I decided to set up my tank again after years of other distractions.
Went to the Asian market and got a bag of seasnails. We used to call them periwinkles.
I threw about a dozen in the tank and cooked the rest for fish food.
Also bought six lobsters for my daughters birthday. Threw one in the tank.
Now the results. The snails are doing an amazing job on the slight algae film on the glass. In addition they are breeding (more food). Also the tank has a tremendous copepod growth.
The lobster is an interesting creature. He is very aggressive and alert. He has barnacles on one of his claws and they are still alive after a monthe or so. The only thing he moves everything in the tank around so he can make a hiding spot.
I don't heat my tank (rarely have). its always at room temperature.
I not a great believer of heaters. Only believe in large volume of water.
Anyone who has looked in tide pools knows that the water heats up significantly at low tide with all sorts of creatures inside the pool. I have seen several small French angels in the Bahamas etc. along with all sorts of other creatures.
I have no idea about the impact of this method on corals.
Also set up a smaller tank and added some fish. Decided to give them a little of the green stuff from a cooked lobster (I think its his lungs or something. The fish went wild eating this stuff.
Anyway I thought I'd share this with you.
Regards
Guy Poppe
Went to the Asian market and got a bag of seasnails. We used to call them periwinkles.
I threw about a dozen in the tank and cooked the rest for fish food.
Also bought six lobsters for my daughters birthday. Threw one in the tank.
Now the results. The snails are doing an amazing job on the slight algae film on the glass. In addition they are breeding (more food). Also the tank has a tremendous copepod growth.
The lobster is an interesting creature. He is very aggressive and alert. He has barnacles on one of his claws and they are still alive after a monthe or so. The only thing he moves everything in the tank around so he can make a hiding spot.
I don't heat my tank (rarely have). its always at room temperature.
I not a great believer of heaters. Only believe in large volume of water.
Anyone who has looked in tide pools knows that the water heats up significantly at low tide with all sorts of creatures inside the pool. I have seen several small French angels in the Bahamas etc. along with all sorts of other creatures.
I have no idea about the impact of this method on corals.
Also set up a smaller tank and added some fish. Decided to give them a little of the green stuff from a cooked lobster (I think its his lungs or something. The fish went wild eating this stuff.
Anyway I thought I'd share this with you.
Regards
Guy Poppe
