I'm thinking about setting up a live sand tank, as per Farmer Todd's American Currents article. I'm thinking it would be really good if I could find an invert that burrows in the sand, to keep it churned up and prevent trapped gas pockets. For various reasons, I've ruled out California black worms and Maylasian Trumpet Snails.
Anyone got any other ideas? When I was a kid fishing for bullheads at Shandelee Lake in the Catskills, I would examine the fish's stomach contents after cleaning them. They often contained some dime sized little crustaceans that I've never since been able to identify. (They weren't crayfish.) Anyone have any idea what they could have been?
Bob
Sand-dwelling Invert
Started by
Guest_Bob_*
, Nov 24 2007 07:54 AM
9 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_critterguy_*
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Posted 24 November 2007 - 08:57 PM
would native versions of MTS work? Their are many native snails with similar behavior.
burrowing mayfly larvae would be cool if you could keep them alive.
burrowing mayfly larvae would be cool if you could keep them alive.
#3
Guest_fishlvr_*
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Posted 24 November 2007 - 09:02 PM
would native versions of MTS work? Their are many native snails with similar behavior.
burrowing mayfly larvae would be cool if you could keep them alive.
I have burrowing dragonfly larvae. Probably not too safe for the fish though unless they were really large. What about Asian clams? They're pretty much native since they have been established in so many places. If you don't have any in your area, I can send you some. I can get about 100 per square foot around here.
#4
Guest_Bob_*
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Posted 25 November 2007 - 07:37 AM
Where do you find them? Are they just on the stream bottom? I saw a lot of corbicula in the mud when they drained the Pond in Wheaton regional park to look for snakeheads. I would guess that you'd need some kind of rake to get them out of the mud when there's water in a pond.
I have burrowing dragonfly larvae. Probably not too safe for the fish though unless they were really large. What about Asian clams? They're pretty much native since they have been established in so many places. If you don't have any in your area, I can send you some. I can get about 100 per square foot around here.
#5
Guest_fishlvr_*
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Posted 25 November 2007 - 08:46 AM
I normally dig up some mud and sift through it. Some times I'll just scoop it up with an aquarium net. I usually find 4 or 5 per scoop.
#6
Guest_Moontanman_*
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Posted 16 July 2008 - 07:22 PM
Where do you find them? Are they just on the stream bottom? I saw a lot of corbicula in the mud when they drained the Pond in Wheaton regional park to look for snakeheads. I would guess that you'd need some kind of rake to get them out of the mud when there's water in a pond.
Unless you don't filter your much at all clams would be a bad idea, I keep them but I don't filter the water at all. Did you find out what those dime sized crustaceans were you found in the fishes stomachs?
#7
Guest_Newt_*
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Posted 17 July 2008 - 11:59 AM
Burrowing mayflies don't really churn sand; they build tunnels and stay in them. Your crustaceans may have been scuds or isopods; they burrow in muck, but I don't know if they would do much in sand- they're more interstitial dwellers than true burrowers.
#8
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 17 July 2008 - 06:36 PM
Bob they are all over Maryland. I've been up and down the Potomac this week for the first time and I'm pretty convinced that if you went to any park or boat ramp where there is river access you can use a dipnet to scoop some up in about 5 minutes. I'd keep your eye out, but if you find some sandy tidal fresh areas give your net a dip. Near shore gravel and sand had alot in the Potomac mainstem.
#9
Guest_farmertodd_*
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Posted 17 July 2008 - 08:07 PM
You don't need anything to stir up your sand.
That said, corbicula have done very well in my systems. Something I tried late in the game were lamprey ammocetes. I also threw in many different types of macroinverts.
But anything I added was because it was COOL. Not because it was necessary.
Todd
That said, corbicula have done very well in my systems. Something I tried late in the game were lamprey ammocetes. I also threw in many different types of macroinverts.
But anything I added was because it was COOL. Not because it was necessary.
Todd
#10
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 21 July 2008 - 11:26 AM
I agree, you don't need to stir up the sand. I do not agree with those that say you need to keep it from becoming anoxic. I have plenty of anoxic sediment, and it isn't causing any problems.
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