Clams or Mussels in an aquarium...
- Thread starter Magnum Man
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Hey , you gotta give it a whirl . What’s there to lose ?
OP
OP
this link spells out clams and mussels that are prohibited , by species, so I just need to find one, not on that list...
and spells out that collecting live native species is against the law...
and spells out that collecting live native species is against the law...
I've got mussels in some tanks...
They help to help the water stay clean in natural way...
They help to help the water stay clean in natural way...
OP
OP
@emeraldking ... do they require additional feeding??? what do you feed them??? I figured a pipette filled with son sort of liquid food
The mussels you buy in a shop for human consumption are usually from seawater or brackish water and die in freshwater. I wouldn't add mussels that have been out of water and sitting in a shop. They are generally close to dead when you buy them, apart from being salt or brackish water species.
Dead mussels are easy to pry the shells apart. Live healthy mussels will close their shells up quickly and keep them closed. Dead ones also stink so use the nose and have a sniff, if they smell slightly bad, they are probably dead or dying.
The risk of diseases is virtually 0 from wild caught freshwater mussels. Some marine and brackish species can carry a virus but it only affects other mussels/ clams. Freshwater snails can carry intestinal worm larvae or eggs. Freshwater shrimp can carry microsporidian infections (identified by a cream white muscle tissue in the tail). But the risk of introducing diseases is more likely from captive bred stuff (ie: fish farms) like Gary said. I have never had a disease in my tanks from wild caught fish, shrimp or shellfish.
Mussels are better for Bitterlings than clams. We had freshwater mussels about 2-3 inches long in the tanks with Bitterlings.
You feed mussels and clams with a liquid marine invert food. These are usually water with dead copepods and other fine particles in made from blended up fish and prawn. You can also use algae from the glass (get a sponge and wipe the glass down, then squeeze it out over the mussels). You can add green water (single celled algae) to the tank. You can use an eye dropper to squirt some of this on them. You can use a boiled egg yolk squeezed through a handkerchief into a small container of dechlorinated water, mixed up and use the eye dropper to add some of that solution to the mussels. They do best when fed every day but need feeding at least 3 times a week, especially in a well filtered aquarium.
Dead mussels are easy to pry the shells apart. Live healthy mussels will close their shells up quickly and keep them closed. Dead ones also stink so use the nose and have a sniff, if they smell slightly bad, they are probably dead or dying.
The risk of diseases is virtually 0 from wild caught freshwater mussels. Some marine and brackish species can carry a virus but it only affects other mussels/ clams. Freshwater snails can carry intestinal worm larvae or eggs. Freshwater shrimp can carry microsporidian infections (identified by a cream white muscle tissue in the tail). But the risk of introducing diseases is more likely from captive bred stuff (ie: fish farms) like Gary said. I have never had a disease in my tanks from wild caught fish, shrimp or shellfish.
Mussels are better for Bitterlings than clams. We had freshwater mussels about 2-3 inches long in the tanks with Bitterlings.
You feed mussels and clams with a liquid marine invert food. These are usually water with dead copepods and other fine particles in made from blended up fish and prawn. You can also use algae from the glass (get a sponge and wipe the glass down, then squeeze it out over the mussels). You can add green water (single celled algae) to the tank. You can use an eye dropper to squirt some of this on them. You can use a boiled egg yolk squeezed through a handkerchief into a small container of dechlorinated water, mixed up and use the eye dropper to add some of that solution to the mussels. They do best when fed every day but need feeding at least 3 times a week, especially in a well filtered aquarium.
I've never actually fed them. They've lived from whatever there is in my tanks. I've kept them and still keep them for years. Same goes for my outdoor tubs.
Mine are freshwater mussels.
I think the question of what's in shops will vary by location. The Australian market may be very different from the various markets elsewhere. In North America, the Great Lakes region could be different from the coasts, or the regions north and south.
If we go by stereotypes, Australia probably has venomous mussels with flame throwing abilities.
If we go by stereotypes, Australia probably has venomous mussels with flame throwing abilities.
How ridiculous. They don't have flame thrower abilities. Seriously, how would they make fire underwater?
But some of the mussels are highly venomous and can move about pretty quickly, and if they bite you, you're screwed. You have to watch out for the tiger mussels (black with yellow/ orange stripes), they have sharp shells and scratch you. The blue ring mussel (has blue rings/ lines on it) will poison you if you touch the flesh. And the black widow mussel (red & black colouration), if that bites you, you're toast.
Welcome to Australia, where everything can kill you
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