Aquater Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) Hi, I'm a perplexed snail farmer. I have a 40 gallon with 3 types of rabbit snails, many Japanese trap door snails, a few stow away pond snails, and an exploding population of red rilli shrimp. I saw a small clear blob - not snail eggs - on some guppy grass. I pulled the grass out. Today I see huge ones - big as a quarter - but circular like a bubble attached to my awesome Aquarium Co-Op sponge filter. Is it a type of parasite? I have looked around on the internet and every thing I find says snail eggs. I know better that is not what it is. Especially given the type of snails in that tank. Plus the first bloobs I saw were less than pea size - today three large blobs on the sponge filter. HELP -- save me from the blobs!!!! (Thank you in advance!) Edited August 9, 2021 by Aquater mis spelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 Can take I picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Box Dreams Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 Condolences to you. There must be a purpose for aquatic snails but I have yet to find one? I have about 15 tanks all snail free - I exterminate them by manual removal the moment I see them including their eggs. Every tank I have had snails in the population explodes exponentially. If I could have a tank with three or four snails I might be able to live with them. They are a bio-load on a tank I can live without but that is my personal opinion. I always isolate new arrivals in a quarantine tank to ensure I get no stow aways in established tanks. My recommendation is genocide... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 If your blobs look like this they are pond snails clutches vary greatly in size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquater Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 On 8/8/2021 at 8:14 PM, Water Box Dreams said: Condolences to you. There must be a purpose for aquatic snails but I have yet to find one? I have about 15 tanks all snail free - I exterminate them by manual removal the moment I see them including their eggs. Every tank I have had snails in the population explodes exponentially. If I could have a tank with three or four snails I might be able to live with them. They are a bio-load on a tank I can live without but that is my personal opinion. I always isolate new arrivals in a quarantine tank to ensure I get no stow aways in established tanks. My recommendation is genocide... Thanks for your response. I am breeding snails on purpose. It's my COVID small business/income plan. Also gives me lots of peace. I have two Pea Puffer tanks breeding so they appreciate the culling. Anyway - your tanks sound amazing enjoy your snail free tanks. I would recommend Nerve snails to you if you want a good cleaning crew that won't multiply. They need salt in their water to breed. They do great in freshwater and live a very long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquater Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 Photos of the blob: Hi, here are a couple snap shots of the blob. Note the bubble like structure - not flat like rams horn or pond snail's eggs. Some are hanging on live plants. The filter in the picture is Aquarium Co-Op's large. The leaf is a silk plant for cover in my Purple & Magenta Mystery Snail home. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 That looks like a type of fungus to me not a 100% sure that what it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) I apologize I don’t know how to link. It looks like freshwater sponge. I did a quick search for a video on YouTube for you here is a picture For you so you can compare his to yours or look for others. I love weird stuff that grows! Edited August 9, 2021 by Guppysnail 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquater Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 Wow - thanks all, that is wild and wacky - now after being in the hobby since the early '70's I'm learning something new again. - This happens daily BTW I love learning. Happy fish keeping to you all! PS I hope they are harmless. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 So interesting! I hope you will post photo updates as they grow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat_Rigel Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 Wow that is really cool! I wonder what started them growing in your tank? Did you add anything recently, or maybe water parameters just met the right conditions at some point? Very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph’s Fish and Plants Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 I agree, my best guess is freshwater sponges. Regardless I’m very intrigued and I hope you update this if you figure anything else out about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 I had no idea there are freshwater sponges. This is so cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquater Posted August 10, 2021 Author Share Posted August 10, 2021 Hello folks, I will keep you posted - I'm interested in learning more. The photos on the sponge filter are of the largest freshwater blob / sponges. Really nothing new in the tanks. Just my snail breeding tanks, both have shrimp, one with the smaller blob on the silk plants also has mini Cory's who seem to be breeding much to my surprise. If they grow or change I will let you know and if anyone finds out any info on them please pass it along. I found it funny that the one thing we had about it stated that it's a really clean tank that produces them. Imagine with me what I see everyday - one 40 gallon stocked with half a dozen orange shrimp, 10-12 adult Mystery snails in purple and magenta, a kiss breeder with floating egg clutches and about 60 hatched Mystery snails, 4 adult pygmy corys with 3 noticeable offspring. Now go with me to the morning and sometimes evening feeding where I LOAD them up on an assortment of foods, veggies and some ready made and home made food. - basically overfeeding the snails with the other inhabitants there to help clean up. It's bare bottomed except for a large terra cotta pot - air stone in the bottom and covered with sand, gravel and crushed coral. a few other things in there for hiding and growing plants. It's typically filthy - so the clean comment kinda threw me. The second tank is highly populated with red railer shrimp, Japanese trapdoor, and a few types of rabbit snails - all breeding like crazy with my same typical over feeding. So the whole live , freshwater sponge thing is quite a mystery. Unless something came in on the vegetables. Most recently they are from my sisters garden and she does not use any chemicals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Very cool, @Aquater! I learned last year that we have freshwater sponges in certain bodies of water here in Vermont. It would be fun to go collect some. This has an article about them: https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/documents/lp_oob23.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 On 8/11/2021 at 3:35 PM, Streetwise said: This has an article about them: https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/documents/lp_oob23.pdf "In spring, gemmules will hatch and Vermont lakes will once again be full of glorious sponges." I love that line! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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