swan mussel

[bigwig]

A week ago I bought a Swan Mussel from out local aquatic centre. I went in to buy some more oxygenators and was ' pursuaded ' by a member of staff to purchase one of these mussels. I was told that as we only have a small terraced pond that just 1 mussel would be ideal for helping to clean up as they are filter feeders.

I have since read on internet that mussels need a muddy bottom and a slight flow of water to live in ..... our ponds have gravel and pebbles, no mud anywhere. There is a small pump/fountain and I top up the pond most days due to evaporation or the wind blowing the fountain everywhere but into the pond. The mussel has been in the pond 8 days and I have seen it feeding and it looks as if its actually grown a bit. It does have a habit of dissappearing into a dark crevice and I don't see it for a day or so. The article I read said that they can die very suddenly. Without moving everything around in pond and disturbing everything on a daily basis I would not know if it had died.

Does anyone else have any experience of them ?

[Adam Cheeseman]

Swan mussels can survive perfectly well in virtually still waters. We have them in our lakes and there is no flow through at all, though ours are particularly muddy.

Cheers,

ADAM

[bigwig]

But there is no mud in either of our ponds - does this mean its unlikely to survive longterm ?

[Stewy]

There is an old thread here if it's any use?

Swan mussel question