Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 29, 2008 16:35:48 GMT
hello again lol I have been reading old posts and have seen that people keep woodlice in their tanks with the snails. So i went out and caught three, they are now in a seperate tub for a bit. I am just checking to make sure that the woodlice will DEFINATLY not give my snails mites or diseas as i don't want to go through the whole mite thing again lol So does anybody who is looking at this thread had woodlice and have they been good or bad if you know what i mean? thanks xx
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 29, 2008 16:37:15 GMT
p.s) sorry if this has allwready been covered in a different thread. any info on keeping them would help
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Rachel
Archachatina puylaerti
They see me snailin'
Posts: 1,183
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Post by Rachel on May 29, 2008 17:00:46 GMT
if you make sure you quarantine them for a few weeks it should be ok, but occasionaly snail will react badly to them. It is partly dependant on the size of the snail. big ones are less likely to have problems but i don't put them in with little ones or babies. checkwith everyone else as well as i don't really have them apart from for natives.
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spook
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 274
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Post by spook on May 29, 2008 18:57:34 GMT
HI there, I keep woodlice in my tanks but i keep tropical woodlice!.......places like this sell them.. www.dartfrog.co.uk/livefoods.htmlI personally wouldn't be keen on just catching them from the garden incase they do carry other bugs and things....but i think other people have done this!? Woodlice are great at eating left over food and snail poo and generally keeping the soil clean,i wouldn't be without mine! They do breed lots though,but the snails don't seem to mind house sharing!!
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 29, 2008 19:03:30 GMT
Are they big enough to carry mites and stuff around as i cant see any on the ones i have caught which are now in a sandwitch box? I wont be aloud to but any woodlice of internet as my mum wouldn't let me Shes not to keen on the whole snails keeping thyng and wont let me but mutch for them, but she lets my sister by loads for her hamster
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on May 29, 2008 20:06:09 GMT
I have a couple of woodlice (which are called pillbugs) from my garden in with my garden snails. Everybody seems happy and healthy.
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Post by whodoesntlovesnails on May 29, 2008 22:24:13 GMT
I have a couple of woodlice (which are called pillbugs) from my garden in with my garden snails. Everybody seems happy and healthy. me 2, they are great little cleaners ;D
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Post by Paul on May 30, 2008 4:10:01 GMT
I have loads of woodlice in the tank. They are industrious but they don't make that much of a dent in what needs cleaning. Incidentally I also keep worms because compete with nematodes really well and they keep the soil fresh. But back to woodlice...
All life can carry parasites and I don't doubt woodlice could also. But I wouldn't worry too much, the physiology between woodlice and snails are very different so I doubt they share many parasites. I've never had any snail react badly to them.
If you want to err on the side of caution, keep them in a new tank or tub, and keep one snail with them. If that shows adverse affects you'll know they aren't safe. I've been keeping them for a year or so without any problems and I just bunged them in the tank.
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 30, 2008 14:33:08 GMT
so are yours with the african snails or with the garden snails?
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 30, 2008 14:36:14 GMT
Would it make a differance if i bred the woodlice and then put the captive bred ones in the tank? That way i no that they are safe?
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Post by Paul on May 30, 2008 15:12:41 GMT
so are yours with the african snails or with the garden snails? I've kept them with European and African snails.
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Post by Paul on May 30, 2008 15:13:43 GMT
Would it make a differance if i bred the woodlice and then put the captive bred ones in the tank? That way i no that they are safe? Woodlice carry their eggs around with them, on the underside of their body. So you'd not be able to take "clean" eggs and hatch them away from their parents who potentially may be carrying something.
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 30, 2008 15:59:32 GMT
oh so what if i take the babies out when they have just been let out the pouch? And are yours frrom the garden or online? *sorry about all the questions*
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Post by Paul on May 30, 2008 16:41:09 GMT
After hatching they'll come into contact with the parents thus being exposed to anything the parents may be carrying. Although the exposure time is short is there much point in going to all that trouble if you can't guarantee it will be successful? I dunked mine in some water to wash them and then put them in the tank.
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 30, 2008 19:11:37 GMT
Okay, so what do you mean by dunked, do you mean the whole woodlouse or just its back for a couple of seconds? Does anybody have any good or bad reports on them? sorry about all the questions, i must be getting annoying now lol
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Post by Paul on May 31, 2008 3:18:37 GMT
Basically, I completely submerged the woodlice for a few seconds.
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kimikofairy
Achatina achatina
My mind not only wonders sometimes it leaves completly :]
Posts: 56
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Post by kimikofairy on May 31, 2008 8:17:06 GMT
hmmm i personaly don't like all the legs on woodlice but after reading all this i think i'll go and catch a few.
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kimikofairy
Achatina achatina
My mind not only wonders sometimes it leaves completly :]
Posts: 56
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Post by kimikofairy on May 31, 2008 8:18:31 GMT
do they really clean up the tank? like eat leftover food and snail poo?
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 31, 2008 9:43:02 GMT
they eat the fungi and poo in the tank
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 31, 2008 9:44:23 GMT
so will the 5 monthy old snails be ok with them or should i move them to a different tank?
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 31, 2008 11:53:50 GMT
I have had them in quarintean for a bit now and have submerged them in water, so i desided to put them in the tank to see what happens, well i put 3 in but can only find 2 They keep getting stuck in the water lol will keep you updated
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on May 31, 2008 18:00:19 GMT
An interesting thing about woodlice is that, like all isopods, they need calcium almost as much as snails. I often see the pillbugs in my tank clinging to the underside of the cuttle.
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on May 31, 2008 19:06:26 GMT
yes i noticed that they hid under the cuttlefish bone. well i took them out anyway as i could never find them and they kept getting stuck in the water
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Jun 2, 2008 23:42:31 GMT
Mine never go near the water. I wonder why yours are in your water?
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Colin
Achatina fulica
Posts: 12
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Post by Colin on Jul 19, 2008 0:52:13 GMT
Anybody any idea how many woodlice would be needed to do a decent job of cleaning up and how fast they breed?
Thanks.
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