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[APD] Value of Snails (newbies)



Maybe I'm lazy, but adding chemicals to a tank, then doing 50% weekly water
changes to remove the chemicals seems like an enormous amount of work.

I believe in what Robert Hudson wrote below. I also believe that the
quickest and simplest way of "maturing" tanks is by having lots of apple
snails (Pomacea bridgesi). For ID check out: http://www.applesnail.net/

Few water changes, Flourite substrate, CO2, medium light, overfeed twice a
day, let the army of snails take care of the rest. No additions to the water
column at all. Simple. I get a little spot algae, but so what. Maybe here in
the Madison, WI we are blessed with magic water, but that is all that I do.

Apple snails lay their eggs above the water line, so you can always control
their populations by manually removing the eggs. I never do. I've got tons
of them. They are fun to watch.

One legitimate complaint about apple snails is that you can't really breed
hordes of fish with them around. However, I successfully breed rosy barbs
all the time. So... even with my ton of snails, some manage to make it. It's
a balanced tank, which I feel should be the goal.
-- 
Augustine Rodriguez
McFarland, WI USA

>  I
> am much more interested in allowing my tanks to mature and develop their own
> mulm the natural way, over time. Another reason I would not do large water
> changes on a weekly basis.
> Allow the tank to mature without disruption. Large water changes DO put
> stress on fish. It can even trigger ICH, particularly if a newbie is not
> carefull with the temp change It could also trigger Cryp melt. You would be
> changing water chemistry, hardness, pH... frequent large water changes can
> interfere with spawning.

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