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Zebra Mussels In The Aquarium

Started by Guest_seanmc_* , Aug 26 2007 09:15 PM

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25 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_seanmc_*

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Posted 26 August 2007 - 09:15 PM

Hi there!

Ok, this is quite probably a very stupid idea, but...

Is it possible to keep Zebra mussels in an aquarium? (i.e. will they live? and if so, will they "take over" the aquarium and clog the filters?)

We are setting up a 90G tank with an "Ontario Lake" theme. Would like to have some kind of clam/mussel in the substrate, but don't know if (as filter feeders) it is possible to keep them alive. Zebra mussels seem hardy and plentiful in Lake Ontario, so thought they might survive.

I know these are invasive, and would never let any escape into any local body of water, although now I am just thinking about water changes and whether any could escape that way, so maybe should just forget this idea.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks - Sean

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#2 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 26 August 2007 - 09:32 PM

I can't speak about zebra mussels in particular, but in general it is difficult to keep mussels fed in an aquarium. They may live for several months before dying (presumably of starvation).

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#3 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 26 August 2007 - 09:41 PM

Forget the idea...It is too much work to be worthwhile.

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#4 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 26 August 2007 - 10:18 PM

Hi Sean,

Zeebs are tough to keep, they're real pigs (they like that planktonic "fast food"), and require specific foods that aren't going to be prevelant in your aquaria, at least not for long

I took a quick look, and it appears possession is illegal anyway.

However, I couldn't find anything on Corbicula fluminaea, the Asiatic clam or the native fingernail clams and Unionid mussels (which is troubling, as Unionids are usually the first thing any state this side of the border has anything to say about).

I have had success with corbicula in my deep sand tanks, as they are more geared toward deposit feeding, which allows them to function off of bacterial growing on mulm and so forth. I have also had a lot of success with fingernail clams Pisidium sp. You will find one or the other in your local streams, sometimes both, if the system is only partially compromised.

The unios are a little more iffy and I would first learn to distinguish the species prior to taking any, and only then after you've verified that it's legal to collect them, and you're sure it's a large population (via snorkelling or something). I think deep substrate, small species like rainbow (Villosa iris) and young fat mucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) may do okay, and can probably found in abundance in inland lakes around you.

Again, I caution you to look into the law first. Your safest bet (legally, ethically, etc) are the corbicula and pea clams. And... I don't know anyone who's had any success with these species with just gravel substrates. It's only in the deep sand substrates that I've had great success with them.

Todd

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#5 Guest_TurtleLover_*

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Posted 12 September 2007 - 01:38 PM

A couple years ago we wanted to keep freshwater clams in on of our tropical tanks. After looking in to them, I found they are usually more trouble than they are worth. The biggest complaint was that because they usually don't last long in an aquarium (starvation?), they die and you have no real way of knowing until their decaying bodies shoot your water quality parameters to hell. Sudden spikes in ammonia levels led to digging around in the substrate and taking out a smelly half decayed clam.

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#6 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 12 September 2007 - 02:22 PM

And... I don't know anyone who's had any success with these species with just gravel substrates. It's only in the deep sand substrates that I've had great success with them.

Were any of them using deep sand substrate?

This also eliminates things like "ammonia spikes" and so forth.

Todd

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#7 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 12 September 2007 - 08:21 PM

Were any of them using deep sand substrate?

This also eliminates things like "ammonia spikes" and so forth.

Todd

They can also create ammonia spikes, a dead clam is difficult to detect. I have had trouble keeping clams but I have kept zebras without a problem, so much so that they reproduced and covered a good portion of the glass.

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#8 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 12 September 2007 - 10:52 PM

They can also create ammonia spikes, a dead clam is difficult to detect.

That's my point. There is no such thing as an ammonia spike in a matured deep substrate system. Even when 20 or more clams die all at once... Which has happened when I've done a heavy salt treatment for a protozoan infection or the like with the fish because I didn't Q my new animals long enough (or at all

).

Todd

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#9 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 12 September 2007 - 11:20 PM

Todd, I have a Q about this deep substrate thing. What is the deal with the plenum - is that something that is totally unnecessary?

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#10 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 13 September 2007 - 07:05 PM

Completely. In fact it's a liability, since you can have different chemistries down there, it's an entirely separate aquatic system. The substrate acts like a thermocline, and then what happens when you have a "mixing event"?

I guess I just like to think of the deep substrate, on the glass as "solid state"

Whatever goes down into it, has to come back up through it. That may not be the case with a plenum.

Todd

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#11 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 13 September 2007 - 09:53 PM

Thanks. It's interesting to see how practices change over the years. I remember when the UGF was a miracle cure!

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#12 Guest_Histrix_*

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Posted 14 September 2007 - 12:19 PM

Why would you want to keep zebra mussels in your aquarium? They're ugly, highly invasive, and potentially illegal to keep. Sounds like a bad idea all around. If you're going for a Lake Ontario theme and want to create the right ambiance, why not pick up some shells from the beach and affix them to rocks instead?

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#13 Guest_seanmc_*

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Posted 14 September 2007 - 10:37 PM

Why would you want to keep zebra mussels in your aquarium? They're ugly, highly invasive, and potentially illegal to keep. Sounds like a bad idea all around. If you're going for a Lake Ontario theme and want to create the right ambiance, why not pick up some shells from the beach and affix them to rocks instead?

I realized that it was probably a bad idea when I posted (hence the subtitle "Possible? Stupid?"). The idea only came about because the Zebras appear "hardy and plentiful", and I know that filter feeders are difficult to keep in an aquarium. The theme is an Ontario lake (not "Lake Ontario"), so we may (as you suggest) just end up grabbing a few shells from larger native clams (probably from Lake Simcoe or Couchiching) and place them strategically for decoration.

The idea of Zebras also came about because we wanted more than just fish. To that end, we have added four crayfish that seem to be doing well (eating and all have molted in the last month). They are much more active than I would have thought and are frequently wandering about. The fish and crayfish are roughly the same size and seem to have a healthy curiosity and respect for each other (for now).

As I see you are from Ann Arbor (and I have relatives in Brighton), I wonder if you know anything about the legality of bringing native fish across the border (from Michigan to Canada). I have an Ontario fishing license, and I know that I would need a fishing license in Michigan (but I can get a day permit for something like $7).

From what I have gathered, it is illegal to bring live fish into Ontario "to be used as bait", but there are no restrictions (other than CITES and invasives like Snakeheads) on "ornamental" aquarium fish. So, the question is, how do I convince the border officials that my "baitfish" from Michigan are "ornamental" and that I have no intention of using them for bait.

Thanks - Sean

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#14 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 16 September 2007 - 10:29 PM

Ornamental fish are usually tropical and wouldn't establish themselves in the waters of Canada. My guess is they're going to pitch a fit about this. The technicality that most of these fish are kept on is that they ARE bait. I would call customs and find out what and if you can do this. You're going to want a piece of paper in hand when you hit that booth.

Todd

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#15 Guest_seanmc_*

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Posted 17 September 2007 - 06:28 AM

I agree, I don't think I should try this without talking to MNR and hopefully getting a piece of paper of some kind. So far, I have printed out the Ontario regulations on baitfish (highlighting the "to be used as bait" line) and the Canadian "ornamental" fish rules. I have also printed the NANFA mandate about conservation and ethical fish keeping and a copy of my (just purchased) membership.

They still allow goldfish into Canada, and they certainly can survive in Canadian waters.

Also, the fish I might hope to bring back are already native to Ontario (Rainbow Darter, for instance), just not near where I live.

I think technically I am within the law to bring back "baitfish" for my aquarium, but realize the border guys will probably have a hissy fit if I can't find a way to get some "official" looking documents or permits.

Thanks - Sean

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#16 Guest_Histrix_*

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Posted 19 September 2007 - 12:18 PM

Can't you collect the same fish in Ontario and avoid the whole customs issue?

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#17 Guest_seanmc_*

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Posted 19 September 2007 - 01:01 PM

Can't you collect the same fish in Ontario and avoid the whole customs issue?

Probably. However, there are a bunch of other factors:

1) Most of the Ontario species I would be interested in (eg. the Rainbow Darter) are't local to where I am
2) The most likely areas are 3.5 hours drive from here.
3) Even if I drove there, I'd have no idea where to try collecting (although I've just found that there is a NANFA member from the area)
4) I already have a trip planned to Michigan to visit relatives and was hoping to just check out local creeks to see if I got lucky.
5) For the future, I would very much like to join in a NANFA organized convention or collecting trip and want to know if I could bring anything back.

So, yes, if I knew where to look, I might be able to find some of the species I want in Ontario, but ultimately, I'd like to know what is possible at the border. I don't think it hurts to ask, and I don't think I would try to do it without some assurance that it would be OK.

Cheers - Sean

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#18 Guest_NativeLover_*

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Posted 27 September 2007 - 04:00 PM

Unless I am mistaken, it is illegal to transport/move/possess zebra mussels. At least in KY I think it is.

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#19 Guest_arrestedfish_*

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Posted 21 January 2012 - 06:18 PM

Perhaps you are going about it all wrong.
Instead of having live Zebra Mussels in your aquarium and creating yourself a sensitive situation. You can collect the shells of dead zebra mussels, and reassemble them in a colony like fashion on a rock. That way you can still have the presence of the "Lake" species. Invasive they may be, Zebras are here to stay so they are now part of the fauna. I work in the aquairum business and make fake barnicle, oyster, or mussel walls and rocks for decoration. So go for Zebra Mussel Decorations

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#20 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 21 January 2012 - 08:05 PM

At least in some states it's possible that merely possessing zebra mussel valves is illegal, for better or worse. Strangely I've only ever seen a single zebra mussel in Alabama, you'd think it would be zillions or none.