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I found an unknown mussel on a driftwood piece that hasn't moved in over 2 years, until today.
Background on tank(s).
I was tearing down my 20g long and transferring all of my livestock, plants, and decorations into my 29 gallon. The 20g was in rough shape and kinda depressing to look at. The anubias was tattered and I The water itself was clean enough, I had lots of floating plants and anubias as well as a giant pothos growing out of the tank. Lightly stocked with 5 red Venezuelan cories, 6 (I swear I only purchased 4 at stocking) khuli loaches and the last two of my male mixed platyfish. It ran on an air run corner filter. Nothing had been added or removed from the tank in almost 2 years, when I bought some anubias from my local shop. About 15% WCs every month, feeding every other day. Number for nitrates looked good whenever I tested.

The 29g I moved everything (filter included) into had only silk plants (now removed) and has been the recovery tank for my Blood Parrot for 2 months. He got moved to a 55g last month, and I quarantined my new wild type bettas in it. Now my bettas are in the 29g with the fish from the 20g.
As everything settled I noticed a weird lump on one of the driftwood pieces. This turned out to be a freshwater mussel of some sort. It doesn't look like a zebra mussel, that I can tell. I searched all the other items in the tank, and this is the only one. I attached a few pics.

If it isn't threatening like zebra mussels, I will probably keep it in the tank, but need to know if I should crack and trash it.
 

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Inaturalist suggested that as #1 likely, plus is only freshwater it suggested as well. Has tendency to be invasive so maybe good to kill any or move them to an enclosure that you can dump the water out in your garden on land instead of flushing into a drain because the larvae are microscopic and can be introduced to wild that way
 


Inaturalist suggested that as #1 likely, plus is only freshwater it suggested as well. Has tendency to be invasive so maybe good to kill any or move them to an enclosure that you can dump the water out in your garden on land instead of flushing into a drain because the larvae are microscopic and can be introduced to wild that way
I would definitely never dump them down the drain. All of my aquatium water gets pumped out the window into the bushes. I switched to a powered pump for out water a couple years ago and only use my python for my refills now. The city has enough problems without adding invasive mussels.
 
I would definitely never dump them down the drain. All of my aquatium water gets pumped out the window into the bushes. I switched to a powered pump for out water a couple years ago and only use my python for my refills now. The city has enough problems without adding invasive mussels.
Oh then fantastic you'd be fine to continue with it in your tank, since you dispose of the water in a way that's not going to get back into the natural waterways
 
Oh then fantastic you'd be fine to continue with it in your tank, since you dispose of the water in a way that's not going to get back into the natural waterways
Cool, it is an interesting little thing. He can continue hanging out on the driftwood then. Only ever found the one, so it must not be too quick to spread.
 

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