Hello All,
When I returned to fishkeeping in 2014, I decided on a fishless cycle, with loads of plants, for my 125L . As the cycle progressed, I couldn't help but notice how the increasing numbers of hitch-hiker pond snails seemed to cope admirably with high levels of both ammonia and nitrite. The solution, after cycling, was 2 assassin snails, which were eventually removed, together with their offspring, to a 12L cycled, but unfiltered, plastic tank. They have been in there for eighteen months now, but despite feeding with a variety of relatively high protein foods, and the occasional pond snail from the other tanks, they don't seem to be thriving.
So, a few days ago, I decided to set up 2 feeder snail "tanks". I purchased two cheap plastic 5L containers, set them up on a window sill, unheated and without substrate, and added large clumps of elodea crispa to both. To one, (tank B) I added a piece of mature, algae covered cuttlefish bone, and to the other (tank A) some fresh ground cuttlefish bone. To each I added half a dozen pond and small MTS snails.
Today I decided to test the parameters:
Tank A - ph 7.6, NH3 2, NO2 2 Temp. 20deg C
Tank B - ph 7.6, NH3 0-0.25, NO2 0-0.25. Temp. 20deg C
Fascinating!
Large w/c's were done on both tanks. I can only assume that the mature cuttlefish bone had made the difference with regard to bacteria, whereas the elodea, which came from an established LFS tank, had insufficient bacteria. The snails do not seem to be too concerned. I will now monitor both tanks daily.
Skittler