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Re: NFC: comments/new developments in FW sponge handling

Here's mine - I am not surprised at all with the behavior of the pleco.  
Most people think of plecos as algae eaters, when in fact, pleco eating 
habits run the gamut from strictly herbivorous to almost strictly 
carnivorous (vampire pleco - large canine teeth).  In order to tell 
which, you have to look at the teeth. Also, depending on nutrition, 
plecos that would otherwise eat algae can develop a taste for more meaty 
foods.

Finally, fish eggs are thought of as a nice tasty treat by many 
organisms, including catfish, snails, minnows, crayfish, other members 
of the same species, etc. So one has to be somewhat careful concerning 
organisms for the breeding tank.  Most species all breed at the same 
time to overwhelm the predators and ensure that even if some broods are 
lost, there will be enough offspring that survive to ensure continuity 
of the species.  Doesn't work the same in an aquarium environment, where 
losses can exceed 100% (when you lose the parents in addition to the 
eggs/fry)

UPDATE ON SPONGES

On another note, there have been some articles in the aquarium mags 
recently on marine sponges.  Seems the critical issue with sponges is to 
never take them out of the water, as to do so causes them to "lose their 
prime" (remember they pump water to obtain food - thus the plumbing 
terminology) and become air-bound, which kills them, after they release 
a bunch of toxins in the process of dying.  Essentially, sponges cannot 
be exposed to air or placed in a container that is partially full as the 
sloshing will do significant damage.

I would hazard a guess that collecting a freshwater sponge and keeping 
it under the water, placing it into one of the Kordon breathable bags 
with no airspace would allow transport of the sponge without excessive 
distress or mortality.  I plan to try this approach this spring/summer 
and report back.   Time for some more cutting edge reseach !!!



>From owner-nfc at actwin_com Sun Jan 24 20:56:55 1999
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>No comments about the pleco and the sunnies I sent in today?
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>                                                           Moon
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