Thread: Picky Pleco
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Old April 20th 04, 05:44 PM
RedForeman ©®
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Default Neritina natalensis was Picky Pleco

"NetMax" wrote in message
"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
NetMax, what's this snail you've been pushing the last few days? Nerita
Snail? Got any pics, info?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...21&pCatId=1076
is
all I found
--
RedForeman ©®

snip

Of course ) I can see that you're in dire need of _much_ better links.
How about:
http://members.aol.com/Mkohl2/Neritidae.html
and
http://perso.infonie.be/pomacea/neri...alensis_uk.htm

Like a kid in a candy store, I order everything (includes weird stuff),
so when I saw a listing for Dwarf African Striped snails, I bought some.
They were somewhat unimpressive, very small compared to Apple snails,
pretty shells, but they were always hunkered down in their shell, even
when moving. Another weird habit is they park out of water for long
periods of time. They slowly sold as a novelty until a fellow comes in,
notices my last 6, informs me that I'm the only store in Ottawa that has
had them in 10 years, and buys them all. Apparently these snails do not
eat plant matter but they do eat algae. I was not about to argue with
someone with deeply held convictions, so I later ordered more.

The same pattern repeats (novelty sales) until a fellow who keeps African
cichlids comes in, notices them and buys all I have left (6 or 7, iirc).
He tells me that they are immune from cichlid attacks because they don't
come out of their shell, and they are good scavengers (uneaten food &
algae).

Now I'm getting more interested.. (you don't have to hit me on the head
more than twice to get my attention ;~), a snail which works in planted
tanks AND in African tanks, which doesn't eat plants, doesn't get eaten,
doesn't seem to multiply, is a bottom scavenger and eats algae! Could
this be the snail for aquarium nirvana? It's still kind of ugly, odd
and does weird things, but for such good behaviour, I can overlook all
that.

NetMax (never a short answer that you can't string along ;~)


you ARE da man... but you already know that huh? Thanks....