Re:Re:Snails

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

On 088/22/97 at 17:28, gomberg@wcf.com writes
>I think you will like using Siamese Algae Eaters...

I continue to hear from "experts" that Chinese algae eaters will not harm
other fish.  I recently lost an entire tank of fish, including two rams,
eight A. cucatoides, four A.norberti, and a half dozen tetras to a strange
malady.  Overnight, caudal fins were gone, all the way to the peduncle, one
fish at a time.  My repeated attempts to get advice resulted in email and
local petshop owners who insisted it was ammonia, or any of a dozen other
causes.  When I brought up my algae eaters, they all insisted that Chinese
algae eaters were harmless.

Low and behold, the only fish to survive this strange malady were the algae
eaters.  Now that my algae eaters are gone, so is the problem.  I also
recently advised someone in one of the internet discussion boards that his
Chinese algae eater may take the caudal fins off his other fish.  Sure
enough, this young man reported less than a week later, that he had the same
problem.  When he removed the algae eater, the problem went away.

I have had the same experience with Octocinclus, and have talked to someone
who experienced it with flying foxes.  If you have not turned these Siamese
algae eaters loose on your prized apistos, please do so and let me know how
you fare.  Meanwhile it will be a snowy day in Sao Paolo when I let another
member of this family of wonderful community tank fish into my house.

Besides, I live in Boise.  No petshop in this backwater town is going to get
in something as uncommon as Siamese algae eaters when they have a whole tank
full of Chinese ones to sell me.  Anyone out there got any Venezualan
ramshorns, or know how to get hold of some?  It would be ap[preciated.

Bob Dixon