[APD] (no subject)

["Mike Smith" <chainsawmike at msn_com>]

Hello Everyone,
                       I am currently in need of a few hundred (4+) MTS. If there is anyone out there with an infestation they want to knock back, I will gladly reimburse for shipping, time spent collecting, and a little something to defray the cost of hunting them down. ( trap bait etc. ) I am trying to seed a colony of these snails in the tank but the ones I have purchased thus far have not lasted long enough to gain a foothold. The danger comes from a 6" yoyo loach, a 4" clown loach, a 3" zebra loach and an asian bumblebee cat. I'm sure you are aware of the preconcieved notions these fish have toward snails of any species. I have put 150+ snails in the tank but the only ones to last have been the largest (3/4"). These loaches are gluttonous, they are fed frozen bloodworms among other things and are so fat, you would think they wouldn't have the energy or drive to hunt down the snails.( whole reason for fattening them was to give snails fighting chance ) However, everyday they can be found happily digging in the gravel looking for snails. I have watched the clown pick up individual pieces of gravel with his mouth and toss them aside for five minutes at a time in his quest for a particular snail. It seems once he has convinced himself that there is one below him, ( maybe he smells them? ) he will dig till he gets it. The zebra loach is constantly trying to force his head down into the gravel to the point where his snout is always red, presumably from scratching it on the edges of the Flourite. I am watching the clown go to town right now in fact. ( 55 gallon is within arms reach of computer ) I bought the clown loach because IMHO all freshwater tanks require a clown loach. ( I have no legitimate reason for this belief, I like the way they look and I have always had at least one in every tank I have ever had. Aside from the tanks containing snakeheads of course ) The other two were purchased for snail control. I grievously underestimated their powers of snail consumption. I was afraid of an outbreak like the ones I have read about on the list, now I am hoping for one. The bumblebee, hereafter referred to as bumbles ( yes, like the abominable snowman from Rudolph, the wife's idea and in fact the only fish she has ever liked ) was a transfer from a tank that turned into African clawed frog house. ( also the wife's idea, dragged her kicking and screaming into LFS recently and heard "Oh! there sooo cute" $50 later we had a mated pair each the size of your fist and I lost my 20H in the kitchen. ) The jokes on her however as now I plan to put another 20H on the lower shelf of the metal stand, ostensibly as a feeder holding tank for the frogs but I will slowly turn it to my own designs <hand wringing and evil laugh> At any rate, I have convinced myself that I need MTS in the tank and I will continue trying to establish them despite the best efforts of my fish!
                                                                                                              Thanks,  Mike
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