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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 9:00:38
After a few posts, I wanted to see if I could find helpful websites about snails. They may not sound like a wonderful pet, but if you'd like to bring some nature in your house and see these little guys breeding and grow- check this site out (yes- they have forums JUST for snail lovers- haha!)
Posted by Poet on January 19, 2004, at 10:50:23
In reply to Snails, posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 9:00:38
Hi Angielala,
I may have some baby snails on the way, if two of them were doing what I think they were. Some babies would be fun, though the tank is pretty small. Too bad I have a killer koi in the big tank- he eats all fish and snails.
Poet
Posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 11:00:39
In reply to Re: Snails » Angielala, posted by Poet on January 19, 2004, at 10:50:23
Look at it this way- you have one spoiled Koi! I love Koi, so pretty... and yours gets nice fresh meals :)
> Hi Angielala,
>
> I may have some baby snails on the way, if two of them were doing what I think they were. Some babies would be fun, though the tank is pretty small. Too bad I have a killer koi in the big tank- he eats all fish and snails.
>
> Poet
Posted by Ilene on January 19, 2004, at 12:31:07
In reply to Re: Snails, posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 11:00:39
Koi are Kool. When I lived in San Jose (California) I'd go down to Kelley Park and feed the koi. You could buy koi food (looked for all the world like cat food) from a dispenser (like a gumball machine) and throw the food into the water. The koi would all rush towards you and vacuum up the food. It was great fun. The koi were well fed and looked it--they were *huge*. I especially liked the ones that were red, white, and black--just like calico cats. Maybe they were Kaliko Koi.
Ilene
Posted by poet on January 19, 2004, at 12:56:59
In reply to Koi, posted by Ilene on January 19, 2004, at 12:31:07
Mine just loves his (her?) koi pellets. Not to mention other fish and snails, which is why he is the lone fish in the tank. He's pure white and about 8 inches long and growing. He's really too big for the tank, but it's below zero outside and he'd be a frozen fish. Actually he's too big for the pond, even if it were heated. Koi is getting kostly!
Poet
Posted by Ilene on January 19, 2004, at 13:26:49
In reply to Re: Koi » Ilene, posted by poet on January 19, 2004, at 12:56:59
> Mine just loves his (her?) koi pellets. Not to mention other fish and snails, which is why he is the lone fish in the tank. He's pure white and about 8 inches long and growing. He's really too big for the tank, but it's below zero outside and he'd be a frozen fish. Actually he's too big for the pond, even if it were heated. Koi is getting kostly!
>
> Poet
I think koi are hardy enough to live under the ice, assuming your pond is big enough not to freeze solid. After all, "real" fish survive winter. I'm sure there's a Koi Fancy online that can answer this question.Maybe s/he will grow into Moby Koi, the demonic white carp. You could float a miniature Pequod on your pond.
Someone in my neighborhood has (had?) an ornamental pond in her yard, but herons discovered it and ate her fish. She complained about it on our local listserv. Personally, I'd stock the pond with cheap fish and watch the herons go for them.
Ilene
Posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 14:03:35
In reply to Re: Koi » Ilene, posted by poet on January 19, 2004, at 12:56:59
Could you get a bigger tank?
> Mine just loves his (her?) koi pellets. Not to mention other fish and snails, which is why he is the lone fish in the tank. He's pure white and about 8 inches long and growing. He's really too big for the tank, but it's below zero outside and he'd be a frozen fish. Actually he's too big for the pond, even if it were heated. Koi is getting kostly!
>
> Poet
Posted by Poet on January 19, 2004, at 14:42:19
In reply to Re: Koi, posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 14:03:35
We're going to have to get a bigger tank pretty soon. I really hope he stops growing until we can put in a bigger pond in spring. I'm going to check out some koi sites and see how well they do in freezing climates outside, maybe he could stay out there in winter.
He was only about two inches long last spring when we put him in our little pond (I think it's five gallons.) His tank is a 25 gallon and he looks so cramped. His new pond will have take up the whole back yard at this rate.
Poet
Posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 15:03:58
In reply to Re: Koi » Angielala, posted by Poet on January 19, 2004, at 14:42:19
I believe that they have some sort of ventilated solar tarp that you can cover the pond with to help the Koi in the cold. I say this, because a wonderful Chinese Restaurant has a pretty good sized outdoor pond with Koi, and every winter they put this nifty solar net type thing over it that keeps snow and leaves out and helps the pond stay at a decent temp, because I never see the pond frozen (and remember where I live- Boston, the closest in climate to Iceland as you can get hehe)
> We're going to have to get a bigger tank pretty soon. I really hope he stops growing until we can put in a bigger pond in spring. I'm going to check out some koi sites and see how well they do in freezing climates outside, maybe he could stay out there in winter.
>
> He was only about two inches long last spring when we put him in our little pond (I think it's five gallons.) His tank is a 25 gallon and he looks so cramped. His new pond will have take up the whole back yard at this rate.
>
> Poet
>
>
Posted by Waterlily on January 19, 2004, at 18:38:35
In reply to Snails, posted by Angielala on January 19, 2004, at 9:00:38
I keep snails in my garden pond and in my saltwater aquarium to control algae. I think the ones in my aquarium are really stupid because I keep on finding them upside down, even though they are still alive. I have to keep uprighting them. What a pain.
Posted by Ilene on January 19, 2004, at 18:44:39
In reply to Re: Snails, posted by Waterlily on January 19, 2004, at 18:38:35
> I keep snails in my garden pond and in my saltwater aquarium to control algae. I think the ones in my aquarium are really stupid because I keep on finding them upside down, even though they are still alive. I have to keep uprighting them. What a pain.
"Stupid" is probably overestimating their intelligence. Snails don't even have brains, fer gosh sake.
What happens if you don't right them? Will they stay upside down until they die?
I.
Posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 20, 2004, at 14:04:56
In reply to Re: Snails, posted by Ilene on January 19, 2004, at 18:44:39
My snails tend to do that upside down thing. They seem to be ok. Alot of times they'll fall to the bottom of the tank if there's a change in the room, and their not too picky on how they land.
On the hanky panky, it takes a couple weeks after for them to lay their eggs, and several weeks for them to hatch.
If you have a Koi or other fish to feed them too, that's good. They go from being nifty to being a scourge (especially in a tank) pretty quickly.
That aside, they are the wierdest things. Kinda fun to watch (when they move).
Posted by Ilene on January 21, 2004, at 21:22:27
In reply to Re: Snails, posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 20, 2004, at 14:04:56
> My snails tend to do that upside down thing. They seem to be ok. Alot of times they'll fall to the bottom of the tank if there's a change in the room, and their not too picky on how they land.
>
> On the hanky panky, it takes a couple weeks after for them to lay their eggs, and several weeks for them to hatch.
>
> If you have a Koi or other fish to feed them too, that's good. They go from being nifty to being a scourge (especially in a tank) pretty quickly.
>
> That aside, they are the wierdest things. Kinda fun to watch (when they move).
Makes me want to get an aquarium, but I don't need yet another thing to take care of. Two kids & 2 cats is quite enough.I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium when I was in California about 10 days ago. I spent quite a bit of time watching the cuttlefish. They are the coolest! They change color and their eyes are in the shape of a figure-eight. I kid you not.
I got very protective of the little cuties. The cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish, chambered nautilus) don't like flash photography--there are signs posted asking people *not* to use their flashes. I actually started telling off people who used flash.
I.
Posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 21, 2004, at 23:34:40
In reply to Re: Snails » socialdeviantjeff, posted by Ilene on January 21, 2004, at 21:22:27
That's cool. If I could afford an industrial several thousant gallon aquarium with a staff I ould love some cuttlefish. Now, here's an interesting bit about them-they are color-blind. Pretty wierd, eh?
Posted by Angielala on January 22, 2004, at 8:16:08
In reply to Re: Snails » Ilene, posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 21, 2004, at 23:34:40
How do you think a scientist discovers that a fish is color blind?
> That's cool. If I could afford an industrial several thousant gallon aquarium with a staff I ould love some cuttlefish. Now, here's an interesting bit about them-they are color-blind. Pretty wierd, eh?
>
>
Posted by Ilene on January 22, 2004, at 8:57:35
In reply to Re: Snails » Ilene, posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 21, 2004, at 23:34:40
> That's cool. If I could afford an industrial several thousant gallon aquarium with a staff I ould love some cuttlefish. Now, here's an interesting bit about them-they are color-blind. Pretty wierd, eh?
>
>I got so obsessed w/ cuttlefish that I spent an hour or so on the Web reading about them. Then for some reason I read up on toxic cone shells....
Yes, you can keep cuttlefish at home! Here's a page on "Cuttlefish Husbandry". It's part of a larger ceph site that has lots of info and very cool photos:
http://is.dal.ca/~ceph/TCP/cuttle1.htmlWhere did you get the info that they are color-blind? That doesn't make sense, since they can change color.
Squid eyes are very much like human eyes. (Squid are relatives of cuttlefish.) When I was in college I was told they were used for vision research. Perhaps they still are.
Even though cephs and snails are all molluscs, the cephs are the smartest invertebrates.
I.
Posted by Penny on January 22, 2004, at 9:07:35
In reply to Re: Cuttlefish » socialdeviantjeff, posted by Ilene on January 22, 2004, at 8:57:35
I thought I would add my aquatic passion to this thread: African Dwarf Frogs!
My ADF's name is Spot, and she's so darn cute! They're completely aquatic, and only get to be about 1.5 inches long (head to tail, not head to feet). Anyway, delightful little creatures, but I'm discovering that even the pet stores around my area that sell them don't know much about them. Very frustrating. So I found a great website that has lots of ADF info, as well as great info on other freshwater creatures/aquariums: http://flippersandfins.net/
Enjoy!
P
Posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 23, 2004, at 3:05:56
In reply to Re: Other aquatic life..., posted by Penny on January 22, 2004, at 9:07:35
I saw this study that showed they can sense variations in shades of gray, but not most colors. For example, a cuttlefish goes over a certain color and assumes it. It's then moved to the opposite color and sticks out like a sore thumb. the colors look the same in black and white, but are clearly different as colors.
I could be wrong, though. It may be that certain species do see color.
After reading that article, I'm giving serious thought to getting some. Pretty darn cool.
Posted by socialdeviantjeff on January 23, 2004, at 3:08:05
In reply to Re: Other aquatic life..., posted by Penny on January 22, 2004, at 9:07:35
Pretty neat! If it wasn't for my bully of a turtle, I would have some for sure...
This is the end of the thread.
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