# brine shrimp/mulm



## NayR:D (Jan 14, 2010)

Hello all. i've set up my ntp and its been running for a few weeks now, occupents are a male fighter 1 leopord cory and 2 japonica? Shrimp. I feed my fighter bloodworm brine shrimp and daphnia . in the bottom of the brine.sh jar there are a few clumbs of mulm i usually chuck it out, is this the right thing to do or would it help the plants in my main tank?as a fertilizer? I got a few bloodworm in with the brine shrimp n they made base in the mulm....


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Brine Shrimp are raised in salt water. I would be reluctant to add too much salt to a fresh water tank. When raising brine shrimp I filter out the part I want to feed (just the shrimp) and rinse for a moment in fresh water. I would not add any debris from the shrimp raising jar to the tank as fertilizer. There are better sources, without the salt.


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## NayR:D (Jan 14, 2010)

Fairplay to you. i do rinse before i put them in, bit of a sillly question now i fink about it. Mulm from the rigjt source is a good thing though right? And would the right source be a snail? Im worried a snail would munch my plants apart. Is there a type that wont destroy my plants and looks nice?


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

I have pond and malasian trumpet snails currently. Ramshorn snails also have been in my tank in the past with no ill effects.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Nerite snails are good in fresh water tanks. They will do a good job of clearing the glass of algae, and not touch the plants.


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## NayR:D (Jan 14, 2010)

Thank you muirner and diana k, I've found a 2 tiney snails in the tank a few days after I added new plants ill try and match them up to some if the snails mentioned on google image search. Thanks


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Highly likely Pond Snails. 
Sort of round, but slightly pointed in the middle, in the oldest part of the shell. Perhaps 'football' shaped is a better description. Most are various shades of brown to dark brown, almost black. The fleshy part is about the same color as the shell, medium brown. Baby pond snails are clear, the size of a head of a pin. Eggs are a mass of clear jelly with white spots in it (the eggs) Adults can easily be 3/8" diameter, and some grow larger. 

Another possibility is Malaysian Trumpet Snails. These are highly elongated snails, quite sharp at the small end. There are several species, and color may be anywhere from black with no markings to tank with a few brown spots. The fleshy part is black. These snails are live bearers, not egg layers. Babies are 1/8", adults are often 1/2" long, sometimes longer, but only about 1/4" at the wide end, the opening. 

Ramshorn Snails are the other common hitch-hiker on live plants. The snail shell grows in a flat spiral. Some are more red, some are brown with little or no red tone. Most of the ones in my tanks top out at 1/2" diameter, but I have seen pictures of larger ones. In soft water tanks the shells seem to be thin, with white banding. Either the minerals are deficient to begin with, or the acidic water is eroding the shell. I have not noticed this problem with pond snails or MTS.


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

Just to add a comment that might help you Many species of snails get blamed for attacking plants particularly the Ramshorns but I am not so sure. Many plants that are dying are not very noticible to us, but are to the snails, so the snails get the blame for eating a plant when all they are doing is eating something that would be waste anyway. Creating holes in healthy plants is one thing but munching on dead or dying vegetation is quite another. I am not sure that this is the case in our tanks but it is a consideration. Or maybe I am over complicating the issue.


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## NayR:D (Jan 14, 2010)

That's sounds fair to be honest I've been keeping an on the snails that I believe are ramshorn, and they seem to be fine mainly hanging around the glass and any yellow tips of plants witch would coinside (spelt right?) With your theory of them taking care of dead or dieing plants. Just another questiuon why does my water have a green tint? I don't want to flood the forum with my noobie questions haha .


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

Beware of things that sound right, they may be wrong.

Green water is another type of algae that others may be more competant to deal with than me. Green water may be temporary or might be a permanent thing depending upon your setup so do whatever is required but give everyone a chance to comment and comment on the comments. The last time I had green water was in a 75 and I used a Magnum with a micro filter that had to be cleaned at least everyday for a few days before the water was polished enough to make me happy and then the green water went away.

Do not be cautious about bothering anyone on the NET because most of the folk here are only too willing to help.


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## NayR:D (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks cliff much appreciated, I done a quick hunt on the net and found its mostly found in a newly set up tank with high light and poor c02, also there seems to be a lot of cheap have ago ways to fix it but 2 sure ways 1 being a uv steriliser so ill invest in ine, thanks


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