My Fish Do Not Poop

[eduller]

Does anyone else have a particular tank that just doesn't seem to accumulate waste?
 
I have several tanks. My 20 gallon long is probably the poopiest. I have a honey gourami, guppies, and pygmy cories (not overstocked), and I siphon up about 400 pounds of poop each week. I'm sure I'm not overfeeding!
 
Then there's my 120 gallon. I will admit that the tank is probably slightly overstocked due to the adult size of one of the schools of fish (roseline sharks/denison barbs who are about 3 inches now but only half grown), but I am overfiltered and keep up with care so I'm not worried. Water is always great. However, there is NEVER poop on the bottom. I suppose I can chalk it up to lots and lots of filtration, but seriously where is the poop? I'm not complaining, but I just wish I had this "problem" in all my tanks! I have THREE filters on that 20 gallon tank and it's poop city!
 

 

[Byron]

I never see actual excrement on the sand (or gravel in one tank) in my 7 tanks.  But if I stir into the sand a bit, a cloud of miniscule detritus floats up and settles back down.  I have all smallish fish, various tetra, corys, loaches; I'm sure I would see excrement with medium to larger fish.
 
The aim is to get the excrement into the substrate or the filter but mainly into the substrate where it can be broken down by bacteria (snails help by eating all this faster, breaking it down sooner) and becomes useful nutrients for plants, or an important part of the biology of the aquarium.
 
Byron.

 

[sawickib]

I have many large fish in my 180 including a large pleco, and i rarely see poop though, sometimes i see a little bit but still it isnt really a problem for me either.