What micro fauna eats only decaying plant matter?

[Aqua Hero]

So I have two breeder box's that I have filled with aquasoil and use to grow terrestrial plants.

Some of the roots of the plants have decayed and I was wondering what micro fauna I can add that will eat the decaying litter.

I tried pond snails but that was a huge mistake as they have now escaped into my main tank (it's fine I have methods of removing them if they get out of hand).

I can't use scuds because if they too were to escape they would eat the plants in my main tank and possibly the baby shrimp I will have one day.

I was thinking of using blackworm which would eat decaying matter and I can feed them to the fish I will have in the tank.

Do you guys have any other suggestions?

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I can't use scuds because if they too were to escape they would eat the plants in my main tank and possibly the baby shrimp I will have one day.

<"Crangonyx psuedogracilis">? much safer than Hyalella.

<"Asellus aquaticus">, absolutely fits the brief, but is a trifle <"aesthetically challenged">.

I was thinking of using blackworm which would eat decaying matter and I can feed them to the fish I will have in the tank.

They would work and are "cat-nip" to most fish.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua Hero]

Hi all,

/www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/live-food-culture-crangonyx-pseudogracilis.41351/#post-444627']Crangonyx psuedogracilis[/URL]">? much safer than Hyalella.

/www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bba-on-high-tech-tank.72143/#post-724677']Asellus aquaticus[/URL]">, absolutely fits the brief, but is a trifle /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bba-on-high-tech-tank.72143/#post-724677']aesthetically challenged[/URL]">.
View attachment 219243

They would work and are "cat-nip" to most fish.

cheers Darrel

Asellus aquaticus is the only one I can seem to buy. They look big enough that they won't escape through any small holes of the breeder.

But can these guys climb up dry surfaces? As you can see in the picture the water level of my breeder box is kinda high.

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Asellus aquaticus is the only one I can seem to buy.

Where are you located? Are you in the UK?

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua Hero]

Hi all,

Where are you located? Are you in the UK?

cheers Darrel

I'm in London

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'm in London

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

PM me.

Asellus aquaticus is the only one I can seem to buy. They look big enough that they won't escape through any small holes of the breeder.

They will definitely end up in the tank.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua Hero]

Hi all,

PM me.

They will definitely end up in the tank.

cheers Darrel

Really. Why because of the water level or the small vent hole from the breeder box.

If it's the vent hole I can block it up with some filter floss

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Why because of the water level or the small vent hole from the breeder box.

Via the holes, they reproduce pretty freely and the young ones are very small. I look at them as a definite plus in the planted tank, and they also <"evade predation"> much more successfully than Crangonyx.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua Hero]

Hi all,

Via the holes, they reproduce pretty freely and the young ones are very small. I look at them as a definite plus in the planted tank, and they also /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bba-on-high-tech-tank.72143/#post-724677']evade predation[/URL]"> much more successfully than Crangonyx.

cheers Darrel

This is the vent holes but because the flow is so weak the water trickles down so the height is very low.

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[Aqua Hero]

Here is the other vent which I blocked off with filter flow. Water still passes through but the holes are completely blocked.

I reckon this would work don't you think?

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[Aqua Hero]

The plan is if any babies do escape, the fish I will have in the tank will hunt them down

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[SamTheMan]

So I have two breeder box's that I have filled with aquasoil and use to grow terrestrial plants.

Some of the roots of the plants have decayed and I was wondering what micro fauna I can add that will eat the decaying litter.

I tried pond snails but that was a huge mistake as they have now escaped into my main tank (it's fine I have methods of removing them if they get out of hand).

I can't use scuds because if they too were to escape they would eat the plants in my main tank and possibly the baby shrimp I will have one day.

I was thinking of using blackworm which would eat decaying matter and I can feed them to the fish I will have in the tank.

Do you guys have any other suggestions?

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

any of the "pest snails" will do that perfectly

 

[Aqua Hero]

any of the "pest snails" will do that perfectly

As I mentioned in the post, the pond snails didn't work because they escaped by climbing out of the box

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk