Animals that eat decaying plants

[Siren]

What animals (fish or snails or inverts) will eat only decaying plant material? I have a newly planted tank that doesn't have a lot of growth yet, but I do have some leaves that were damaged/torn that are now dying off. I want to put something in the tank that won't eat the new growth but will "clean up" the plants as old growth dies off....the 10g tank currently has 3 female bettas.

 

[aardvark1]

Instead of counting on critters to do the clean-up, why not dive in (so to speak!) and do some gardening during the water changes?

That way the job is done right!

 

[Marinemom]

I don't know of any aquatic animal that will do this service for you. I would just manually remove it.

Marinemom

 

[Siren]

I've been manually removing it as needed
I just wondered if there was another sort of creature who could add a new face to my tank and earns his keep at the same time

 

[DebbyS]

I've seen snails apparently munching on dieing/dead leaves before I reach in and remove the leaves (usually twice a week, when doing water changes). I believe these common aquarium-type snails are simply opportunists & not at all responsible for the leaf death.

 

[will5]

Hi

Red ramshorn & MTS will help and they will not touch your plants.

 

[TKOS]

Common pond snails will also do the work, but not at any great rate. MOre likely you will end up with decaying leaves with many holes that look ugly. As this tank is so small, I wouldn't add anything more than a few common snails. But truthfully trimming things yourself is really the only way to keep a neat appearance to the tank.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

go with the snails.... i put 2 plants i hoped that would make it but was dead. over nite the plants were gone.

 

[jedoubblese]

anything that eats the plant matter will produce waste as well that you will have to clean up so you might as well just remove them by hand get involved

 

[fishcatch22]

my ramshorn eats any decaying plant material he stumbles opon.