The Puffer Forum

Hey all,

I have set up a small 4 gallon tank to breed snails in for rocket (F8), things like rams horns.

I have brought a cheap little set up which is ok for the job, the problem is the motor for the sponge filter is loud, will it cause any problems to the tank if it is on from 9pm till 8am then off during the day?

Cheers

I do filter all snail tanks, and do large water partials as well just as with the fish tanks. You are what your prey eats, and the conditions under which it lives. If you want healthy fish, raise healthy snails.

I would suggest that you get a quieter filter.

Yes, it will cause lots of propblems if you turn it off. Either put the tank somewhere you won't have to listen to it, or buy a quieter filter.

One thing that can help with an air pump is to set the pump itself on top of a regular household sponge... it absorbs the vibrations.

What kinds of problems will this cause?

If the bacteria in the filter isn't getting oxygen, it will die. Then when you turn the filter back on, it pumps out all kinds of nasty, dead bacteria. The bacteria can die off in a matter of hours, depending on a variety of situations.

Now, this probably isn't AS serious with a sponge filter, and in past years I've always kept spare sponge filters "hidden" in my tanks, not running, so I'd always have a nicely seeded filter ready to go for an emergency tank. However, they were not "running" so the bacteria that was living in them was not used to a steady flow of oxygen/nutrients that would suddenly be cut off.. which I do think would somewhat be a problem in a filter that was running, turned off, running, turned off.. unstable environments are no good for any living creature, even bacteria.

Duh, oxygen, lol. Excuse me while I try and find my brain

The simple things are the ones that trip us all up the most.

Is a 2.5 gal aqueon tank with filter too small to bread ramhorns?

not too small depending on the cull rate

J-P wrote:not too small depending on the cull rate

I guess you mean reproduction rate? (How many eggs per week should i expect?)

If there are 1 dozen RH and i separate eggs every week, would that work?

You cannot separate the eggs, if you scrape them off the glass/whatever they are unlikely to hatch.

yes, the tank is too small to be practical.

Cull rate = how many you harvest per time period.

But ramshorns need more space than common pond to develop, and a tank that small is too unstable to be useful for anything IMHO. If you are going to the trouble to breed snails - perhaps the simplest thing a hobbyist can do - give yourself a chance to get right.

10s are cheap. A simple sponge filter is adequate. Change out half the water every week and give them ordinary prepared foods. They will breed better and mature faster if the tank is heated, but it does not have to be if the room is not cold.

HTH

Thanks RTR!