The Loach has definitely masacared the snails - gone are the brief snails galore days! Every so often he rattles one against the stones. There's a definite reduction in the number of adults, although a load of babies have hatched today for him to work through next!
Best of luck to him - although we are considering moving some snails and / or eggs to a separate tank to keep a constant supply of snails for him!
Showing posts with label snails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snails. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
A New Snail
After the death of the apple snail and with the nitrite levels almost down to zero, I bought another snail, before my daughter noticed the absence of the original!
I could tell the original snails apart, but the new one looks identical to the surviving snail. I'm sure I'll spot some difference that lets me tell them apart. But I've spent half the day looking for the original snail. It suddenly appeared this evening - no idea where it's been hiding. No wonder the bristle nose can hide well if a snail can go missing.
I could tell the original snails apart, but the new one looks identical to the surviving snail. I'm sure I'll spot some difference that lets me tell them apart. But I've spent half the day looking for the original snail. It suddenly appeared this evening - no idea where it's been hiding. No wonder the bristle nose can hide well if a snail can go missing.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Apple Snail Dies...
The closed up apple snail from Thursday has now officially passed away also. The water was looking less clear than usual, so I netted the snail and when I lifted it out, it was slowly draining it's contents out of it's shell.
Poor thing. Apart from some damage to the back of the shell, no idea what's happened there. The other snail is looking fine, although he's going to miss his mate. Will let the water settle and then bring a new one into the tank in a few days.
On a brighter note, the cerebes halfbeaks are settling in well today. Spent 15 minutes before bed last night watching the female chasing dried brine shrimp and other bits she could find. I was dropping it into the outflow of the filter.
Tried the same this morning, but the male halfbeak seems to prefer flake food. He did have a bit of a go at the neons this morning, but they quickly learnt to ignore him and by lunchtime they were happy to shoal under him. He then spent the rest of the day pursuing the female halfbeak around the tank. Except for when she swam to the bottom (he always stays near the top), the make halfbeak is always within a couple of inches of his partner.
Poor thing. Apart from some damage to the back of the shell, no idea what's happened there. The other snail is looking fine, although he's going to miss his mate. Will let the water settle and then bring a new one into the tank in a few days.
On a brighter note, the cerebes halfbeaks are settling in well today. Spent 15 minutes before bed last night watching the female chasing dried brine shrimp and other bits she could find. I was dropping it into the outflow of the filter.
Tried the same this morning, but the male halfbeak seems to prefer flake food. He did have a bit of a go at the neons this morning, but they quickly learnt to ignore him and by lunchtime they were happy to shoal under him. He then spent the rest of the day pursuing the female halfbeak around the tank. Except for when she swam to the bottom (he always stays near the top), the make halfbeak is always within a couple of inches of his partner.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
The First Casualty
Sadly, the Red Crab has quickly passed away in the night. He didn't last long - but then I wasn't hopeful when I got him home and realised what I'd been sold. There's a valuable lesson there - ask the assistant to show you which specimens they have caught before they bag it. And if they bag it as roughly as that guy, ask to check it again.
The water also started reading nitrites & nitrates yesterday for the first time. Strange to get both, yet no ammonia / ammonium. Immediately did a 20% change, followed by the same this morning and will do another tomorrow morning. Also bought yet more plants! With 2 removed and 1 swapped with 1 from the other tank, that takes me to 21 plants in 80 litres of water.
The snail that I've been worrying about on and off since Sunday morning has also closed up and gone on strike. There's still tension in the base of the snail and as I'm typing it's suddenly started bobbing slightly - I think it's filling with air.
The nusicance snails brought in on the plants are thriving. Started removing some in case their total waste is affecting the nitrite / nitrate. The catfish is doing an excellent job of eating their eggs now (there's more for him to eat now at the front) - or I would be inundated.
I did also find a shrimp shell a day or so ago, so one or both of the ghost shrimps has molted. That explains their disappearance.
The water also started reading nitrites & nitrates yesterday for the first time. Strange to get both, yet no ammonia / ammonium. Immediately did a 20% change, followed by the same this morning and will do another tomorrow morning. Also bought yet more plants! With 2 removed and 1 swapped with 1 from the other tank, that takes me to 21 plants in 80 litres of water.
The snail that I've been worrying about on and off since Sunday morning has also closed up and gone on strike. There's still tension in the base of the snail and as I'm typing it's suddenly started bobbing slightly - I think it's filling with air.
The nusicance snails brought in on the plants are thriving. Started removing some in case their total waste is affecting the nitrite / nitrate. The catfish is doing an excellent job of eating their eggs now (there's more for him to eat now at the front) - or I would be inundated.
I did also find a shrimp shell a day or so ago, so one or both of the ghost shrimps has molted. That explains their disappearance.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
No snail eggs, yet
Lowering the water levels in the hope that the apple snails would lay some eggs didn't have any success last night.
Tried feeding the fish without raising the water level this morning, but the flakes got caught on the filter before the fish saw them. So I had to return the 8 litres of water so that the fish could feed, then remove it again tonight in the hope that there will be some eggs in the morning.
What I did also notice was that the tank is getting very warm in the daytime, but then cooling at night. This is because the room it's in gets warm (small room with 2 computers running in there today - it's my workplace), but once I finish work it can cool right down. The tank was around 24 / 25 degrees in the day time, so I raised the heater setting from 22 to 24 to try to maintain the warmer environment.
Still not reading any ammonia / ammonium - 12 days after adding to first occupants. Might get a few more grasses and other plants to throw in soon! 16 (2 small ones died straight away) aren't enough!
Tried feeding the fish without raising the water level this morning, but the flakes got caught on the filter before the fish saw them. So I had to return the 8 litres of water so that the fish could feed, then remove it again tonight in the hope that there will be some eggs in the morning.
What I did also notice was that the tank is getting very warm in the daytime, but then cooling at night. This is because the room it's in gets warm (small room with 2 computers running in there today - it's my workplace), but once I finish work it can cool right down. The tank was around 24 / 25 degrees in the day time, so I raised the heater setting from 22 to 24 to try to maintain the warmer environment.
Still not reading any ammonia / ammonium - 12 days after adding to first occupants. Might get a few more grasses and other plants to throw in soon! 16 (2 small ones died straight away) aren't enough!
Monday, 31 March 2008
Making Space For The Gold Apple Snails
There's no eggs from the gold apple snails yet, but one is looking very uncomfortable and not moving around much in the day (although other one is hiding & asleep). At night it makes it's way up to the surface.
It does look stuffed! So I was wondering whether it just can't find anywhere to lay it's eggs. I've read anything from 2 inches as bare minimum, to 3 to 6 inches of tank above the water line.
The tank wasn't up to the maximum level - losing water through evaporation and throwing it out as new fish go in. There was about an inch and a half of space, so just under all of the minimums. Therefore, tonight I removed 8 litres of water to give at least 3 inches of tank side if the snails want to lay eggs. Will replace it in the morning, maybe removing more again tomorrow if nothing happens overnight.
It does look stuffed! So I was wondering whether it just can't find anywhere to lay it's eggs. I've read anything from 2 inches as bare minimum, to 3 to 6 inches of tank above the water line.
The tank wasn't up to the maximum level - losing water through evaporation and throwing it out as new fish go in. There was about an inch and a half of space, so just under all of the minimums. Therefore, tonight I removed 8 litres of water to give at least 3 inches of tank side if the snails want to lay eggs. Will replace it in the morning, maybe removing more again tomorrow if nothing happens overnight.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Gold Apple Snails Attempting To Breed?
Found the two Gold Apple Snails locked together for a while tonight and one's been climbing to the top of the tank frequently, although that seems to be the male. It goes to the top, then just before it gets there it turns and heads down. Maybe he looking for algae on the glass!
But apparently I need 3, up to 6, inches of tank space above the water level for the female to lay eggs, if that Gold Apple Snail is indeed female and ready to lay eggs. But there's only about an inch there.
It's very tempting to remove a few inches of water to see if they will lay eggs, but do I want to risk upsetting the balance of the water and do I really want hundreds of gold apple snails hatching, when there are only 5 neon tetras in the tank - and they leave the other baby snails alone.
But apparently I need 3, up to 6, inches of tank space above the water level for the female to lay eggs, if that Gold Apple Snail is indeed female and ready to lay eggs. But there's only about an inch there.
It's very tempting to remove a few inches of water to see if they will lay eggs, but do I want to risk upsetting the balance of the water and do I really want hundreds of gold apple snails hatching, when there are only 5 neon tetras in the tank - and they leave the other baby snails alone.
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Neons Settling In
Quite a bit of aggression between the Neons this morning - in 1s and 2s instead of a shoal. Eventually 4 did calm down and shoal, still looking for the 5th fish.
Poured in some frozen daphnia and the Yamato Shrimps and Green Apple Snails appeared for feed time. The Neon Tetras tried some if the food, but not much. Too busy chasing each other around the tank. There are 2 noticably different colour patterns between the Neons today - some are blues (and red) whilst on others they are more green. Trying to work out whether the greeny Neons are the ones doing the chasing.
I have read today that it is normal for the Neons to chase each other more prior to the lights coming on, so maybe this is to be expected.
Water levels are still showing absolutely no ammonia in the tank. Reading up about this and it could be the large number of plants are consuming it all. Might need another hardy fish later in the week.
Just spotted the other tetra on it's own in their favourite hiding place whilst the others are mid water. Maybe the move has triggered spawning behaviour of something. Lights are still only on for 3 hours per day - so will come on later.
Poured in some frozen daphnia and the Yamato Shrimps and Green Apple Snails appeared for feed time. The Neon Tetras tried some if the food, but not much. Too busy chasing each other around the tank. There are 2 noticably different colour patterns between the Neons today - some are blues (and red) whilst on others they are more green. Trying to work out whether the greeny Neons are the ones doing the chasing.
I have read today that it is normal for the Neons to chase each other more prior to the lights coming on, so maybe this is to be expected.
Water levels are still showing absolutely no ammonia in the tank. Reading up about this and it could be the large number of plants are consuming it all. Might need another hardy fish later in the week.
Just spotted the other tetra on it's own in their favourite hiding place whilst the others are mid water. Maybe the move has triggered spawning behaviour of something. Lights are still only on for 3 hours per day - so will come on later.
Friday, 21 March 2008
Occupants settling in
Apart from only now finding one of the surprise 'Malaysian Twist Snails' (maybe I've crushed one - I moved an ornament around where they were seen), the rest of the tank is settling in.
Still no ammonia forming - snails aren't doing their job of poluting the water! A few plants are showing a bit of decay - so I've increased the lighting to 3 hours per day (will be a slow weekly increase).
The Yamato shrimps are hiding and it took most of the night to confirm that there were still 2 alive in there! The Gold Apple Snails are equally unadventurous, and hiding around the back. Made the mistake of switching the room light on in the evening and they both virtually ran to the back of the tank!
Dropped some food in and the shrimps went mad! One did eventually settle onto the filter and appear to give that a good grooming. That one seems to be slightly more aggressive than it's hungrier counterpart.
Interesting to watch both Green Apple Snails climb to the top of the tank (quite quickly) together. There are also a few other small snails about - how many were on that first batch of plants?
Still no ammonia forming - snails aren't doing their job of poluting the water! A few plants are showing a bit of decay - so I've increased the lighting to 3 hours per day (will be a slow weekly increase).
The Yamato shrimps are hiding and it took most of the night to confirm that there were still 2 alive in there! The Gold Apple Snails are equally unadventurous, and hiding around the back. Made the mistake of switching the room light on in the evening and they both virtually ran to the back of the tank!
Dropped some food in and the shrimps went mad! One did eventually settle onto the filter and appear to give that a good grooming. That one seems to be slightly more aggressive than it's hungrier counterpart.
Interesting to watch both Green Apple Snails climb to the top of the tank (quite quickly) together. There are also a few other small snails about - how many were on that first batch of plants?
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Yamato Shrimp, Gold Apple Snail
Had to pop home for a few hours to get the heating fixed. The plants are growing well and I checked the readings and as per those since the plants went in, ammonia, nitrates and nitraites are all zero, water is hard and ph 7.0. The bubbles have cleared from the side of the tank and the temperature is showing 21.5c. So I bought a couple of new occupants to try to get the tank cycling.
I was recommended (by the shop) a pair of Gold Apple Snails and also 2 Yamato Shrimps (glass shrimps). Amazingly interesting watching them in the tank at first!
Once I'd gone through the usual introduction process, I tried to gently introduce these to the tank. But the net wasn't quite long enough and the shrimps swam off, but the snail fell out in mid water and slowly drifted to the bottom, bounced and curled up.
After a few minutes the snails recovered, righted themsleves and moved off, mainly to find hiding places. One landed itself on a small plant, which looks like it's already died. The other mounted a 'rock structure'.
The shrimps are mad - buzzing from side to side of the tank and hiding. I tried feeding them 3 flakes of food, but they didn't notice it, so the food dropped to the bottom for later.
Fascinating to watch, really distracted me from the work I was trying to do!
I was recommended (by the shop) a pair of Gold Apple Snails and also 2 Yamato Shrimps (glass shrimps). Amazingly interesting watching them in the tank at first!
Once I'd gone through the usual introduction process, I tried to gently introduce these to the tank. But the net wasn't quite long enough and the shrimps swam off, but the snail fell out in mid water and slowly drifted to the bottom, bounced and curled up.
After a few minutes the snails recovered, righted themsleves and moved off, mainly to find hiding places. One landed itself on a small plant, which looks like it's already died. The other mounted a 'rock structure'.
The shrimps are mad - buzzing from side to side of the tank and hiding. I tried feeding them 3 flakes of food, but they didn't notice it, so the food dropped to the bottom for later.
Fascinating to watch, really distracted me from the work I was trying to do!
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