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RE: amazing snail
Dear
Carole,
I have been keeping
various snails for over 30 years. I have kept both fresh water and marine
specimens as well as land dwelling specimens. I have
collected freshwater species in various bodies of water, Marine snails in
local estuaries and land snails both in the United States and Europe. I have
also kept various bivalves both fresh water and
marine.
I believe that you are
certainly more right than wrong in what you say. But I disagree with your
statement which tends to lump all fresh water snails together. I believe
that you have overstated your point. Most of the salt water snails that I
kept preferred chopped clams, but would also take frozen brine shrimp
although as I recall they were not very good at keeping the glass clean, so far
we are in some agreement. I assumed that there were some
marine snails which feed on algae. But as I have never owned one
I will defer to your assertion that most are carnivorous with some
exceptions.
When it comes to fresh water snails I have
kept about eight or nine distinctly different species. All ate algae to one
degree or another. But there were some very noticeable
differences from the point of the aquarium hobbyist. They may not be
of very little consequence academically but in the killifish tank the difference
is significant.
I stated that Malaysian
live bearing snails are carnivorous. This was an overstatement on my part. As
they can live on algae alone but my personal findings indicate that they
prefer flake food and decaying brine shrimp to it. So I will modify my stand
here to "omnivorous, preferring decaying animal proteins" in the aquarium
environment.
As to other fresh
water snails, many seem to eat just about anything which they come
across with various degrees of preference. I have had
thousands of Malaysian snails in a tank covered in algae. On the other
hand I have watched apple snails eat java moss and riccia like
spaghetti. Once red ramshorn snails have finished off the algae in a tank they
start eating the plants. But the algae goes first.
As far as egg eating goes. I have seen
marked reductions in egg production in mop or bottom spawning species
of killifish when ramshorn or Malaysian snails were present. On the other
hand I have collected dozens of FIL eggs from the bare glass bottom of a tank
containing Giant Japs. I have also never seen plant damage in
tanks with the japonica (or closely related) species. If there was
not other food present would they eat plants, flake food, or eggs? I suppose
that it is possible.
Therefore, if you want to
define all fresh water snails as herbivorous algae eaters based on the idea that
most of their food in nature is plant matter I have no problem with that
as it is, no doubt, true. But for our purposes the devil is in the details.
Some snails are more herbivorous than others. Some eat algae rather than plants
some seem to prefer plants equally to simple algaes. Finally, some seem to
downright prefer animal products when they are available. A
proclivity for eating fish eggs can be problematic for killikeepers in their
breeding tanks, even if fish eggs are not the snails primary food. There is
a definite benefit to snails which eat decaying animal matter in hatching
trays, even if they never eat brine shrimp in nature. I suppose it all depends
on your point of view. I have not even gone into the differences in
reproductive rates between different types of snails and the havoc that can
create. So I contend that for our purposes, here on this list, not all snails
are created equal. Not even close.
Best
regards,
-RJ-
-----Original
Message-----
From: owner-killietalk at aka_org
[mailto:owner-killietalk at aka_org]On Behalf Of Carole
DeMort
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2001 12:41 AM
To:
killietalk at aka_org
Subject: Re: amazing snail
Concerning the range in snail nutrition. I teach Molluscan ecology
at the university level and can tell you that the term, word, whatever "snail"
is just a common name for one of the Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda.
They possess a single, typically spiral shell that is closed on the knob or
whorled end and some do have a chitinous operculum that they use to completely
close up and to avoid dessication for very long periods of time.
Many of the species of freshwater snails that you see in aquaria don't have
such an operculum and can't undergo the kind of resistance to drying that
other species can. I've done a good deal of collecting for both
invertebrates and fish in the lakes around Jacksonville, Fl. and have found 11
species of freshwater "snails". Freshwater snails are always
herbivorous, feeding on algae found on the sides of your aquaria, on the
plants you buy or collect, and on the gravel, peat, or rocks. It's only
when you get in to the marine and estuarine gastropods that you find many, but
not all, are carnivorous usually on other mollusks. Gastropods do
not eat eggs per se and any freshwater snails that you may see, find in
your tanks can only survive if there is sufficient algae to feed on and
to keep them alive. No algae; no snail.s
Carole in Jax
----- Original Message -----
From: -RJ-
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 11:17
PM
To: killietalk at aka_org
Subject: RE: amazing snail
Folks:
There is more than one kind of
snail in the world. I have kept several
species of both fresh and salt
water varieties. I use the Giant Japanese
Pond Snails (similar to the
true Mystery snail) in several of my tanks. As
far as I can tell they
prefer algae to eggs, plants or just about anything
else. They also
reproduce so slowly that they will never overrun your tanks.
I have
regularly found fry in tanks with these big snails.
I find that red
rams horn snails are also great snails for Nothos and FIL as
the fish
love to eat their babies. But if you put them in with A. species
you will
get overrun in short order!
The Malaysian cone snails are useful in
fry trays as they are carnivorous
and will eliminate dead bbs etc. I
usually put them in a few days after the
fry hatch and are free swimming.
On the other hand I would never let these
guys get into a breeding tank,
where they could get at eggs. They will also
overrun just about any
tank.
If you are having a problem with a snail do not blame all
snails!
Best regards,
-RJ-
-----Original
Message-----
From: owner-killietalk at aka_org
[mailto:owner-killietalk at aka_org]On
Behalf Of Ruth Warner
Sent:
Sunday, May 13, 2001 10:00 PM
To: killietalk at aka_org
Subject: Re:
amazing snail
Hi,not only do thy eat eggs,they also eat
babyfish,I got some snails because
i was feeding Cyclopeeze.I hatched out
some Patrizi and they are smaller
then Guentheri,about a 100 every time I
changed the fry I had less&less
fish,so you can amagin what I did
with those sails,and I didnt eat
them,Thats enough for snails for
me. Ruth W.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jose Perez"
<joselperez at worldnet_att.net>
To:
<killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 10:06
AM
Subject: Re: amazing snail
> Wow this all news to me I
never gave thought that snails ate eggs. I guess
> because I never
really had any in my tanks until now.
> Regards,
> Jose
P.
> A.K.A 08311
> Earn a dime every time you receive
email!
> Sign up FREE at:
http://www.MintMail.com/?m=238453
>
>
> "Never argue with
an idiot. They will bring you down to their level,
> then beat
you with experience."
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
"Wright Huntley" <huntley1 at home_com>
> To:
<killietalk at aka_org>
> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 9:48
AM
> Subject: Re: amazing snail
>
>
> > Allen
Boatman wrote:
> > >
> > > "How in
> > >
the world did this snail live ?"
> > >
> > >
Hopefully not off of the eggs!!!
> >
> > I have watched
ramshorn snails eat soft fresh-laid J. floridae eggs, so
>
that
> > explains lower production in tanks with a supply of them.
OTOH, I think
> they
> > may not eat eggs that have "ripened"
and have tougher chorion. I put
> little
> > ones in hatching
trays, and think they only eat dead eggs.
> >
> > MTS
(Malaysian Trumpet Snails) do seem to eat eggs at any stage
that
can't
> > swim away, so I tend to only find very soft,
fresh eggs in their tanks.
> >
> > Pond snails seem more
like the ramshorns, to me. YMMV
> >
> > Wright
>
>
> > --
> > Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510
494-8679 huntley1 at home_com
> >
> > "The whole aim of
practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed --
> and
>
> thus clamorous to be led to safety -- by menacing it with an
endless
> series
> > of hobglobins, all of them imaginary."
-- H.L. Mencken
> >
>
>
http://environmental.networkroom.com/
> > ---------------
>
> See http://www.aka.org/AKA/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
>
>
>
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