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----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Crail" <farmertodd_at_buckeye-express.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: NANFA-- hydras, flatworms, etc.
> Howdy Dave. I didn't want you to get lost in the haze of the fortunate
ones
> getting to go to the Convention :)
>
> A "Freshwater Reef" is waaaaay underated, I'm glad to see someone else
going
> this path and enjoying all that our waters provide in diversity.
>
> First question is, where are you at? "State" would be sufficient if you
> don't feel like giving specifics, to get an idea of locale. Pictures are
a
> huge help as well, especially if you have a good macro lense on your
camera.
> That may be the key to getting a proper ID. There are also various field
> guides that have had thier names bounced around the list that would allow
> you to use a magnifying glass and key out. I'm going to look in the
> archives and will repost those guide names. I meant to save them, I need
to
> pick them up for birthday related type things coming up :)
>
> With the hydra, hydroids and the like... Something that can and does often
> occur is a population explosion upon introduction (kind of like what
happens
> when an exotic organism is introduced to a new ecosystem), the food source
> is specific and available, but is consumed too quickly. The population
then
> crashes. Chances are, you have "Darwin's Select (tm)" still living in
> there, they're just not as obvious as when you had "Hydropolis". I would
> watch for medusae still, but my guess is this is what occurred.
>
> You may be able to nurture the population using something like Brine
Shrimp
> Direct's Golden Pearls (brineshrimpdirect.com) with their < 60 micron
> clusters and spheres and stuff. I don't want to discourage use of this
> product because I'd really like to see more freshwater aquarists
developing
> this approach to husbandry, but it is possible you would run into some
algal
> bloom issues as you're figuring out the balancing act of "food to mouth"
> ratios. I've been "gut loading" tiny bluntnose minnows with the product
> for my Stonecat (using the Artemia 1 product), and haven't seen any algae
> issues... But I'd hate to hear "My tank is covered in cyano and it's your
> fault for not warning me!" :)
>
> The worms are detritus generalists, so they probably have a sufficient
food
> source.
>
> Hope this helps... Hope to get back with the field guide names here
shortly.
>
> Todd
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Whitacre" <streptoprocne_at_earthlink.net>
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 9:10 AM
> Subject: NANFA-- hydras, flatworms, etc.
>
>
> > Hello NANFA folks,
> > I have been listening in for a while, and now have a question or two.
The
> only
> > fish I have at the moment is a gorgeous Black-striped Topminnow, who is
> living
> > off the fat of the land in a 10-gallon tank. I have been feeding him/her
> > zooplankton all spring, that I get with a plankton throw-net at a nearby
> > cattail/duck marsh.
> >
> > One of the benefits of this method of food collection, is that various
> cool
> > critters become established in the tank from time to time. So, I had a
> huge
> > crop of Hydra for a while...but in the past 10 days, all the "adults"
> (polyps)
> > have disappeared. What has happened to them? Did they die off, or merely
> > change form? There are now many tiny, translucent smudges on the glass,
> that
> > might be new polyps getting established. Did the polyps produce tiny
> medusas
> > that are floating around in there now? Any ideas?
> >
> > Also, I now have a crop of tiny white worms crawling all over the glass.
> They
> > are about 1/5 inch long, quite slender, with a noticeable swelling at
the
> > anterior end, and they cruise rapidly, and in rectilinear fashion, on
the
> > glass. Their motion resembles that of a flatworm (say, Planaria)--just
> > straight, fairly rapid creeping--no wiggling. Any ideas? Could these
> indeed be
> > some sort of Turbellarian?
> >
> > Also, lots of smaller white things that are also wormlike--say 2 mm
long.
> They
> > may be growing into these longer white worms, but I'm not sure.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Dave Whitacre, Newbie
> --
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-- > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes > / Association" > / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association > / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word > / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to > / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to > / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. > / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org /----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org