# Apple snails in a planted tank??!!!



## MBen89 (Jul 24, 2015)

Hey everyone,

So I have a dilemma and I am hoping you guys can help me out. I purchased a "Mystery Snail" from Petco and it is the size of a golf ball. I read online that they eat dead plant leaves, so I thought why not. Lo and behold, it turns out that it's an apple snail or pond snail, and it completely destroyed every single plant in my tank! I tried diverting its attention to other foods like zucchini, cucumbers, spinach leaves, lettuce leaves, algae wafers, you name it! It did eat all of those things but right after finishing off the last standing plant stem in my aquarium 

It laid a few batches of eggs (asexually) and I have now 4 little baby snails. I've read that people have been able to keep them in planted tanks where they only eat dead plants and algae from the glass.. I'd love to hear your stories and opinions on whether that's possible? I am thinking of placing them in my community tank but I don't want to be left with an empty tank. Please help?


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## chi (May 13, 2013)

Apple snail do not eat plant. I had them in my tank with plant with no problem. the one you have might not be an apple snail. Apple snail lay their eggs above water line and they have a breathing tube for air.
see http://applesnail.net/ to id an apple,


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

Years ago there were Mystery snails and Apple snails. True Mystery snails do not eat plants and grow to the size of a walnut. An Apple snail can grow as big as an apple and eat a head of lettuce a week. Then came a would be know it all authority that suggested that all lung snails were to be called Apple Snails. People have been getting screwed up ever since. Apple Snails lay green eggs.


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## EdC (Mar 5, 2009)

Mystery snails are generally good in planted tanks, though being great lumbering beasts they can be very annoying with new, poorly rooted plants. They make a lot of my hygro cuttings float, just by bulling their way through a stand of unrooted stems.

Apples are another story entirely. They are like lawnmowers in your tank. I'd take it back to the store and complain.


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## MBen89 (Jul 24, 2015)

Yes then mine is definitely an apple snail. It laid its eggs above water level and they were pink egg sacks. It also has a syphon and a "door" to the shell. It's so annoying that Petco would sell a misidentified animal -___-


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