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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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Hi Ulli,
I asked a question regarding snails yesterday in an entry on my Ghost shrimp and you replied that the less you feed, the less likely the snails will multiply. However, I was just wondering if anyone had heard of "Piano Snails". I read on the internet that they don't multiply that much but I have yet to find them anywhere.....
I do have some algae in my tank but my Ghost shrimp do not really eat it. Would a snail be better at that task? Maybe it is not really algae but brown stuff on the bottom gravel and a few fake plants. I use a toothbrush to clean it off. I do vaccuum my tank and the water is clear but this brown stuff still appears!
Thanks,
Robin |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 308
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi Robin,
ghost shrimp do not really eat algae. They're scavengers and will rather eat leftover fish food and detritus. The only shrimp that really eat algae in my tanks are the Amanos.
Here's what I've found as to piano snails (Taia naticoides) (German site): http://www.allesumdieschneck.de/html/taia_naticoides.html
According to this, they are livebearers and diecious and will readily reproduce in an aquarium. Tanks from 12G on are suitable. They need a pH of over 7.5 or else the shell will be damaged.
They eat detritus, bacteria, algae, ground food pellets, cucumber, spinach, bloodworms and so on. They are not to be socialized with shrimp, as they are food rivals; usually the shrimp win and the snails starve to death.
They need to be fed with powdered food several times a day. Healing earth is advantageous.
This should also be a part of the substrate. The other part should be sand. Gravel is not suitable for these snails.
They really don't sound like an easy-to-keep snail...
However, the brown stuff you mention might also be just muck. This is normal and even beneficial to the ecosystem of your tank. Moreover, that's favorite baby shrimp food.
Do you have real plants, too?
Good algae eaters are (for me) ramshorn snails and physa. I've also heard that nerites are great algae eaters, but I've seen so many pics of driftwood covered in nerite eggs that I really don't want them in my tanks...
Cheers
Ulli |
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If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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Ulli, I don't have any live plants in my tank. The Piano snail doesn't sound so easy after all!! I thought I was keeping the tank pretty clean but I guess not  As long as the "muck" isnt doing damage! Thanks for the info - I'll look further into the snails you mentioned.
Thanks again!!!
Robin |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 308
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi Robin,
...ummm, why don't you have any live plants in there?
Cheers
Ulli |
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If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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 LOL!!! Well, I don't know that much about live plants and I wanted my aquarium to be easy to care for.....
I don't want any plants to get overgrown and I figured fake plants won't do any growing!! My Danio fish and Ghost shrimp (the ones that will live!!) seem to be okay with it... 
Robin |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 308
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi Robin,
live plants are real beneficial to a tank, e.g. they eliminate nitrates very efficiently. (Nitrates are harmful for shrimp.)
My tap water contains 40 mg/l of nitrates, in my tanks it's down to under 10 mg/l due to those fast growers that suck it out of the water before it can do any harm. Plants have even been known to remove nitrite (although very slowly), a deadly fish poison. Moreover, they draw carbon dioxide from the water and add oxygen, which is also beneficial to all tank inhabitants.
In my experience, a densely planted tank is a lot easier to care for as the water is more stable, so please re-think your plastic-plant decision 
Ok, you will have to remove plant parts when they get too big or if old parts die off. That's a downside. But I really don't like my tanks to be static, so I do enjoy the changes the plants bring about.
If you choose your plants carefully they also make less work and look better. For reference check this site: http://www.dennerle.de/EN/
Cheers
Ulli |
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If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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I never thought of plants being to beneficial. I just imagined they would hinder me from seeing my animals in the aquarium. I do like the look of the mosses though! I guess this is where I will have to do lots of research to find just the right kinds of plants to fit my liking.
Thanks!
Robin |
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Devil-Crusta10
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 45
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
Posts: 75
Location: Köln
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Hi Robin,
I would be very interested in seeing a picture of your tank or if you allready posted one a link to the thread. Maybe that would help to give you some hints or ideas if you like . |
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Greetings Heike
She, who wants to obtain something,has to be brave enough to fail. |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 308
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi Robin,
well, for starters - there are several kinds of plants for your tank: stem plants (which grow rather high), leafy plants (that usually don't grow that big), floating plants, mosses and ground covers.
Normally you put the largest plants in the back so they make a good backdrop. Then you take the smaller ones to the middle ground and use the ground covers in the front areas. Mosses can either be used as ground covers or be tied to roots and stones in the tank, thus providing your shrimp with additional grazing and hiding places.
You can use the floaters to shade parts of your tank (shrimp don't like it bright), moreover, they use lots of nitrates.
Cheers
Ulli |
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If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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Hello!!
I've tried several times to attach a picture of my aquarium but I get the error message that the attachment is too big. The picture is a close up of only my aquarium. I'm not sure how to make it be smaller in order to fit!
If I were to put ground covering plants in there, how would I vacuum the gravel? Other than changing the water, how do you clean a tank with plants? I know you don't take them out so do you clean around them? I'm thinking of the gravel and how stuff can accumulate in it.....
I really do need to look further into the types of plants I would like to use.
Thank you!
Robin |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 308
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi Robin,
I don't gravel vac in my shrimp tanks (or only very seldomly). The muck is beneficial to the filter bacteria, and I have lots of MTS in there in order to dig around in the soil and thus to prevent the muck from getting foul. The plants are quite happy with it and use it as fertilizer.
Do you have an image processing program? You could make it smaller with that, e.g. save it as a .jpeg file. If you don't you could send me the pic by email, I'll make it smaller and insert it for you.
Cheers
Ulli |
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_________________
If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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Hi Ulli,
I have read the instructions on the FAQ page for adding an attachment and have unsuccessfully tried sending you a "private message" with the picture of my aquarium attached. The picture is already saved as a .jpeg file and I am not really computer savvy and don't really know how to make the picture smaller as you suggest.
When I tried sending you a "private message", I get the error message as follows:
"Sorry, but the maximum filesize for all Attachments in your Private Message Folder has been reached. Please delete some of your received/sent Attachments."
Goodness, where do I go from here?
Thank you,
Robin |
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Devil-Crusta10
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 45
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
Posts: 75
Location: Köln
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Hi Robin,
normally one of this programms is standard on your PC. With my widows xp I got "paint" which I use to get my images smaller. You might find it under your fixings. |
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_________________
Greetings Heike
She, who wants to obtain something,has to be brave enough to fail. |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 308
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi Robin,
it won't work as a private message, please send the pic to me by email. You can either use the email button at the bottom of my posts or send it to 4_ulli@gmx.de .
Cheers
Ulli |
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_________________
If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Robin
Age: 40
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 29
Location: North Carolina
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Hello Ulli,
I have just e-mailed you a picture of my aquarium. I have recently put in an oak leaf that was soaked for a few days. The shrimp are not that interested in it so far!
Thank you,
Robin |
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