Bluegills might eat the newly hatched, soft-shelled snails. They don't have the pharyngeal teeth (the second set of teeth in their throats where the actual chewing or food processing goes on). Pumpkinseed sunfish up here and red-ear sunfish (or shell crackers) down your way, would really do a number on snails. Those last two are a little harder to catch on hook and line, maybe because no one has figured out how to use snails as bait. ;) However they are so much more gorgeous than bluegills, that the latter will be exposed as having the gift of plain-ness.

The apple snail eggs probably benefit from the humidity under your hood, but in the air above your aquarium's water. When they are ready to hatch, they will drop into the tank. Notice how, as the creatures at the top of the food chain, we still have precious little control over when guppies will drop and snails hatch. ;)

Books and Internet images will show Apple snail eggs, laid out of the water (as is always the case) but really exposed to the sun! They evidentially survive, if they don't become bird or raccoon chow. I'll bet however those eggs are laid in the hot, humid summer days that you are "enjoying" right now.

It is funny how some biological and even chemical processes need some humidity and warmth. However if the egg or object is submerged in water, the process stops.

Last fall, we had a terrific CKA program on the unlikely subject of siliconing and repairing aquariums. Over half of Frank's time was spent answering questions and spinning yarns by way of responding. His initial presentation included some pretty simple observations like the following:

He noted that silicon becomes hard inside of a few hours and begins to bond within a day. But IT DOESN'T really completely bond for a week! Furthermore, the thinner line of silicon along an aquarium seam will bond stronger than a heavy application. Several of us figuratively slapped our heads and thought about aquariums, hurriedly repaired, which later opened up on us!

Ironically, so long as one isn't getting pelted by a thunderstorm, this is about the best time of the year to repair aquariums in the northern hemisphere. Well, at least in the eastern U.S.

Frank noted that in arid climates, it is very hard to get silicon to take. Then one takes the item siliconed and places it on a flat segment of concrete, exposed to the sun. A pan of water is set next to the repaired item. A cardboard box is placed over it. The sun warms the air in the box, the humidity rises and the silicon sets up. :)

At ten to thirty years, some aquariums show their age. Our patio has looked like a dry dock, some summers. ;)

Now I need to find out which of the items offered at the hardware store best fills in chipped and flaked spots in a patio. Then we can use it for other purposes. :)