Snails : Liven up your Aquarium!
If you've ever paid a visit to the huge aquarium located at Las Vegas' Caesar's Place Forum Shop, you've had a spectacular treat. To find this underwater attraction, delve into the mall, beyond the boutique called The Red Piano, past the Coliseum, home to entertainers like Cher, Elton John and the like. Continue past the rows of slots, table games and poker room. In the dark depths sits a terrific, humongous aquarium. Myriads of brightly hued fish attract your attention. And should you study painstakingly the bottom of the tank, or possibly scaling one of the large stones or walls, you will spot the snails as they make their way across the tank, keeping it clean of dead plant and animal debris in their path.
Spying Snails: Engaging in spying the snail is an enjoyable activity any time you visit the home of an aquarium, like the one at Caesar's Palace. Because they prefer to hide, snails frequently go into the shadows or behind structures. Because of their camouflaging shells they are more difficult than ever to find. A snail's head is the easiest thing to locate on account of its distinctive pair of tentacles, like bobbing eyebrows. They are able to reach out and withdraw, while the snail's eyes are situated at their base. Snails possess tongues which enable them to consume the decayed stuff that is the mainstay of their diet.
Prosobranchs -Aquarium Snails with Gills Gilled snails are the type most typically kept in aquariums. They reproduce at will, and can rapidly populate an empty tank. These gilled snails are hermaphrodites, which allows them to easily reproduce. Certain types of aquarium snails actually change their gender in order for reproduction to occur; some self-fertilize their eggs, while still others cross-fertilize. Before they hatch, gelatinous egg masses lay beneath submerged stones and plants. Another typical aquarium snail is the red ramshorn. Those possessing red shells are the most desirable, while brown shells are common.
Controlling the Population: Aquarium snail overpopulation sometimes presents a dilemma. Snails are beneficial for maintaining a clean tank environment, but if they reproduce too frequently their numbers may pose a problem. The simplest method to rid the aquarium of excessive or undesired snails is to introduce Botias or loaches to the tank. As these fish devour gilled snails, the dilemma of too many snails will be solved.
But be careful not to introduce water dogs into the tank to get rid of snails as they will also consume your other fish in short order. Have you ever bought a new fish and brought it home with anticipation, only to see it inexplicably die within a few hours of being introduced into your aquarium? Then you have seen New Tank Syndrome. The fish does not normally appear distressed or ill, it just dies. Stress is the major cause of New Tank Syndrome. To avoid the problem be sure to float your fish, still in the bag or cup you brought it home in, in your aquarium for a few hours to allow a gradual adjustment to the new conditions. This will greatly aid in avoiding loss of new fish.
