Best scavengers?

[Ptyochromis]

It really depends on what you have to scavenge. IMO, nassarius and sandsifting stars are a no-no. I have seen shrimp 'scavenge' food right from the mouths of corals. Hermits are ok, but they are horribly clumsy. you also need to keep a bunch of snail shells of various sizes around if you don't want them to kill each other.

'Pods' and microfauna can bear most of the detritus load.

My favorite cuc member of all time would be a sea cucumber (Holothura floridana), he would eat up the sand (and with it algae and detritus) and poop out clean sand.
He was great until I had an unfortunate pump incident. He got stuck in the pump, I quarantined him and he eviscerated a week later in quarantine (thankfully). If you get one cover all your pump intakes and remember that if it spews all it's gut inside the tank, you can loose all your fish. Don't get one if you don't have sugar fine sand.

 

[Calappidae]

I wouldn't get a cucumber because of the size some of them get and the ability to nuke a tank if it dies.

 

[Ptyochromis]

Well if a cuke dies you are fine as long as it's skin is intact and all the guts are where they should be.

 

[Paul B]

This guy will scavenge everything in your tank, maybe even the lights.



My cuke doesn't do anything, I think it's dead.

 

[SaltyWenStirred]

Is it true that it's hard to keep nudibranch's alive?

 

[Tate]

LOL Nice cucumber Paul!

:lolspin::lolspin:

 

[Calappidae]

Is it true that it's hard to keep nudibranch's alive?

All nudibranch have highly specialized diets, and the ones that easily except algae need pumps and intakes screened off.

 

[Calappidae]

This guy will scavenge everything in your tank, maybe even the lights.



My cuke doesn't do anything, I think it's dead.

It looks like they are doing a good job keeping your tank clean! :lol:

 

[Ptyochromis]

Is it true that it's hard to keep nudibranch's alive?

They also contain toxins that are released when they die.

 

[Calappidae]

They also contain toxins that are released when they die.

most of them do.. not all of them.

Most nudibranches have the ability to recycle the food they eat for their own defense.

For example, a lettuce sea slug (not a true nudibanch) will eat bryopsis and recycle the chloroplast. The chloroplast photosynthesize for the animal instead of the plant now.

Usually nudibanches that eat sponges, hydroids, aiptasia and such can recycle the toxins.