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Re: Zebra Mussels
>Read an article in FAMA that SIU is experimenting on Zebra Mussels to
>clean up manure lagoons. Another friend mentioned that these mussels
>filter up so much Phosphorus and nutrients in the Great Lakes that
>the plankton population is too low to support Walleye frys. Any
>possibility on using them to suck up phosphorus in our tanks thus
>eliminating algae problems ?
Aquarists have already been implicated in the introduction and spread
of many unwanted pest species, like water hyacinth, Hydrilla and
Eurasian milfoil, which has resulted in millions of dollars of
economic and environmental damage. Let's not add the zebra mussel to
the list of species we have helped spread. Besides, it is probably
illegal to possess this species in your state. A lot of people are
working very hard to halt the spread of this introduced pest.
Zebra mussels filter out particulates (e.g., plankton, detritus) from
the water, and because of their sheer numbers they are pretty good at
removing almost everything from the water column, even from a body as
large as one of the Great Lakes. In response to your question, they
indirectly remove phosphorus and other nutrients by removing plankton
and detritus. I can envision zebra mussels taking over your aquarium,
then crashing when the food runs out. This is not a good idea.
For more information, check out:
http://www.science.wayne.edu/~jram/zmussel.htm
Regards,
Mark