chopper chopper
  • Just can't stay away
  • Just can't stay away
  • Joined: 5/6/2004 22:51
  • From Staffordshire
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 91
  • Posted on: 18/5/2010 20:44
Mussels #1
HI

has anybody used mussels to clean (No Not Mr Muscles!) their pond.

my dental hygienist has purchased 6 for ?20.00 and they are roughy about 5 inches long and she says they are doing a great job of cleaning the shelves, but she does wonder the following

1. if they fall off the shelf to the bottom will they stay there

1a. they wont be able to climb back up will they?

2. are they all one sex

3. if they are not all one sex will she have babies

4. if they do have babies how do they erm well erm 'do it'! etc!

5. is she barking mad!

any help would be greatly appreciated

keith

Owner of 10 goldfish, Custard, Speedy, Spot, Natalie, Colonel, Goldy, Bulldog, Blackie and Pete and Sick Note and now five new babies that have bred in the pond,(oh and 1 plastic duck, 1 rubber duck, used to be 2 rubber ducks but the lawn mower at...
Froggy_Bottom Froggy_Bottom
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  • Joined: 8/5/2007 16:29
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 80
  • Posted on: 23/5/2010 20:21
Re: Mussels #2
Hi Keith

I've been wondering about these mussels and whether to get some for my pond.

They recommend one mussel per 50 gallons of water ....so not cheap for a big pond.

I would imagine they are pretty static and occasionally reproduce..There's the limit to my biological knowledge......They'd have to be mountaineers to get back onto the planting shelf in my pond...

Has anyone found them to be effective in filtering?

Intrigued...

Steve
rubadub rubadub
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  • Joined: 21/7/2009 19:36
  • From West Midlands
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  • Posts: 79
  • Posted on: 24/5/2010 9:10
Re: Mussels #3
Hi,

I've never looked at muscles for my pond before, but took an interest after your post and did some searching.

They do seem to be good filters but my small 800l pond is really well filtered by pump/filter kit so I wonder if the muscle would actually find enough in the water to feed on.

From what I have read they will happily move themselves around on the base of the pond. I don't know if they will be able to climb up a steep slope back to your ledge, or even if they would want to try.
fredrick_more fredrick_more
  • Pond Moderator
  • Pond Moderator
  • Joined: 4/3/2005 17:50
  • From Nottinghamshire
  • Group: Registered Users Caresheets FK Supporter
  • Posts: 3171
  • Posted on: 10/6/2010 20:09
Re: Mussels #4
Mussels are filter feeders so they are unlikely to clear the bottom of a pond unless you had a lot of them. Also they should have something to bury themselves half in.

Personaly think they are something else to add to a pond rather than do an important job.