What do filter feeders eat?

[woody311az]

I was just wondering what do filter feeders eat? In the discription of filter feeding corals and invertebrates it just says they need some water flow and they filter the stuff they need out of the water. So I was wondering do I need to add anything to my water or is the stuff they eat natually in the water?

[blaze98]

I add a little marine snow to my tank about twice a week and it works well.

[Davidb6]

DTs work well.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

This is a loaded question - the label of "filter feeders" is applied to an incredibly wide range of livestock, with vastly different feeding habits and target prey. Unfortunately, I don't think there's even consensus on the definition of "filter feeder" since people apply the label to critters that truly filter the water AND to critters that are active prey hunters, but just happen to feed on the same things as true filter feeders.

filter feeders could target any of the following:

1) micro algae, i.e. phytoplankton
2) eggs, larvae, or juvenile stages of any type of marine life
3) various invertebrates that live freely in the water column, from nearly microscopic to fairly large (think: 'pods to shrimp)
4) detritus, i.e. the decaying biological matter that's floating all over in the ocean
5) bacteria or other single-celled organisms

Some filter feeders are incredibly specific about their food, others are opportunistic and will eat anything they can grab. When you consider all this information together, IMHO it doesn't make sense to discuss feeding filter feeders in general, since there's no single method or product that will cover all the bases. However, there are some very clearly documented cases of filter feeders that need very specific feedings, so keep that in mind if you're considering those critters in your tank.

[woody311az]

Thanks for the info, now I have a good idea what filter feeders could eat.

One more question, to get a little more specific when talking about filter feeders, what do cleaner clams filter out of the water?

Thanks for all your help

[loosecannon]

Der-wille-zur-macht, is right. It depends on the animals. The bigger the polyps, the bigger the food, and so on. Ps Der-wille-zur-macht your name is giving me carpotunnel syndrome!

[der_wille_zur_macht]

:lol:

Lots of people on here have come up with creative abbreviations, so feel free.

[greenbean36191]

One more question, to get a little more specific when talking about filter feeders, what do cleaner clams filter out of the water?
Primarily phytoplankton and bacteria. They do not "clean" the water as in improve water quality. Just like fish and any other animal they break down their food into waste (ammonia being the big one) and excrete it back out.

[woody311az]

So will phytoplankton naturally grow in your aquarium or do you have to add it yourself?

[greenbean36191]

If you intend to keep filter feeding clams, you will need to add it yourself. Live is best.

[woody311az]

Thanks for all the info