What eats tang poo?

[Coral Seeds]

Not trying to be gross. This is a real question.

I set up a new reef tank about 6 months ago. In this tank I used only dead rock and dipped almost everything else that went into the tank. So far, no pests except except some hair algae early on, and in general the tank is doing great but there is lots of tang poop on the gravel bed. I try to vacuum it out during weekly waters changes. Yesterday I moved a big piece of rock and lots of poop had collected under it.

In other tanks with tangs, I have not had this problem, so I am guessing that in my new setup, in my attempt to excluded pests I have excluded some useful critters. For example I never see pods, mini brittle stars, or bristle worms.

So my question is what to add and how to add them without introducing unwanted pests.

 

[JasonK84]

Maybe increase flow so the filter can take care of it for you.

 

[Reefer40b]

Up the flow and it should be kept suspended in the water column long enough to make it down the overflow to the skimmer or filter socks to pull it out.

Side note lol... My tangs love to eat eachothers poop! haha causes a feeding frenzy most of the time, not kidding!

 

[Coral Seeds]

Jason, reasonable suggestion but I don't think this by itself will solve the problem.

I already have stronger flow than any of my other tanks. But even with the strong flow and regions where the substrate gets blown away, the are dead spots where stuff collects.

 

[JasonK84]

Jason, reasonable suggestion but I don't think this by itself will solve the problem.

I already have stronger flow than any of my other tanks. But even with the strong flow and regions where the substrate gets blown away, the are dead spots where stuff collects.

Adding copepods and amphipods will help also.

 

[Bpb]

Coral

 

[Seamore2001]

Clean up crew.

 

[ZoWhat]

I think that's the stuff that holds the rice together in a tangy sushi roll.....

 

[ca1ore]

Too much accumulating detritus is symptomatic of insufficient flow. If you believe you have enough flow, then perhaps it’s too ‘linear’ and you need something more chaotic. Bristle tangs are more detritivores than herbivores, so you could try one. Otherwise, various clean up crew like bristles (both worms and stars) will also help.

 

[Coral Seeds]

Thanks for the comments.

I guess I should have been clearer in my original posts.

Flow: I have strong oscillating flow from a Maxispect Gyre. In some areas the course sand is blown away leaving a bare bottom. Other areas are intentionally more sheltered to keep lower flow corals like elegance and euphyllia. It is in these areas and behind / under the rock that tang poo collects.

In the past with other tanks where I was not a careful about excluding pest by using only dead rock and dipping everything, I did not have this problem even though I had tangs and less flow. I really think that the issue is that by excluding bests, I have kept out desirable hitchhikers as well. ​

I am hoping to find an addition to the cleanup crew (snails (cerith, trochas, and nassarius) and a tuxedo urchin) to help.

Based on the recommendations above, I will purchase bristle worms, mini-bristle stars, and pods.

I am currently looking at Indo-pacific sea farms (https://www.ipsf.com/) as a source.
[As an aside, I bought from ISPF 18 years ago and I don't think their prices or web page has changed since then].

An suggestions on additional / alternative critters or vendors?

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I like reef cleaners for clean up crews.