zebra mussles, good or bad?

[KazooDiver]

I doubt someone purposfully intoduced them....they are very easily spread with out doing it purposfully!

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

Interesting posts. I haven't really had to deal with them before (yet?)

I do think it sounds fun to bust them up and feed them to the other fish

 

[scuba_frog]

Haigh is definitely starting to get over run by zebras (love the vis though)...and the blue gill DO love them. Just be careful by the rock crusher. Was feeding bluegills on a night dive, and next thing you know, a bass ate the blue gill. There went my new pet. In a few year's better watch out for them there muskies.

But did you ever wonder why there are no zebra's at Pearl? Snails either for that matter. They claim that they are not treating the water. I'm not so sure personally.

 

[CheddarChick]

The captain I dive with stated the vis has gone from 10' in Lake Michigan to 60' because of the zebras
This shot is in Lake Geneva on a Volkswagon Bug

 

[CheddarChick]

Sorry That's huge!!!!

 

[CheddarChick]

When we were at Pearl Lake 2 weeks ago I saw zebras for the 1st time. Inside the concrete sewer pipes at the south end of the lake. But I have noticed hardly any snails there this year

 

[texdiveguy]

The captain I dive with stated the vis has gone from 10' in Lake Michigan to 60' because of the zebras
This shot is in Lake Geneva on a Volkswagon Bug

At least one of those dudes is growing some pinchers!!! :lol:

 

[CheddarChick]

LOL evolution baby.....new species takes over Lake Geneva...zebra dads...

 

[Storm]

LOL evolution baby.....new species takes over Lake Geneva...zebra dads...

They are by all accounts, other than diver's good vis, a nuisance. It is believed, that they originally got into the Great Lakes in freighter bilge water; pretty much the same way the Goby got here.

They do more damage to the ecosystem than just clean the water. Ask the locals on the Bay of Quinte, a bay that was once thriving with walleye,(who happened to love the dark tanic water), what they think about the little buggers. Well thay cleaned th water well enough but the clearer water has droven the walleye deeper. More weed groth is now experieinced as more light is penetrating to the deeper regions, etc, etc.

Gobies appear to like eating the zebra mussles, and dometic fish are now, according to Ontario MNR reportds, starting to realize that the Goby can be eaten. It's taken a few years for the food chain to alter slightly to the presence of both the Goby and Zebra mussels, (MNR has found mussel remains in Lake trout stomachs) so there is hope that eventually the the ecosystem will balance out, and both of these invaders will go on the decline.

It will mean, eventually going back to dark water divingn (If I'm still around by then), but for the sake of the ecosystm, I can live with that. Afterall the Gulf of Mexico is not ALL that far away and the water's warmer.

 

[erparamedic]

Haigh is definitely starting to get over run by zebras (love the vis though)...and the blue gill DO love them. Just be careful by the rock crusher. Was feeding bluegills on a night dive, and next thing you know, a bass ate the blue gill. There went my new pet. In a few year's better watch out for them there muskies.

But did you ever wonder why there are no zebra's at Pearl? Snails either for that matter. They claim that they are not treating the water. I'm not so sure personally.

Oh, no... poor little blue gill!

How do you crush them up? What do you use to do it? I've read, in a few threads, that they are very sharp, and can cut kevlar gloves, and neoprene suits.