawler" or something like that. It would use the pumps return to power it & it would literally crawl all over the pool, unattended & cleaning debris. Always thought about inventing a mini-version for aquarium use...:D

[lhforbes12]

Dan,
Taking out a couple of gallons shouldn't change anything as far as your filter is concerned. I have a 125 with corner over flows and I can easily take out 10gallons without effecting anything. I'm sure your 180 could easily handle missing a couple of gallons of water. Or am I missing something?

Larry

[Ryan]

Larry, I was thinking the same thing. I can siphon the entire bottom of a 55 gallon and only use, at most, 5 gallons. That's if I get really perfectionist and try to get every last speck of what I see. Usually for a quick siphon it's more like 2 - 3 gallons. If Dan is lucky, the current in his tank causes waste to gather in one or two spots and then it's really easy.

As for what Dave posted, I agree that it may not compare to the other amounts of waste produced, but it's still waste. And in water that warm, it does break down pretty quickly if the fish sift through it looking for food. I've noticed that juvie discus from the 1 - 3" range are notorious for sifting through everything, including waste, and causing it to break up into millions of little pieces. My kribensis pair also does this in my angelfish tank. So I would think those sorts of factors speed up the break-down process and maybe allow for more to be absorbed into the water and the filters.

Ryan

[MiamiDan]

Ryan, Larry... I think you're right. My scavanger crew do break poop into small pieces. I will syphon whenever & replace water. Now, if they could come up with a mini-version of this, then I would be first customer!

http://www.automatic-pool-cleaners.com/catalog/buy/In_Ground_Pool_Cleaner/

[BIGFOOT]

I am all for a auto tank cleaner. It would make millions fast.

[lhforbes12]

Dan,
Your pool cleaner joke reminded me of something. Both Vortex and Marineland have cleaning attachments that can go on their filters. Marineland has one which probably won't work too well for you, but Vortex has one that should work well for you
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/Vpasp/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=514 (Note: I have never done business with this site, I am just using it to show the tool). I have never tried one, but it seems to me you could vacuum up the poop and lose no water. I know there are also many other tools like this available too. Maybe that's your answer?

Larry

[MiamiDan]

Thanks Larry...I tried those before, ..problem is that their filter is not good enough & part of the liquified impurities get back to the aquarium. I will probably use my own syphon & the end will go in the sump....after passing through a DIY better filter..:o

...or simply syphon out & replace 5-10 gals with tap water on 180 gal, shouldn't hurt....

[alpine]

I have been using the Eheim vacuum for like six months and have liked it very much. You have to keep the screens clean . I did not want to fill buckets of water as I vacuum and when I did not want to change water I did not want to empty five gallons doing the cleaning.
It is expensive . i waited and bought from BigAls when they had it on sale.

roberto.

[Sindhu]

I once had a house with a swimming pool. Bought a gadget called "Kreepy Crawler" or something like that. It would use the pumps return to power it & it would literally crawl all over the pool, unattended & cleaning debris. Always thought about inventing a mini-version for aquarium use...:D

Hi Dan,
yes, I've seen those "Kreepy Crawler" used in swimming pools and it sounds like a fantastic idea. Instant millionaire if you do manage to manufacture them.

Sindhu

[lhforbes12]

Dan,
Yeah, after I wrote that I thought about it and using a diatom filter would be more trouble than it's worth, and using a cannister would be even worse... perfect place for anaerobic bacteria to grow while it was just sitting there.

Larry