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Are those mystery snails dirty? I was told snails are dirty (i.e. high bio load to use a term I saw above). I would love to have some non fish residents in our tank (Snails, shrimp, fresh water lobster, frog), but I do not think there is anything that will nto eaither eat the fish or overload the tank.
Are those mystery snails dirty? I was told snails are dirty (i.e. high bio load to use a term I saw above). I would love to have some non fish residents in our tank (Snails, shrimp, fresh water lobster, frog), but I do not think there is anything that will nto eaither eat the fish or overload the tank.
I know...I like the idea of shrimp, but I am guessing the tank is too small.
Hey, guys, another question.
My tank is placed near a ledge and you can see the ledge through the tank...and then you can see all the wires/plugs.
So I put a backing on it. You know, one of those blue ones.
I read to put oil to help the backing stay on well and look good. I read not cooking oil because it goes rancid. They recommended baby oil.
Well, it sticks GREAT. Little see-through, so I had to back it again with a little cardboard, but I have these spots...I can only assume are oil collections? But they won't move well when I try to corral them or move them with a credit card. Some of them actually disappeared after the first day (the big ones), but there are dozens of little ones...kind of looks crappy.
Are those mystery snails dirty? I was told snails are dirty (i.e. high bio load to use a term I saw above). I would love to have some non fish residents in our tank (Snails, shrimp, fresh water lobster, frog), but I do not think there is anything that will nto eaither eat the fish or overload the tank.
Mystery snails are VERY dirty and I don't suggest them for small tanks. There's also an issue with the preferred temp. range of the snail being lower than most tropical fish. If you really want a snail, consider a nerite snail. They're smaller so less bioload, plus they won't breed like crazy like pond snails.
Shrimp, however, have very little bioload and can go in most any tank. I really can't praise shrimp enough...they're easy to keep, fun to watch, and are only a benefit to your tank. The effect on bioload is almost zero, if not a benefit- they'll clean up your fish's waste and left over food.
Hey, guys, another question.
My tank is placed near a ledge and you can see the ledge through the tank...and then you can see all the wires/plugs.
So I put a backing on it. You know, one of those blue ones.
I read to put oil to help the backing stay on well and look good. I read not cooking oil because it goes rancid. They recommended baby oil.
Well, it sticks GREAT. Little see-through, so I had to back it again with a little cardboard, but I have these spots...I can only assume are oil collections? But they won't move well when I try to corral them or move them with a credit card. Some of them actually disappeared after the first day (the big ones), but there are dozens of little ones...kind of looks crappy.
I have both mystery/apple snails, as well as trapdoor snails. I've never had an issue with them dirtying the tanks they are in, but I only keep 1-2 per tank, definitely no more than 1 in a 10 gallon. And as Parallel mentioned, it's better to double or more the filtration in most tanks anyway, some of my tanks even have two filters each, both at twice the filtration, since I'm generally a bit over-stocked. I keep the temps on my thermometers set at 78 on all the tanks except the goldfish tank, and never had a problem with their health. Upper 60's-low 80's are ideal. Since Stan4 doesn't have a heater, I don't think high temps will be an issue for the snails. And the nice thing about the mystery snails, they only reproduce if you leave a gap between the water surface and the tank, they come out of the water to lay their eggs. So mine have never reproduced as my tank water is full. As long as they have enough space to stick their heads up for air they are fine. The trapdoor snails though have live births, but they aren't heavy breeders like the egg-laying type. Any extras I put outside in my pond, I've actually been trying to accumulate enough to sell. They have been AMAZING at clearing any algae I have in my tanks, a couple of my tanks are heavily planted with medium light, and without the snails the sides turn completely green. As noted above, nerite snails are good snails, and they are pretty, too. But again you wouldn't want more than 1-2 in a small tank. Now the one snail you DON'T want are the common little pond snails, they reproduce like rabbits! They come on plants, usually as eggs. Those little suckers lay their eggs anywhere and everywhere, I swear every day.
I have a few African Dwarf frogs, they are really shy about coming out to eat. I have to be careful about what fish I keep with them, because the fish eat the food before the frogs do. I generally keep young fish with them; too small to eat their food, and they are too large for the frogs to eat. ADF's can be picky about their foods, most won't eat pellets or flakes, preferring live or frozen meaty foods. They also need to be kept in small tanks, as they come up for air frequently.
Red cherry shrimp are fun to have, and they do best in smaller tanks. But they are algae eaters, and you would need plants for them. I used to have a lot, and sold them for $1 or more each. But they need to be kept alone for a while to get their population up, as fish will eat them. And if there isn't enough algae/food in the tank they will not reproduce, or might die.
For backgrounds I just buy poster board from office/craft/pharmacy stores, and cut it to fit the back of the tank, then tape it. It comes in many different colors.
Red cherry shrimp are fun to have, and they do best in smaller tanks. But they are algae eaters, and you would need plants for them. I used to have a lot, and sold them for $1 or more each. But they need to be kept alone for a while to get their population up, as fish will eat them. And if there isn't enough algae/food in the tank they will not reproduce, or might die.
For backgrounds I just buy poster board from office/craft/pharmacy stores, and cut it to fit the back of the tank, then tape it. It comes in many different colors.
Best thing I've found with the cherry shrimp is to rubberband a piece of filter floss over the outlet of the filter, then stick some java moss on the floss. The java moss will grow (often to the point it needs clipping or it will grow wildly out of control) and provide food and cover for the shrimp. When I do water changes now I have to go through the water by cupfuls to pull out all of the baby shrimp before I can dump it down the drain- it isn't unusual to pull two dozen. I'm now starting to see variations like white/red shrimp (that typically sell for 20 dollars a piece under various names) I'm sure my fish eat some of the young, but that's a good thing in this case because they're breeding so well the tank would be overwhelmed.
The thing with the mystery snails in a small tank without overfiltering is that if they die the body produces a large amount of ammonia and needs to be removed right away to avoid causing toxicity to the other tank residents. So another good reason to overfilter.
I gave up on the pond snails...it's the only downside of having live plants. I used to obsesses about trying to remove them, but now...eh, so long as the population stays reasonable I don't fuss too much. I have an assassin snail and there's usually some empty shells sucked up during water changes, so I figure he's doing his job.
Keep in mind if you have soft water you'll need to supplement calcium for any snails so they can grow strong shells. You can do this as easily as putting in some bits of egg shell
Yes, my RC's loved the java moss and laid their eggs in it. I had it growing on a log, in fact still do in a couple of my tanks. I sell it periodically to keep the growth under control. And the water changes, oh my poor eyes, I was always searching for babies at the bottom of the bucket during water changes, I sure don't miss that! Editing to say that maybe the females "hatched" their eggs in the moss---I know they did carry the eggs under their bodies, maybe they never actually "laid" them, instead the babies just emerged at some point. But there were always babies in the moss.
And yes, a dead snail is the nastiest thing in the world, EVER! The smell alone is enough to kill a horse when you pull that shell out. LOL. I do check my tanks nearly every day to make sure my snails are alive and well! And believe it or not, flavored Tums is great for snails. I just break off a bit and drop it in every once in a while, on a day that I was planning on doing a gravel vac and water change. Actually I've read that cuttle bones for birds are good for snails, and not as messy as Tums or egg shells.
Last edited by andthentherewere3; 09-27-2012 at 07:48 AM..
I do have a heater, but I haven't bothered to install it.
Maybe in the winter.
Do you have a temp. gauge on your tank?
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