My 10 gal invert tank is currently RCS, and a mix of trumpet and pond snails. I originally wasn't wanting the snails but the hitched a ride on some plants and well, things being things, they are here.
I did look at this as an opportunity to add some assassins though, once the numbers have become a bit more established.
However, I've noticed a disturbing creep in planaria in this tank. I let the substrate go a bit longer than I should have due to not having a good plan to vac with baby shrimp around until I engineered a low volume vac out of an old ugf riser and some tubing.
So, for about a month now, I've been gravel vacing 3-4 times weekly with 2-3 gallon water changes. Problem is, I'm actually seeing -more- on the glass than I was before, and they are smaller. Like I've started a bloom or something.
Now, it could be that my gravel vacs have driven them further to hunt for forage and they are skimming the glass in that purpose. Or, they could be multiplying. I've cut back on feeding...about 2 algae discs a week for the tank, with approximately 10 adult shrimp, 10-15 hatches (I figure I have had two females hatch so far), and a dozen or so good size snails in a tank with driftwood, java moss, moss ball, anarchis, and hornwort.
What I am worried about is if it gets to the point to treating with fenben, what that will due to my assassin plans. I've read ancedotal evidence that fenben is fine with shrimp and pond/ramshorns but higher order snails like nerites and brigs, it will kill them.
Anyone have any experience with assassins? My gut tells me its bad things and from what I have read, even with 100% H20 changes it remains toxic to snails. I haven't given up on the "traditional" remidies yet, but I'm also not one to shirk away from chems when it reaches that point.
I did look at this as an opportunity to add some assassins though, once the numbers have become a bit more established.
However, I've noticed a disturbing creep in planaria in this tank. I let the substrate go a bit longer than I should have due to not having a good plan to vac with baby shrimp around until I engineered a low volume vac out of an old ugf riser and some tubing.
So, for about a month now, I've been gravel vacing 3-4 times weekly with 2-3 gallon water changes. Problem is, I'm actually seeing -more- on the glass than I was before, and they are smaller. Like I've started a bloom or something.
Now, it could be that my gravel vacs have driven them further to hunt for forage and they are skimming the glass in that purpose. Or, they could be multiplying. I've cut back on feeding...about 2 algae discs a week for the tank, with approximately 10 adult shrimp, 10-15 hatches (I figure I have had two females hatch so far), and a dozen or so good size snails in a tank with driftwood, java moss, moss ball, anarchis, and hornwort.
What I am worried about is if it gets to the point to treating with fenben, what that will due to my assassin plans. I've read ancedotal evidence that fenben is fine with shrimp and pond/ramshorns but higher order snails like nerites and brigs, it will kill them.
Anyone have any experience with assassins? My gut tells me its bad things and from what I have read, even with 100% H20 changes it remains toxic to snails. I haven't given up on the "traditional" remidies yet, but I'm also not one to shirk away from chems when it reaches that point.
