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A Pretty Good Solution to Pollution | 15 comments (15 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

a snail solution (none / 1) (#9)
by Phry on Sat Nov 08, 2003 at 09:33:29 PM PST

Aquarium snails are, well, something else. Bleaching and boiling are not always effective... as a matter of fact, I had an enormous outbreak in one tank recently, tried a million solutions, and failed... around that time, I made the exciting move-by-car from Chicago to Phoenix (surprising how well guppies survive in a jostled cooler with a batt-op air pump). I took the gravel in question, boiled, washed, and dried it, put it in a bag, and didn't touch it for literally three weeks. After I re-rinsed that gravel and set it up in a tank, THERE WERE STILL SNAILS! Luckily, there were only a handful remaining, and I managed to find a lovely solution. There is a breed of dwarf puffer called a South American Puffer, which is freshwater, able to tolerate salt, 70-80 temp range, and generally very, very peaceful unlike the majority of its puffer kin (although some S.A.'s may nip fins at feeding time, many will not... watch their behavior before you buy). They are not schooling fish and can be kept 1 to a tank if desired, and they don't even seem to notice other fish (except for one week where the young puffer followed my guppies and pretended to be one!) S.A. Puffers will eat snails, and the vigorous ritual is very comforting for those who have had snail problems :) The only 'problem' is that they won't eat flake food; bloodworms are the real loves of their life, but I've found that guppies are almost as enthusiastic about bloodworms as the puffer is, so the 'investment' in worms is worth it. In short, S.A. Puffers seem to be perfect companions both for guppies and snail-hating aquarium owners. And they're really cute little fish. They can be very hard to find at an LFS, but when you see it pick up a snail and bash it against a rock, you'll know you've made a good choice :) Of course, as was mentioned, snails can be excellent tank-cleaners and do have their beneficial properties.... but they can also get so, so annoying...

[ Parent ]

p.s. (none / 0) (#10)
by Phry on Sat Nov 08, 2003 at 09:50:07 PM PST

One extra bonus: my puffer shows absolutely no interest in eating fry, either. Not sure how typical that is, but a plus nonetheless.

[ Parent ]

A puffer who thought it was a guppy! (none / 0) (#11)
by unclescott on Sat Nov 08, 2003 at 11:57:29 PM PST

Puffy S.A. no doubt.

Now that you have that puffer though, you will need to feed it snails once in a while or it actually might develop a potentially fatal overbite. Just as rodents need to recreationally gnaw on things because their teeth keep growing, so puffers need to keep crunching snails or their fused cutting edges on their jaws can grow too much.

Sone friends of our who lived on the SW side of Chicago near Midway Airport, about 50 minutes north of us, had a puffer for several years. It was family. It also got to the point where it had a hard time eating effectively because it couldn't close it's mouth properly.

It happened that they knew of a Wisconsin veternarian who did an annual a one day tour through the Chicago area, consulting with pet shops and visiting pond people.

They asked if they could be on his itinerary. He consented and in due time made his house call. After examining the fish, he pulled out what was effectively a giant toenail cutter, trimmed the puffers fused teeth (sort of like a turtle's mouth?) top and bottom.

The puffer could dine normally after that. However Dr. Krebus recommended adding a snail to the tank on a regular basis. :)

Aren't you glad guppies don't have those requirements. Can you imagine the tiny, tiny fingernail cutter for Poecilia reticulatus? ;)

[ Parent ]

puffers and snails (none / 0) (#12)
by Phry on Sun Nov 09, 2003 at 12:12:10 AM PST

I can't imagine doing that with a guppy OR a puffer... thanks for letting me know of the potential complications, though. I have indeed been keeping it well-fed on snails, because I appreciate the janitorial work the snails perform before they become dinner. I wasn't aware of the importance of keeping snails in there for the puffer's sake, though. My favorite way to get snails is to buy anacharis (elodea canadensis) from almost any LFS; the broad, flat leaves often visibly house dozens and dozens of snail eggs, and provide a great place for snails to lay more. If at some point I needed to breed some snails, though, how would you suggest I set that up?

[ Parent ]

If at some point you needed to breed snails... (none / 0) (#13)
by unclescott on Sun Nov 09, 2003 at 01:38:45 AM PST

don't breed them with the Puffer! (rim-shot)

Snails and guppies go together well because their tank requirements are pretty much alike (somewhat hard water, omnivorous diet...). Just keep up the water changes (w/o siphoning too many snails out) and overfeed the guppies. :)

I have some tanks with an R.O. mix for breeding selected killies. There is less mineral in the water. The snails' shells get thinner and thinner, actually dissolving! In time they disappear.

One actually could peddle plants from those tanks as snail free. That is a big deal to a few people breeding egglayers.

As with Guppy Girl's clown loach tank, the younger snails are more at risk. Long term, if someone wanted to get rid of all the snails in an aquarium, they could just keep the water soft or loaches in residence and eventually the tough older snails would die of old age but without issue.

It's funny how we have too much of something which is almost to even a pest - a snail population, greenwater or maybe a rapidly reproducing plant like hornwort or val. When we need it for a special project, there's never enough. ;)

[ Parent ]

A Pretty Good Solution to Pollution | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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