tips for a bottom feeder

What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?

"rc" wrote in message
ups.com...
What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?

As far as I know, there are no species of temperate catfish that would do
the job of cleaning the bottom of a pond. This is the same problem that
Marine aquarium enthusiasts experience, since the only salt water algae
eaters besides snails are usually not suitable for a marine aquarium
because of size or other factors. However, if you live in the tropics, you
can always add a plecostomas or two. :-) (oh, if someone would only
create such a critter for use in a temperate environment). Snails are good
as scavangers, but considering the surface area of most ponds, you would
need a whole lot of snails. Unfortunately for this purpose, they also make
a tasty treat for most pond fish. My pond has snails, but they are very
small, and nearly of of them are hidden in the rocks of the waterfall where
the fish cannot get to them. And at any rate, bottom feeders produce their
own waste so while they are eating the algae, they are also adding to the
nutrient load, which will feed the next generation algae bloom.

" George" wrote in message
news:jc7Ne.40258$084.8415@attbi_s22...

"rc" wrote in message
ups.com...
What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?

As far as I know, there are no species of temperate catfish that would do
the job of cleaning the bottom of a pond.

$$ There is no species of catfish or snail that eats rotten broken down
plant matter and fish feces, the matter that makes up mulm.

This is the same problem that
Marine aquarium enthusiasts experience, since the only salt water algae
eaters besides snails are usually not suitable for a marine aquarium
because of size or other factors. However, if you live in the tropics,
you can always add a plecostomas or two. :-)

$$ I've had these and they do not eat mulm or fish feces either. They
scarfed some algae but mostly lived on the pellets fed the goldfish.

(oh, if someone would only
create such a critter for use in a temperate environment). Snails are
good as scavangers, but considering the surface area of most ponds, you
would need a whole lot of snails. Unfortunately for this purpose, they
also make a tasty treat for most pond fish.

$$ And they don't eat mulm.

My pond has snails, but they are very
small, and nearly of of them are hidden in the rocks of the waterfall
where the fish cannot get to them. And at any rate, bottom feeders
produce their own waste so while they are eating the algae, they are also
adding to the nutrient load, which will feed the next generation algae
bloom.

$$ And dead algae falls to the bottom and adds to the mulm layer......
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

George wrote:


"rc" wrote in message
ups.com...
What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?

As far as I know, there are no species of temperate catfish that would do
the job of cleaning the bottom of a pond.
....
However, if you live in the tropics, you
can always add a plecostomas or two. :-)

No. afaik, there is simply no such thing as an "algae eater". Most of the
fish that will do this job, do it _only_ when small. Most of them become
completely omnivorous when they reach adult size. Even plecos have been
known to damage koi.

--
derek

"rc" wrote in message
ups.com...
What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?
========================
Both will eat leftover food the fish miss - neither eat mulm. Some snails
will nibble algae as well as consume your pond plants. Algae eaters eat
algae, not mulm. Some of these pet shop algae eaters will also attack fish
for their slime coats.

Nothing eats fish feces and rotten leaves and other debris on the pond
bottom. This dark smelly mulm is what the bacteria worked over and over.
You either remove it or it keeps collecting. Deadly gasses can start in a
deep layer of mulm and poison your whole pond.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o
http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk/killf..._troll_faq.htm

On 18 Aug 2005 14:12:39 -0700, "rc" wrote:

===What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?

Yea, they eat junk, but also leave the same in the end, and its even
more of a bio load put on the pond, so your not gaining a thing by
adding snails or algae eaters........Even in a marine environment with
filter feeders, that east microscopic crap you can't see, they stilll
make waste the same as any other critter will.........


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o