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Malaysian Trumpet Snails


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#1 FabianBigge

FabianBigge
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  • Southern Ohio

Posted 10 March 2015 - 04:03 PM

Would rainbow darters eat MTS? I'm wondering because I have very easy access to MTS but not much else as live food for them.

#2 Matt DeLaVega

Matt DeLaVega
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  • Ohio

Posted 10 March 2015 - 04:12 PM

Not for sure. If you want a snail eradicating darter, get greensides. Though all darters eat snails, greensides are specialists. suck them right out of the shells.

And since you are in my backyard, I know you can get them with ease. Medium to larger streams and rivers.

The member formerly known as Skipjack


#3 Michael Wolfe

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  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 10 March 2015 - 04:14 PM

They don't really need live food... go with frozen brine shrimp or mysis shrimp or blood worms.  Melt them in a shot glass of water and then pour them into the outflow of your powerhead (or other current generating device).  It will make the frozen food dance around and the darters will not be able to stand it... they will eat no problem.


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#4 gzeiger

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Posted 10 March 2015 - 05:33 PM

I think he's trying to keep Rainbow darters, not kill snails.

 

I agree that frozen foods are fine. Surely you can find pond snails anywhere you can get MTS though.



#5 FabianBigge

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Posted 10 March 2015 - 07:02 PM

Thank you all! gzeiger, you are correct. I'm trying to keep rainbow darters. I've had them before. I used the power head and mysis shrimp method before. It worked really well. I just thought they'd appreciate live food too.

#6 Michael Wolfe

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  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 10 March 2015 - 07:07 PM

oh, if you are looking to entertain them with food, you should try ghost shrimp... buy just a few feeder shrimp and add them to the tank... the darters go crazy chasing them down.  and when they catch one, they shake and tear them apart.


Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#7 Matt DeLaVega

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  • Ohio

Posted 10 March 2015 - 07:39 PM

Sorry, I missed the point. I see so much about snail control that I just assumed. I think rainbows would prey upon MTS to an extent, but I honestly can't see this species going nuts over them and patiently awaiting you to drop a dozen in. If you really want to introduce live food which is optional, white worms, brine shrimp, juvenile red cherry shrimp, juvenile crayfish, blackworms, any size daphnia, you get what I am saying.

You can keep them perfectly happy with frozen commercial foods though. They will also learn to take some flake, but in my opinion never enough.

Very young softer shelled pond snails would likely be more appealing to them. I may be wrong, but I have not witnessed rainbow darters actually suck snails out of shells like greensides, but I have seen them crunch down whole juvenile pond snails. Maybe they have the same behavior, and i just never saw it, so I can't say for certain, but I doubt MTS are going to be of much use to them.

The member formerly known as Skipjack


#8 FabianBigge

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Posted 10 March 2015 - 08:10 PM

Thanks Matt. I love snails so I have no need to control them!

#9 Sean Phillips

Sean Phillips
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Posted 11 March 2015 - 06:21 AM

The only darter I can think of that really has snails as a major part of their diet are greensides, which I've been keeping well on frozen mysis, bloodworms, and daphnia as well as live blackworms. I tried to cultivate pond snails but they just don't reproduce fast enough or grow fast enough in my experience. Getting back to your rainbows, they'll do fine on frozen foods.
Sean Phillips - Pine Creek Watershed - Allegheny River Drainage

#10 gerald

gerald
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  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 11 March 2015 - 10:42 AM

It's almost skeeter season ... best food in the world, and parasite-free if you harvest them from your own rain barrels or tubs. But beware if you have floating plants - some might escape the fish and get loose in your house.


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#11 FabianBigge

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Posted 11 March 2015 - 04:30 PM

Thanks guys. I plan to go out and catch darters when ever the water level is a little lower. I know a creek where there's always rainbow and fantail darters. I'll try the mosquito thing. While people are reading this thread still, anyone know what aquatic plants can be found in Ohio and if so, where?

#12 littlen

littlen
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Posted 12 March 2015 - 11:36 AM

I wouldn't curse my worst enemy to have a tank become infected with MTS.  

Maybe try a giant, apple snail.  Easy to tell if they eat it or not.  Joking.  I'm on a roll with terrible jokes today.


Nick L.

#13 gzeiger

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Posted 12 March 2015 - 07:17 PM

I love MTS.

 

I continue to have a terrible time getting snails of any kind to reproduce. I have two dedicated tanks now, and I'm finally getting some baby pond snails, but they seem to be eating the ramshorn eggs :(



#14 NotCousteau

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Posted 12 March 2015 - 08:21 PM

I'd also avoid introducing MTS to any tank at all costs!

For the record, my rainbows do suck out snails (ramshorns and pond) from the trap door end.

#15 Kanus

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Posted 12 March 2015 - 08:41 PM

I love MTS personally, though it would be nice if their shells broke down a bit faster instead of collecting in my substrate. If you have access to greensides or cutlip minnows, they will perhaps not eradicate them, but will knock them back incredibly efficiently. I had tons in my 75 gallon and a 2.5 inch cutlip minnow had their numbers low enough for them to be invisible within a month. I currently have 2 greensides and the only MTS I ever see is the occasional juvenile lodged in a filter pad or beneath a rock if I'm redoing my aquascaping.


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