Mussels in Fish tank?

[T Dawg]

I know this is most likely a stupid idea, but I asked out of curiosity, I was just curious if adding a couple of clams/mussels to a 5 gallon would improve its filtration?

Thanks guys

Here is my understanding. You need a fair amount of water movement, that is unfiltered, in order to help the filter feeders filter feed. If you don't have this feeding can be an issue. You need to make sure in this moving water you have the microscopic critters they need to eat.

As for your other question, not having seen the video, think the need for more mussels or mucas and stuff they filtered but did not eat.

[fishclubgirl]

Blackbelt, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you have a tank crash on you recently? My concern is that mussels may have the same effect on your tank. We all started off with fake plants, breeding guppies, etc and then moved on, learning from our mistakes along the way. We all want the best for you!! My suggestion is to keep the mussels where they belong. That's sauteed in white wine and butter.

[JLake]

mmmmm mussels in a white wine sauce

[Wackinator]

If you can find a freshwater mussel (the ones at grocery stores are almost always saltwater), you can feed it very finely ground up fish food or algae wafers. As Jvision noted, you probably won't notice a dead mussel until it's far into decomposition (yummy!), so I don't know if I'd try it in my main tank, but it can be done.

Thanks nyb440, but yeah I wasnt going to put it in my main tank ever, but was thinking of trying it out in a small 3-5 gallon tank just out of curiosity with shrimps and guppy fries.

But thanks again.

I know this is most likely a stupid idea, but I asked out of curiosity, I was just curious if adding a couple of clams/mussels to a 5 gallon would improve its filtration?

Thanks guys

Here is my understanding. You need a fair amount of water movement, that is unfiltered, in order to help the filter feeders filter feed. If you don't have this feeding can be an issue. You need to make sure in this moving water you have the microscopic critters they need to eat.

As for your other question, not having seen the video, think the need for more mussels or mucas and stuff they filtered but did not eat.

Thanks T-Dawg, yeah what you said does make sense, and yeah that video was nasty, it definitely threw me away from that idea lol.

Blackbelt, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you have a tank crash on you recently? My concern is that mussels may have the same effect on your tank. We all started off with fake plants, breeding guppies, etc and then moved on, learning from our mistakes along the way. We all want the best for you!! My suggestion is to keep the mussels where they belong. That's sauteed in white wine and butter.

Thanks Fishclubgirl, and yeah I did have a tank crash, but the mussels were something I wanted to try in a seperate tank just to see what happens kinda thing but thanks for your advice, me always trying to get ahead of myself has screwed me over more times than I can remember.

Thanks again

[Wackinator]

mmmmm mussels in a white wine sauce

lol the only seafood that makes my mouth water is shrimp, but on a related topic, could you use escargot shells for shell dwellers?

[JLake]

heck yes, whenever they go on sale at sobeys I buy some up, eat em up, and open a new housing project for some shelllies

[Wackinator]

heck yes, whenever they go on sale at sobeys I buy some up, eat em up, and open a new housing project for some shelllies

lol sweet, now I just gotta find someone that eats escargot in calgary and doesnt mind sparing some shells =D you just boil them right?

Thanks

[JLake]

a bette rplace to get shells is the dollar store, thats where i get most of mine. Or ebay for the neo. shells when they come up.I can never have enough I estimate i have over 150 shella prolly more than 200

[Wackinator]

lol yeah the ones I have are from the dollar store, but the packs normally have more small ones and a couple big ones. But then again Ive only looked at one dollarstore.

[bosshog]

I do know of a couple people on Reef Central using them in non photosynthetic coral tanks. These tanks are heavily fed, to the point of being cesspools. The trouble is the water needs to be in pristine condition to keep the animals alive. So some are trying mussels, clams, scallops to help use up the excess nutrients in the water. Most seem to be buying the mussels and clams from people in the aquarium trade, but a few are trying grocery store ones. One of the drawbacks is finding out where the clams or mussels have come from, ones that come from the north Atlantic or Pacific are not going to survive in the temperatures that reef tanks are kept at. Every time I see live mussels at the grocery store I ask if they know where they came from, there has not been a satisfactory enough response yet for me to risk my tanks. I have some hitch hiker clams in my azoo tank, when I first noticed them they were only a few millimeters across, in two years they have grown to almost an inch.

That is a lot of words to say it can and cannot be done. Do some more research and see what you come up with. It should be possible.

[Wackinator]

I do know of a couple people on Reef Central using them in non photosynthetic coral tanks. These tanks are heavily fed, to the point of being cesspools. The trouble is the water needs to be in pristine condition to keep the animals alive. So some are trying mussels, clams, scallops to help use up the excess nutrients in the water. Most seem to be buying the mussels and clams from people in the aquarium trade, but a few are trying grocery store ones. One of the drawbacks is finding out where the clams or mussels have come from, ones that come from the north Atlantic or Pacific are not going to survive in the temperatures that reef tanks are kept at. Every time I see live mussels at the grocery store I ask if they know where they came from, there has not been a satisfactory enough response yet for me to risk my tanks. I have some hitch hiker clams in my azoo tank, when I first noticed them they were only a few millimeters across, in two years they have grown to almost an inch.

That is a lot of words to say it can and cannot be done. Do some more research and see what you come up with. It should be possible.

thanks bosshog for your reply, it did make sense to me , and yeah I am not going to try with the mussels anymore,lol it was a spur of the moment thing, I definitely will not be able to take care of them like that, and will end up with another crash as mentioned earlier lol. I am fascinated by the live mussels I see at grocery stores but after the help I have gotten from here and the internet I think I'll just back away.

Thanks for your help though!

[JLake]

lol yeah the ones I have are from the dollar store, but the packs normally have more small ones and a couple big ones. But then again Ive only looked at one dollarstore.

yeah dollar store is like that sometimes i buy a whole pack just because i want one shell! Usually there are a few keepers. They like the little shells as well it lets them know that there are hiding spots for fry if they have some. If i have a pair acting frisky and i know they are going to spawn I will throw a few small shells around the spawning shell. The fry like them because they can get in and nobody else can.

[Wackinator]

yeah I always put smaller shells in as well, but I am always scared of an adult multie getting stuck in the shell lol

[JLake]

i hear of that happening but its never happened to me. maybe its just survival of the smartest anyway. i think they get stuck in shells that narrow too much on the inside.