In my experience with keeping snails they tend to multiply like crazy,
but usually only when they feel like conditions are right (for the
babies). And even if the snails were to multiply further only a few
would survive...survival of the fitessed of course.

--- In homemadebiospheres@yahoogroups.com, "carye1" <carye1@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 1/2 gallon biosphere that I started in the beginning of
> April. It started out with a very small fish, a snail for keeping
> things cleaned up, and a cryptocoryne spiralis plant to assist with
> the 02 levels. For the first 6 weeks, things weren't going so well.
> The plant looked sick, and then the fish died. About one week after
> the fish died, things stabilized very well. The plant is now looking
> extremely healthy, and the snail has doubled in size.
>
> The problem is that when I put the bioshpere together, I didn't
> understand the physiology of snails -- and now there are about 18
> small snails in the sphere. My question is, what can or should I do?
> On one hand, I think that maybe I should just let things run the
> natural course. But on the other hand I am really thinking that they
> will keep mulitplying. Any suggestions?
>
> Also, I want to create a marine biosphere with a very small
> Halocaridina Rubra (or similar) shrimp. I don't have an establised
> marine tank, so where can I get some water and sand to create a
> marine biosphere? What kinds of plants should I use? What else should
> I include?
>
> Oh, another question - someone mentioned that they had a bioshpere
> with live bloodworms living in the sand - where do you get those? I
> live in the PAC NW, so I cant just get them out of the local streams,
> can I?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Cary
>