Hellllllllo!!! :o)

[dkpate]

Yeah, they are suprisingly fast! Mine grew from the size of a gobstopper to golf ball in about 3 months. I feed her algae wafers and grind up cuttle bone to help with her shell. They lay their eggs above the water line and on the lid of the tank, so you can just take them out if you don't want them.

Here she is:

 

[Hyperschell]

OMG! What an awesome snail you have!! If you don't mind...how often do you feed the algae wafers? And the cuttle bone? Is the cuttle bone in the bird section of the store? I Googled on the mystery snail months ago and nowhere did it say they reproduce or what to feed...I have noticed the shell on one of mine doesn't look as good as it did, if that makes sense!! Going to start the cuttle bone for sure. Thanks so much for sharing this info!! Man I love this site!!! Will try to get a pic of my two mystery snails posted within the next few days.

 

[mommytron]

hey, a couple things. about the bulb situation, it really depends on what type of plants you want to keep in there. if you want to stick with the moss ball and other moderate and/or high light plants, your lighting will need a pretty big upgrade. either retro-fit your fluorescent fixture to accommodate CFLs or buy a new fixture (an incandescent one would work, then you could screw in some CFLs). or if you'd like to go with low light plants only, all you really need is a new bulb. assuming you have an 18" bulb, this would work -> Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting: Zoo Med Ultra Sun Trichromatic Fluorescent Bulbs
or you can go to walmart or a hardware store and get one. i picked up a GE brand one at walmart for 6 bucks. just make sure that the color scale is somewhere between 6000 and 7000k and you'll be good to go.

also, if you haven't already checked out this thread, check it out http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html for your new 20 gallon tank. and if you don't already have one, you're definitely going to want to pick up an API Freshwater Master test kit (or similar liquid reagent test kit) for your cycle, and to watch the levels on your existing tank (if you don't already do so).

your stock seems good, except i see in your post you mentioned a loach but not in your "my tanks" in your profile, if you do have one, what kind is it?

i like your tank, i would move the thermometer to the side, tho do the large rocks collect a lot of detrius and gunk? i mean, it looks pretty clean, but is it hard to get clean? the large rocks look really cool, much different from the norm pebble gravel or sand. nice job and i hope you're able to bring your moss ball back to life, they are very cool, i really want one when i'm able to get higher lighting

 

[dkpate]

I feed her one algae wafer at night, because she is dormant during the day. Sometimes I put a couple flakes in there too for her. Make sure they can get to the surface too, since they have gills AND what I call their snorkel. My girls snorkel is about 5 inches long, and they put that right at the surface and pump air into them, it's pretty cool!
I get the cuttle from the bird section, run it under the water for a few seconds, then I stick it in a bowl and hit the end with the end of a wooden spoon. I take the ground up pieces and sprinkle them in the tank. If they are too big, they will float, so make them smaller. And I use about 1/2 tsp a week, but I have other snails too, so you could probably do less.
The place I went to find alot of info is www.applesnail.net. Mystery snails are actually small apple snails, so they have ALOT of good info on which kind you have, how they reproduce, etc.

 

[Hyperschell]

Mommytron, Thanks for the lighting information! I'm still trying to decide about what kind of plants. Have also been told T-5 HO lighting. This is all very confusing to me but I am going to get it figured out! My moss ball isn't looking so good but I'm trying to stay positive or else I'd probably have tossed it by now.
Checked out the site you suggested for cycling my new 20 gallon tank. Also, I hate to admit it but I've never purchased a test kit in my life. Have added it to my list of things I need!!! So I guess that answers if I check the levels on my existing tank. What have I done without this site for so long?!
I have a Kuhli loach. I did forget to put him in my profile...maybe cause he stays hidden under the rocks most the time! My mom always had one in her tank as I was growing up and it was one of the first things I knew I wanted to add to my tank.
I moved the thermometer to the side today as you suggested. The large rocks don't collect a lot of detrius and gunk...but I do clean it weekly so perhaps that is why? My only issue is that the loach and aquatic frogs make my cleaning somewhat difficult (afraid of squishing them while suctioning and lifting rocks). But I really like the look of all the different rocks...thanks....glad you like the look of it too!
Thanks again for all the great info...get my "new" tank tomorrow and am excited and skurd to get it going.

 

[dkpate]

You should get more kuhli's, they like groups. I have 6 of them, and it's crazy town in my tank! They do hot laps around EVERYTHING all day and night.

 

[Hyperschell]

dkpate, I've been doing the "Quick Reply." Looked at the way you suggested and see how to attach pics now. I will learn how to navigate this site yet!! Haha!
Would love to have more loaches if my new tank allows it. Probably over stocked for a 10 gallon at the moment...depends on who you ask though.
I had two dwarf gouramis a few months back (before all the guppies) and they wouldn't leave the snail (at the time I only had the one) alone. Always going at his feelers a tentacle even the tubular breathing thing that comes out (am not going to tell you what the heck I thought that was the first time I saw it!!! lol). Both just seemed to constantly be at my poor snail so I ended up returning them where I'd bought them from. The snail was much more active again once the bullies were gone! Have you ever had any issues like that?

 

[mommytron]

they are pretty cool little things. maybe when you get your bigger tank set up you can move kulhii into it with some new friends. your 10 gal may be a bit small for more than the one you have.

also, if you haven't found it, there is a great thread in the planted tanks section to help with figuring out what lighting to go with
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/read-this-first-resources-and-references-83826.html
there is one link in the first list and I found the articles in Purrbox's post to be very helpful when i decided to go planted (with zero aquarium experience!) they give a good grasp on the basics. I like the more peaceful feel the live plants give my tank, and it's very relaxing tending to them.

 

[dkpate]

I just had to move my mystery out of her original tank too, because the corys kept running over her and she would never come out of her shell.
I thought the snorkel was something else at first too LOL. This is her 3rd tank, because my D. Gourami and BGK would NOT leave any of them alone. Little pests. LOL
I had one D. Gourami who was SUCH a brat, he had to be separated for everyone else but the kuhli's, since he wasn't quite fast enough to catch them.