# Decomposers?



## zephspacer (Jul 29, 2011)

Well seeing that my 55 is a planted tank what is a good decomposer's that can break down the fish waste, and no im not talking about bacteria. I am thinking maybe snails. 

But if it is snails what snail or what every can survive with africans? If they reproduce thats great and all but if they start to overun the tank what will eat them?

Thanks


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Snails don't eat Fish Wastes unless it contans undigested food particles. The only organism that eats fish wastes (Eurea, Ammonia, Nitrites) is Bacteria. You can also remove the wastes through mechanical filtration.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Agreed. There isn't any thing that is going to eat fish waste... you need to clean it out via filtration, water changes and gravel vacuums. I have a planted tank and I still vacuum the gravel. Just go very lightly over where the roots of plants would be. If your tank is completely covered, just over the vac' lightly over the leaves and in between plants to suck up the fish poop.


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Plants already do most of the "decomposing"

If you want your tank to look clean just get some of the "pest" pond snails. Imo tanks with them look much "cleaner"

I wouldn't be surprised if your Cichlids eat pond snails as a snack, so overpopulation shouldn't be a problem.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Snails will help pick up uneaten food. Your cichlids will probably eat snails they can fit in their mouths. I've seen people keep apple snails with their cichlids. MTS spend enough time buried they might be fine.


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## zephspacer (Jul 29, 2011)

ok then what snails are good then? And if they do overpopulate what could i do to control it?
Thanks!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Try large snails like apple snails/mystery snails. They need a male and female to breed and eggs are easy to breed. 

Malaysian Trumpet Snails stay in the gravel during the day so you won't see much of them.

I don't you will have a problem with overpopulation because your cichlids will eat any baby snail they can get their mouths on.


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## Jarosewski1 (Apr 11, 2016)

Snails will clean off some of the fish poop, but if I were to use snails in my tank would be to eat off algae.


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