added wild fresh water mussels and snails...

[SnowJob]

Ok so a few days ago I had the bright idea of adding to my two 10 gallon tanks a couple of fresh water mussels I got from a local lake.....along with that came a few fresh water snails........now the snails and mussels seem to be doing just fine, moving around, etc...

My fish on the other hand are for the most part laying low.......not as active as usual........some resting on the bottom.........no sign of sickness, water parameters are good........slight touch of Nitrite and Nitrate which I'm not sure where that came from......anyhow........I have some platties, swords, bettas, 1 pleco, a few cherry barbs and other barbs (forgot exact name).......

I'm thinking partial water change tomorrow.......for both tanks..........anyhow, anyone know if mussels somehow are bad to add to tanks ?

thanks in advance.

 

[Snailguy101]

I dunno about you but I don't really ever want to add lave fish to my tanks because you don't know what they might carry but if the lake fish are fine I dunno have you dne any recent watwer changes? How many total fish do you have in your 10 gallon

 

[beblondie]

You mean wild mussels and snails that are intermediate hosts for a number of parasites and nasties other than that and the fact mussels are filter feeders and need tons of fplankton sized foods to stay alive take em out put em back or QT
Them

 

[Snailguy101]

You mean wild mussels and snails that are intermediate hosts for a number of parasites and nasties other than that and the fact mussels are filter feeders and need tons of fplankton sized foods to stay alive take em out put em back or QT
Them

Yikes Dudu get that out of your tank move you fish and clean it.

 

[WILDER]

I agree seen it to often fishkeepers putting things in tank from lakes, next fish are infested with a parasite, get them out of the tank the mussels and snails.

 

[wwestar2000]

Maybe the mussels are mating. The mussels need hosts(your fish) and there outcome become a parisite. Im not an expert to that but it is how they reproduce and that might be causing your fish to act strange.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

BUT DON'T PUT THEM BACK IN THE LAKE.

never ever ever introduce to a wild system anything that has been exposed to non-native aquatic life. that means if you've kept a wild fish, plant, or invertabrate with anything else that didn't come from the same place it did, don't put it back! you could introduce any number of non-native parasites or diseases to damage your ecosystem.

it is ecologically irresponsible to release wild fish or invertebrates that have not been continually kept in a controlled biotope. you will need to either prepare a way to meet the needs of the mussels, find someone who can or destroy them.

 

[abstract]

it is my guess that the nitrite and nitrate reading are coming from one of the newly introduced specimens dying and beginning to rot...it will most likely become much worse...

 

[SnowJob]

Thanks everyone for your great replies.

Mussels and snails have been destroyed, that is doubled bagged and trown to the trash.

FYI, I would NEVER release anything back to the wild and risk causing havoc in local water bodies....

I took a chance and lost.......sort of........both tanks looked like crap and fish weren't doing well, water changes done and things are starting to improve.

Keep you posted, thanks again!