Many have flatly stated that shrimp are minimum bioload contributors (MBCs), and little disagreement has risen up in opposition to this statement, but I must admit that in my 20gallon loach/shrimp tank, the amano shrimp have way more visible waste than do the fish. The shrimp continuoulsy eat algae and since their bodies are clear, I can see the long black trail of waste going along the length of their backs, often hanging out.
In light of this, should we still think of these shrimp as minimum/marginal bioload contributors? Is our assumption of them being MBCs based on their small size only, or on their digestive and excretory characteristics? Obviously, when compared to a cichlid, shrimp contribute minimally to the waste production, but do you think when we compare them to a fish of the same magnitude of size are they really any different?
In light of this, should we still think of these shrimp as minimum/marginal bioload contributors? Is our assumption of them being MBCs based on their small size only, or on their digestive and excretory characteristics? Obviously, when compared to a cichlid, shrimp contribute minimally to the waste production, but do you think when we compare them to a fish of the same magnitude of size are they really any different?