aufwuchs, auwfuchs...

[Piotr Koba]

Stupid question:
What is "auwfuchs/aufwuchs"? I can't find a meaning in Polish anywhere.. is this algae growth on rocks? Totality of live on rocks that cichlids can eat (algae, crustaceans etc.)?

[Mike Wise]

"Aufwuchs" is a German term that in English translates to "that which grows on". As used by Germans it means the organics (algae and microfauna) that grow on rocks and other substrate and is eaten by our fish.

[Bas Pels]

Aufwuchs (auf i= on, wuchs = growing, more or less) did become used as aufwuchs eater don't eat just algae, but they eat the whole - and it turns out, they need all of it, not just the algae.

In many habitats the aufwuchs consists mainly of algae, with no, or very little, annimals. (or those animals around are fast enough to escapa an algae eating fish) Hiowever, in large lakes - Lake Tanganjica, but also Lake Nicaragua, the aufwuchs is apparently large enough to house more lifeforms - and here it is better to say aufwuchs eater than algae eater

[Piotr Koba]

Thanks, many thanks for replies.

[smitty]

Everyone did a good job in expaining it.