If a large number of aquatic plants planted in the tank because of the planting of aquatic plants have been the bottom of the sand layer, mussels can be directly into the maintenance; bare tank fish should be laid on the bottom of the tank with a layer of sediment for mussels to live, in addition to meet the mussel life. The following is the life habits of mussels for reference:

Life habits of mussels

Mussels are widely distributed in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and rice paddies and other bodies of water, usually living in the bottom sediment. In the natural state, only the back end of the mussels' body is exposed from the sediment, and the inlet and outlet tubes are often open to maintain the uninterrupted flow of water in the body and keep the normal life activities. Mussels usually live in shallow water in groups of patches or bands, preferring flowing, clean, fertile water.

Mussels are generally suitable for living in neutral or weakly acidic and alkaline water, but different species have different requirements. Dorsal horn toothless mussels and pleated crown mussels can live in pH 5~9; while triangular sail mussels often need to be stabilized in pH 7~8 water to live. Mussels do not require much dissolved oxygen, with a low limit of about 3 mg/liter. Mussels drought resistance is strong, generally buried in the soil mussels, drought half a month or so will not die, but exposed to the air, especially in summer under the scorching sun, a few hours that will die.

The mussel's movement ability is very weak, mainly by axe foot in the underwater sediment slowly plow line. Movement of the mussel body shallow buried in the sediment, stretching out the axe foot forward into the sediment, a lot of blood so that the axe foot expansion and mucus attached to the sediment, and then muscle contraction traction mussel body sliding forward a few centimeters. Mussels are mostly active at night, rare during the day, but also often active on cloudy days.

Mussels have a wide range of food, to freshwater phytoplankton such as diatoms and nudibranchs, zooplankton such as rotifers and flagellates as the main, other aquatic plants and crustaceans can also feed on the rotting debris.