Okay, I have a question for breeders who have used snails in the fry tanks.


This is not something I used to do. In fact I rarely use snails.

However, recently I began experimenting with it, using apple snails (pomacea brigs). I raised a few spawns with snails, and it seemed they had more ventral issues thank without.

(The idea is, as they are called 'infusoria snals' that I would have extra infusoria, cleaning of the bottom etc with addition of a snail to a fry tank.)

Now, I have never had problems in past, with ventrals, on tanks WITHOUT snails. I do alot of changes and I've never had many fry with ventral probs, usually if I do they are some stunted but rarely missing.

So the plan was to do a control test, TWO spawns same age:
one group of fry no snail, one group with.
Snail was added at 2 week old fry stage.
Same water changes, same temp. all same conditions.

Now - the group WITH the snail are mostly missing ventrals! They are 9 weeks old. (arrga! from an OHM line!)
The group that has no snail - no missing ventrals.

I am wondering if other breeders have noticed a correlation between snails and missing venetrals. In theory, you would think the snails promote a BETTER condition for the maintenance of ventrals.

Because it was such a prob with this group, I have stopped using them now entirely and they are living in a community tank instead.

This post has been edited by fawnmodel: Mar 27 2006, 08:44 PM

wow, that is interesting.


I often pop an apple snail in when I take dad out after around a week or so. Have only so far had one instance of one fish having one ventral missing.

Interesting experiement

mm interesting, i had a spawn with no ventrals and couldnt work out why as all the other spawns where fine.
the only difference i had between the spawn tanks was the non ventral ones had a snail in with them once they where free swimming, the others didnt. i didnt find the snail much use so havnt used them since and all fry have had ventrals

Wow, I've never had any spawns without gorgeous ventrals. And I don't put anything in the baby tanks that will add to the pollution, including snails. If you keep your tanks clean anyway, why bother with a snail?

Fawn mentioned hoping it would add more infusoria for the fry to eat Guess any extra infusoria aren't worth the missing ventrals!

-Ian

floating plants will encourage infusoria, especially if the plants have been sitting in a light-infused window for awhile. Or you can keep the snail in a tank of his own (or elsewhere) and just use a bit of his infusoria water in the baby tank.

I add snails to help clear up uneaten food and also to clear algae. Its very easily to syphon off the muck then when the snails are done.

Water changes need to be kept up though because of the waste the snails produce

Interesting!! I used snails in both my spawns. My first had some fry with missing ventrals, but not a single missing ventral this time. The difference for me, I believe, was that I fed my first batch decapsulated brine eggs that settled on the bottom and grew bacteria, whereas this batch got nothing but live food until they could take frozen.

Well this just gets more curious!
I also just spoke to another regional breeder who also uses apple snails. He lets the poop from the snail build up before syphoning - which I never did (I hate hate hate how much they poo)