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| | Snails play a special and important role in aquarium. Long ago our forefathers who were to be content with growing coldwater fish agreed that snails are good sanitary inspectors, because they destroyed waterweed and also recycle excessive leftovers of feed. Beside this they eat dead fish, hence check that toxic substances do not accumulate in aquarium. For cold aquariums: besides red horn snail (Planorbis comeus), which feels good in warm water is also good for keeping, very much suitable are Bulimus tentaculus (10-12mm) and also 35mm long (Viviparus viviparus). Before populating aquarium with these clams, it is needed that they be kept in another reservoir (for about 6 weeks), because they carry decease-causing microbes which can be transmitted to fish. This is very common with horn pirn in warm water aquariums.
In many cases it is not needed to populate them in aquariums, one fine day they appear on their own. Despite of aluminous dish for plants and other precautions they find out ways to penetrate into our aquariums and breed inside them. Until their quantity does not cross limits they are harmless. Situation becomes worse in case if any exclusive conditions start mass breeding. Most often aquarium-keeper, by removing bigger specimen from the bed and plants, fights with this menace on his own. Smaller snails can be squashed against aquarium wall- and the fish themselves will remove the rest. Indian sand snail (Melanoides tuberculata) whole day furrows around aquarium, which of course helpful for plants. Viviparous snails can not live in soft water; they need lime for shaping cones. But they start breeding within 4 to 6 degrees of water hardness. In fact, the same can be said about majority of other types.
These clams reaching 25mm in length can live at 20C of water temperature. Real giants among aquarium snails are the different types of apple snails. They require more space, that’s why it is better not to keep them in small aquariums. Apple snails with keen pleasure gobble the feed meant for fish. It is true that while moving at snails pace they not always in time be able to reach the source of feeding and are left with nothing to eat.
While feeding on piper they often watch for food straight away at the strainer or at the place where live food is dropped. Snails suck of feed from soil ground. As it is gobbling waterweed they don’t leave any chance for of dainties, like lettuce leaf. Within a fraction of time they are able to eat away a big lettuce leaf. If you want to observe this just press the leaf (after washing with utmost care) with a pebble and drop at the aquarium’s bed. You can see in detail how snail bites of piece by piece and eats it.
Peculiar is the apple snail’s trunk, which they extend when in the dirty water and they want to take a breath of oxygen. When a snail doesn’t use trunk, hides it and becomes invisible.
In case of danger snail can fully hide in its house and close the vent with a lid. This type of mussel can also breed in domestic pond. Apple snails often can spawn on the walls of aquarium where water does not touch them. From the spawn of this South American visitor after some time appears large quantity of little snails. Majority of aquarium lovers feel good about this youngsters and pet sellers from them entire livestock. Pond fish has bad reputation, because they eat plants in aquarium. Often they are brought with feed which was fished out in stagnant water. Ordinary pond fish (Lymnaea stagnalis) is a notorious vermin. If at all they settle in an aquarium it is very difficult to get rid of them.
Many types of snails breed quicker than expected by the owner of the fish and plants. Various means of coping with this menace had been tried with more or little success. Different chemicals have drastic effect on snails, but all of them may get killed destroyed at once. Not less effective is to drop quaternion fish family. The one who has tried everything can try this method by taking minor types of the said fish: these are Tatraodon steindachneri or Т. fluviatilis. (But again, in this case it necessary to remove apple snails from the aquarium because you loose them too). Fish eating snails are quick to finish this task and soon only cones will remain in the aquarium.
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