# Zebra mussels?



## confuted (Jan 31, 2007)

Those who live around the Great Lakes are no doubt familiar with zebra mussels, an invasive clam-like species with razor sharp shells which cut your feet when you swim. However, they've also drastically increased the clarity in many lakes (for better or for worse).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_mussel

Has anybody tried these in a freshwater aquarium for clearing up the water? I know that freshwater mussels and clams often die in aquariums, but most of them are bigger than one or two zebra mussels would be. I also wouldn't feel bad in the least if I killed some zebra mussels; I've killed thousands by leaving them out to dry, and would kill the rest if I could.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

They also increase bio-load and produce waste themselves.


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## confuted (Jan 31, 2007)

Of course they do! I'm not looking to use them as an excuse to put too many critters in a tiny tank, I was wondering if they are any good for clearing up cloudy water caused by algae/bacterial blooms or stirred up sediment. My tank isn't particularly heavily stocked as it is (5 white clouds, a betta, an otto, and a snail in a heavily planted 10 gallon tank), I could afford to put a few zebra mussels in there if they'd accomplish anything. If nobody has tried this or knows of any problems with it, maybe I'll experiment.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

how would you even feed them?
they eat diatoms?


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## Blackthumbwoes (Feb 27, 2007)

one down side is michigan DNR really frowns on possesion of live zebra mussels....i've often thought about that for my pond but i havent tried it yet. 

just keep an eye out for the pretty green truck if you're collecting.

Jason


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## confuted (Jan 31, 2007)

mistergreen said:


> how would you even feed them?
> they eat diatoms?


They're filter feeders; I'm wondering if they'd get enough to eat just out of the water. I don't have many (any?) diatoms in the tank, but I do have a serious case of cloudy water. Do you think they might survive (at least for a while) on whatever is in there, even if it isn't diatoms?

I read that they only filter about a quart a day. Maybe a rock with 10-15 attached to it for a 10 gallon aquarium?


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## Blackthumbwoes (Feb 27, 2007)

they'll likely as not feed your tank clear in a couple days if it even takes that long. then if you're not careful they'll drop dead and cloud it up again (i've tried the gold clams from work a couples times with assorted success rates).
jason


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## AxolotlFarmer (Nov 29, 2006)

If they do survive in your tank, you will never get rid of them. Or-let's say, you want to take down your tank, you won't be able to scrape them off your glass. There always is the chance that when you do a water change you can introduce them into your sewage system.

I have see people ask this questions on the other board and the consensus seems to be- Don't do it, Just dont do it.....It is not worth it. Plus you always take the chance of introducing them near you and once they are introduce, the balance of your lake systems. They may have made the lakes look like an ocean, but it really is not worth the negative effects, such as cloging everything, cutting everyones feet, oh, and really messing up the food chain and order of animals in the great lake. Us who live on the great lakes Hate them. Plus, there are laws in some places where possesion of these monsters is a big no-no.

For Grand Rapids guy who wanted zebras in his pond, Why not have native clams and muscles in your pond??? Your pond may not look like the ocean, but it is better than invasive zebras which really have hurt our native muscles and clams.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2005)

I think you should look at the entire life cycle of the mussels/clam before you put any in your tank.
Some clams and mussels laid "spores" that attach themselves into a fish and becomes parasitic and kills the fish. That is how they migrate ...


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## Blackthumbwoes (Feb 27, 2007)

i'm very well aware of what zebra mussels are capable of it, i've seen it first hand, hence i've never bothered to do it. It was a thought i had not something i intended to try. As for the native clams, they'd have never kept up with the bioload in my pond...and they are protected state wide so thats another damper on the idea.

If theres one thing that sets me off its invasive, non native, and intentionally release non native species. I get about one person a week who asks if they could release their pet channel cat, pet red tail cat, pet oscar, pacu ect during the summer. 

Anyhow green water in my tanks is always a symptom of something else so i just figure out the something else and remedy it, much easier than boosting my bioload or using some chemical crap in my tank.

jason

zebra mussels dont belong in tanks, just my opinion, i've thought about it but never did it, i think about a lot of things i never do


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

how do zebra mussels taste?
If you can't get rid of them, eat them.


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## Blackthumbwoes (Feb 27, 2007)

much much too small for eating, that and they tend to build up pollutants in their bodies from filtering water. They have been clogging water treatment pipes for years in lake erie and starting to do the same in many other places.

A large one would be about the size of your thumb nail. 

jason


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## mkcm1966 (Sep 2, 2016)

will a assassin snail eat the zebra mussel? They can have frozen mussels so I was wondering about a couple to feed them?


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## dkskinn (May 12, 2019)

As for introducing them into their wild where they shouldn't be, make it a non-issue. Just as a policy, the day you add them, water from your tank never, I mean never, goes down the drain. water your plants, garden, lawn, whatever. If getting said water into a body of water is a concern, you may want to treat it with copper before dumping. Then no problem 😊


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## livebearerlove (Aug 20, 2013)

I was curious if... per chance.... since I actually LIVE on one of the great lakes... can I catch one (or two) crush/break it/them and feed my large puffer? 
Now inquiring minds need to know.... never thought of that.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

dkskinn said:


> As for introducing them into their wild where they shouldn't be, make it a non-issue. Just as a policy, the day you add them, water from your tank never, I mean never, goes down the drain. water your plants, garden, lawn, whatever. If getting said water into a body of water is a concern, you may want to treat it with copper before dumping. Then no problem 😊


 Treating with copper would then necessitate its removal from the water as well, which would drive up cost and logistics. 



Also, a 3 year revival of a 9 year revival!


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