Native Invertebrates

[TheNonEuclidean]

Got a native tank, been searching, there is very little info on native snails and invertebrates as it relates to the aquarium. I was wondering if any of you MFKershave any experience collecting and keeping native snails, shrimps or smaller inverts in your tanks. I am specifically looking at a blackwater river biotope in the southeast, but any info would contribute to the cause. Which are beneficial, which to avoid, etc.

 

[Hendre]

Are there no books on the matter? Where I live I have a comprehensive book on much of the Freshwater life including inverts, I believe Dan Hiteshew keeps native crays in one of his aquaria (check him out on youtube)

If you are allowed to collect I am pretty sure inverts won't be too difficult to care for

 

[Moontanman]

I've been keeping various inverts from the southeast black water area for quite some time, 45 years, Ask me anything but some are illegal to keep...

 

[TheNonEuclidean]

Hmm, I read up on the laws on collecting baitfish, and know that some clams/mussels are illegal... I was looking for a cleanup crew. I have leaf litter on the bottom and dont want to disturb it too much when i clean. I didnt want to unkowingly put something in my tank that would become a plague. Would need something that a madtom cat and bluespotted sunfish cant completely annihilate...

 

[TheReefer]

I would avoid crayfish as they can climb out of the tank very easily, but they also will eat fish they get a hold of (depending on how big the fish are). The Florida Apple Snail is the only snail in the south east I can really think of (assuming you mean south east USA), for shrimp I found the Florida freshwater glass shrimp

 

[TheNonEuclidean]

Yep, went looking for glass shrimp today, no luck. Catfish would probably wipe them out eventually anyways. I do have a very tight fitting lid, but would hate to lose a little sunnie...

 

[TheReefer]

Yep, went looking for glass shrimp today, no luck. Catfish would probably wipe them out eventually anyways. I do have a very tight fitting lid, but would hate to lose a little sunnie...

Yeah, only thing you could do is declaw them which would be cruel/inhumane and would be a pain as every month or two youd have to remove them to chop off their claws. Plus them molting could leave them vulnerable to attack from fish

 

[Moontanman]

I guess I am cruel and inhuman because I declaw crayfish when I put them in a tank but they eat algae and provide food for the fish when they molt. Ghost shrimp should be fairly common, where are you collecting? Lots of odd snails around, most will eat your plants, it is hard to keep a tank like that clean.

 

[TheReefer]

I guess I am cruel and inhuman because I declaw crayfish when I put them in a tank but they eat algae and provide food for the fish when they molt. Ghost shrimp should be fairly common, where are you collecting? Lots of odd snails around, most will eat your plants, it is hard to keep a tank like that clean.

Scuds work well too but they get eaten very quickly unless you have a sump to keep them in so they keep breeding

 

[TheNonEuclidean]

Collecting in the S. Edisto river. Raked the grass with a dipnet hundreds of times in different areas, no shrimps. No plants yet, but might in the future. Guess I'll just have to rely on the current to keep things stirred up.