NANFA-- NANFA snails, other FW invertebtates and habitat setups

Chris Darrow (chris_at_daylilygarden.com)
Tue, 07 Dec 1999 16:17:05 +0000

I've recently (in the past year or so) become interested in native
(and non-native) freshwater snails and invertebrates. Particularly in
conjunction with the set-up of habitat tanks. My impression is that
there are others with similar interests. I currently have the common
ramshorn snail and pond snail, and thanks to Ray Wolff the Unicorn
snails, Mystery Snails, another type I forget the name and the totally
amazing (in my opinion) Giant Pond Snail. Ray sent me others but they
failed to survive.

I recently bought a copy of The Freshwater Snails of New York
State
which is pretty good (and cheap $12.50). And even has some good
ecological/life history information in it.
According to FW Snails of NY I believe the Giant Pond Snail is Bulimnea
megosoma and while historically found in NY it is possibly now extinct
there. Apperently it is tolerant of a wide range of water conditions and
lives at least 14 months possibly longer . Unfortunatley there was no
mentiion of prefered food.

I'm trying to figure out the exact species I have and what they
eat.
For instance I found that all my snails except the unicorn snail and the
giant pond snail will readily eat lettuce.

Has anybody out there had success breeding and/or raising other snails
species?

Some species are obviously very useful in a tank because they
clean up
debri/detritus, but others (I have some yellow shelled species that I
got from a fish store) eat aquatic plants, and so will need a tank of
there own.

I'd like to discuss snails, other freshwater aquatic invertebrates,
aquatic plants and the combination of them into a habitat set-up. I have
lots to contribute on some of these areas and less on others any
comments, interest??? Either via NANFA or privately?
Chris

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