I've become interested in the practice of selective breeding to propagate desired traits. Since I love pink and blue ramshorns, I thought this would be a good species to start with.
I'm using a 10 gallon divided with glass, one side for blue and one for pink.
Both sides have a large sponge filter, floating wisteria, marimo moss balls, and holey rock. I also add cuttlebone. There's also some plastic plants to provide more area for eggs. I have a cheap walmart LED hood, but I also use some sunlight to tentatively promote algae for them.
Here's a sample of the starting stock
There's also one lone endler that came with a CL purchase. The guppies that he was with became chicken snacks, but I really like these little guys. He was a PITA to net though.
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I'm also starting an assassin snail breeder /slash/ leftover plant tank /slash/ culls of ramshorns tank. This was a CL buy for $25, which included the 10 gallon tank, plants/deco/gravel inside, filter, daylight CFL lamp/light, guppies and some cherry shrimp. (Which, interestingly, were decedents of shrimp that I had kept and then sold to a woman who I then bought this tank from).
(Of course, this is the after-cleaning picture. I had a lot of mulm to take out as can see from the remnants stuck to the pre-filter sponge. I also replaced the old filter with the Fluval Edge HOB that I had laying around, keeping the pre-existing medium with the new to help move any BB over.)
There are already pond snails established in the tank, and with the addition of about 15 assorted (non-pink/blue) ramshorns, soon there should be a good snail supply for assassins once I get them. I know assassins can eat shrimp, so I'm not sure what to do with them. Either store credit at LFS or just leave them. I want to put them in my Fluval Edge, but I would never be able to catch them if I needed to and that just scares me.
I'm using a 10 gallon divided with glass, one side for blue and one for pink.
Both sides have a large sponge filter, floating wisteria, marimo moss balls, and holey rock. I also add cuttlebone. There's also some plastic plants to provide more area for eggs. I have a cheap walmart LED hood, but I also use some sunlight to tentatively promote algae for them.
Here's a sample of the starting stock
There's also one lone endler that came with a CL purchase. The guppies that he was with became chicken snacks, but I really like these little guys. He was a PITA to net though.
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I'm also starting an assassin snail breeder /slash/ leftover plant tank /slash/ culls of ramshorns tank. This was a CL buy for $25, which included the 10 gallon tank, plants/deco/gravel inside, filter, daylight CFL lamp/light, guppies and some cherry shrimp. (Which, interestingly, were decedents of shrimp that I had kept and then sold to a woman who I then bought this tank from).
(Of course, this is the after-cleaning picture. I had a lot of mulm to take out as can see from the remnants stuck to the pre-filter sponge. I also replaced the old filter with the Fluval Edge HOB that I had laying around, keeping the pre-existing medium with the new to help move any BB over.)
There are already pond snails established in the tank, and with the addition of about 15 assorted (non-pink/blue) ramshorns, soon there should be a good snail supply for assassins once I get them. I know assassins can eat shrimp, so I'm not sure what to do with them. Either store credit at LFS or just leave them. I want to put them in my Fluval Edge, but I would never be able to catch them if I needed to and that just scares me.