# Update on my two 5 gallon NPTs [Pic Heavy]



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

It's been awhile since I posted pictures, so here we go.

*Tank #1:
*5 gallon NPT with organic dirt, play sand, and river pebbles.
Sponge Filter

1 VT Betta Chronos
4 Amano Shrimp
1 Nerite Snail
1 Unknown Snail (he's in the picture with the Nerite, can anyone ID? He was a hitchhiker that came in on a plant. Since he was alone, we left him. He was a teeny tiny baby when we found him.)

Green Wendtii Crypt
Dwarf Saggitaria
Rotala
Anubia Nana
Marimo Moss Ball
Java Moss
Duckweed










































*Tank #2
*5 gallon NPT with organic dirt, play sand, and river pebbles.
Sponge Filter

1 Dragonscale PK Betta Echo
5 Amano Shrimp
1 Nerite Snail

Green Wendtii Crypt
Rotala
Marimo Moss Ball
Anacharis
Micro-Sword
Anubia
Java Moss
Narrow-Leaf Java Fern
Duckweed



































Hope you enjoyed them! They are always a work in progress, but my boyfriend and I love them. One of my cats watches Chronos' tank more than we do. He just sits and stares at it for hours on end. Never Echo's, just Chronos'. Silly boy.

[I realize there is a lot of dirt on top of the sand. That was the shrimp's fault. I don't mind it, as it looks more natural that way.]


----------



## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

Very nice looking tanks!

That is a Ramshorn snail and it will reproduce by itself and take over your tank given time. You only need 1 to eventually have a tank full.


----------



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

peachii said:


> Very nice looking tanks!
> 
> That is a Ramshorn snail and it will reproduce by itself and take over your tank given time. You only need 1 to eventually have a tank full.


Oh dear... My bf is absolutely against killing it. Any solutions?

Edit: Now what I'm reading says that they are simply hermaphrodites, meaning they can be male or female, not that they can mate with themselves. (via Wikipedia: their hermaphroditic ability to breed prolifically from any two specimens can make them troublesome.) Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Edit: Edit:
Upon researching further.. I think I found where the misconception comes from that they mate with themselves. They stay fertilized for a *looooooooong* time. Meaning they can have "sex" in January and still have fertilized eggs from it in June even if their "partner" is long gone. This might lead people to believe they mate with themselves. However, when we found this little guy, he was barely the size of a pinhead. I highly doubt it mated when it was that small, so I think we're safe. Also, it's been with us since January and no eggs yet. I think I'm safe, and I think I'll keep my boyfriend happy by not killing it.

I do really appreciate your identification though. We've never known what he is.


----------



## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

That is a good size ramshorn - if you were going to have babies, you'd have had them long since.

To the best of my knowledge, when 2 ramshorn snails mate, they both come away pregnant. They can start that pretty small and get bred several times from one mating (like guppies), which makes folks think they are self-fertile.

 Some folks even have them on purpose. I've got blues and pinks.


----------



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Riverotter said:


> That is a good size ramshorn - if you were going to have babies, you'd have had them long since.
> 
> To the best of my knowledge, when 2 ramshorn snails mate, they both come away pregnant. They can start that pretty small and get bred several times from one mating (like guppies), which makes folks think they are self-fertile.
> 
> Some folks even have them on purpose. I've got blues and pinks.


I went with a single Nerite in each tank specifically because I didn't want to be overrun with snails. This little guy came in on a plant and was suuuuuuuuuuuper tiny. I was a little worried after peachii's post, but I did some more research and now I feel better having done that and reading your comment. He and the Nerite and the shrimp do a fabulous job keeping Chronos' tank clean.


----------



## Saphira101 (Nov 14, 2012)

I have 3 ramshorns in my 10 gallon and I _want_ them to reproduce! I found a baby in there the other day. 


Edit: I believe that the nerites can only breed in saltwater, so you're safe with them.


----------



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Saphira101 said:


> I have 3 ramshorns in my 10 gallon and I _want_ them to reproduce! I found a baby in there the other day.
> 
> 
> Edit: I believe that the nerites can only breed in saltwater, so you're safe with them.


The nerites aren't together. One in each tank. I really really didn't want babies! Lol!


----------



## itzBlitz (Mar 27, 2013)

tanks look great, really like the one with the stump. these
are gonna be awesome once they fill in.


----------



## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

Guess we had more than 1 hitchhiker because after we got our plants they completely infested our tank to the point of having to tear it down and completely re-do it substrate and all.


----------



## Gallium (May 14, 2013)

Contrary to popular belief, none of the common aquatic snail species will overpopulate a tank _unless_ you are overfeeding the fish. Standard ramshorns are not self-fertilizing, but they can lay several broods of 15-30 eggs per breed from a single mating over time. Ramshorns are slow growers and fish love to gobble up babies so keeping their population under control is no problem at all. Just don't overfeed and they won't reproduce. Adults and juveniles are easy to spot and remove if need be. 

Ramshorns are also superb diatom, biofilm, and algae eaters. They'll gobble up all types of "soft" algaes (like green spot), clean away diatoms from plants, glass, and surfaces, and really polish up the biofilm that exists on all the surfaces. 

They're actually really great additions to a planted tank. I have red and wild type ramshorns, as well as pond, acute bladder, and mini ramshorns. I love them all, but ramshorns are definitely the cleanup powerhouses.


----------



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

He is a pretty awesome cleaner.


----------



## jennesque (May 11, 2011)

The tank looks pretty awesome! I like the scape!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

jennesque said:


> The tank looks pretty awesome! I like the scape!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I'm assuming you meant Chronos'. Echo's is ever a work in progress. I need to pick up some sort of large hardscape item like Chronos has. With the plants so short yet, it makes it look really empty on top.


----------



## jennesque (May 11, 2011)

Both tanks look good.. They'll both grow in nicely. The driftwood does add some visual interested though.. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

jennesque said:


> Both tanks look good.. They'll both grow in nicely. The driftwood does add some visual interested though..
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



Think I'm going to pop over to the store tonight and see what I can find. I'll post an update pic if I do!


----------

