Mustafa wrote:
That might not be true actually. As far as I know the blues were first bred in Germany, so they are most likely Planorbarius corneus, which is native to Europe. I have heard some reports before that they *might* eat some very fine plants if there isn't enough food for them in the tank.
The "reds" on the other hand, along with the "browns" here in North America are Planorbella duryi, which are endemic to Florida, but have been introduced all the over the world in aquaria due to plant shipments from Florida. Planorbarius gets a lot bigger than the Planorbella and is more likely to eat plants.
So, in the end...they might actually be two different species, although they look very similar.
Thats true, the blue ones were bred in Germany. I know, because I am the one who bred them. To be honest I do not know which species it is. Could be anything, even a crossbreed. They just appeared by chance, I did never bring ramshorn snails into my tanks on purpose. Some years later I posted a picture of a crayfish in a forum, where one could see a blue snail, too. And someone asked what snail that would be. Only then I realized that I have a new color morph of ramshorn snails in my tanks and started selective breeding.
However I do not agree that it is very likely that they are Planorbius corneus. That species never was widely distributed here. It does not like warm water and until people started keeping crayfish and shrimp tanks used to be 24°C or warmer. And people usually do not go out to collect ramshorn snails (which are not easy to find, anyway in many areas). I think it is very likely that they are indeed Planorbella duryi. That is the ramshorn snail people usually have in their tanks. That species is worldwide distributed in freshwater aquaria, just like malaysian trumpet snails and even started wild colonies in many countries. While Planorbius corneus can still be consired very rare.
They do not get as big as Planorbius corneus and look like Planorbella duryi. And their egg clutches look different from that of Planorbius corneus. However I am not a snail specialist who can tell without doubt. There are browns and reds and pink, white, golden, green etc in my tanks. They all behave alike.
They do eat dead critters however, even dad mystery snails, as do almost all of my snail species. But they do not eat live ones.
I think your elodea is different from many plants that are used in aquaria. Because most plants are only semiaquatic or have forefather - species that lived on the land many many years ago. Anacharis never lived on the land, but is a true water plant species. So maybe their chemistry and taste is different from many other aquarium plants and that is why they eat them? Isn`t there a post of a Cambarellus eating anacharis somewhere in this forum, too?
? If so I guess once the hydras get out of control the snails can no longer control the hydra population then.
