Age: 29
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 59
Location: Sasbachwalden
Pilsbryoconcha exilis
Synonyms: tropical shell, Thai aquaria shell
The Pilsbryoconcha exilis isn’t very attractively colored. Nevertheless it gets more popular to aquarists who prefer keeping unusual pets. That’s probably because this shell is found more often in pet stores than other species. But that ain’t all to it.
Compared to the endemic pond shell it stands permanent higher temperatures. In the long run 25°C ain’t no problem. Some keepers report that even slightly higher temperatures up to 28°C as well as lower temperatures down to 20°C have been tolerated. I recommend keeping the shell at a range between 22°C and 25°C.
Regarding the water parameters though I can only revert to my own experiences: pH 6 to 7 and mmol/l between 0,9 and 1,4 ( KH 5 bis 8 ).
Since the shell likes to wander around your tank at night and reaches a size up to 10cm, it should better be kept in roomy fish tanks. In my opinion a surface area of 60*30 is sufficient to keep two or three shells at a time. During the day they will dig in deap into the substrate so therefore the substrate should be of sand or fine gravel with a minimum hight of approximately 7cm.
Shells feed on finest floating particles which they filter out of the water. Thereby each shell is able to filter up to 15 litres an hour. However you will be wrong assuming now that keeping shells will substitue your filter system. Surely floating particles will be removed from the water (mechanical cleansing) but then the biological cleaning is not given anymore.
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