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New (safe) tank mates

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seedy

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I've just added some new tank mates to my axie tank.
2 x Freshwater mussels
They dont do very much ( open and close their shells a little ) but they won't get eaten..lol
 
Daniel

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Additionally most mussels need a lot of water since they feed by filtration - and with "a lot" I mean several hundred liters of water per mussel. Otherwise they simply will starve if you do not feed them with a lot of small, swimming particles.
As far as I know, a mussel in a pond (depending on it's size) can keep clean up to 2.000 liters.
 
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platinum

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Made the mistake of adding fresh water mussels to my big C. orinetalis tank the other week. All three of them dead and rapidly decomposing within a few days.
 
Abrahm

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Platinumtwo said:
Made the mistake of adding fresh water mussels to my big C. orinetalis tank the other week. All three of them dead and rapidly decomposing within a few days.
Click to expand...

You need a lot of flowing water with fine particulate for the mussel to filter for the animal to even survive. These guys can easily crawl into the substrate, die and foul your water before you can notice.

Many species of freshwater mussel are endangered and illegal to collect. They may have lifespans measured in decades or a century and do not easily repopulate. It is best for most aquarists to stay away from freshwater mussels unless they are positive of the specimen's identification and their ability to provide legal and necessary captive needs.
 
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seedy

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Just responding to your points.
They are legal over here in Australia , and are too big to just disappear.
They have been positioned in way that the axies can't really get at them to stick their toes in and if they move too much I can move them back.
The only real issue I can see is longevity , which is a risk we all take when removing creatures from the enviroment and put them in a tank.
I'll keep you posted for informations sake.
 
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seedy

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photo update

Just a photo .
 

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Daniel

Daniel

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I can not help you with finding mussels in the UK, but did you read Abrahms post and the concerns mentioned? I personally would advice against any kind of mussels if you do not have a pond at least.
 
ianclick

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I agree with Abrahms and Daniel have a look at the mixing disasters page that Abrahms posted a link to and see for yourself.

Actually anyone who considers tank mates that aren't axolotls should have a look.
 
Mark

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seedy said:
The only real issue I can see is longevity , which is a risk we all take when removing creatures from the enviroment and put them in a tank.
Click to expand...

As a general statement I disagree wholeheartedly. In many cases longevity of captive animals is greater than that of wild counterparts, if you can provide the correct care for them. If you don't feel you can provide the correct care requirements you shouldn't have the animal in captivity. Improper care is not a risk - it's irresponsible.
 
Kal El

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Mark said:
As a general statement I disagree wholeheartedly. In many cases longevity of captive animals is greater than that of wild counterparts, if you can provide the correct care for them. If you don't feel you can provide the correct care requirements you shouldn't have the animal in captivity. Improper care is not a risk - it's irresponsible.
Click to expand...

I agree. Captive bred animals are healthier than wild animals because they are not exposed to the many pathogens that are in the wild. Also should reproduction occur amongst captive bred animals, the offspring will almost/definitely be just as healthy. However, wild caught animals that are sold in pet stores are most susceptible to illnesses because of the stress involved during capture and transportation.

Jay.
 
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