# The Unknown Snails?



## Largesse (Apr 2, 2007)

Hey,

When I picked up aponogeton madagascariensis, I realized the first day that it had come with a snail(stuck to its leaves-size approx. 7mm length). Today I saw a smaller one - and so I have gotten two snails. 

Any information on what type these snails are and what they should be fed. Please let me know if I'm posting these in the wrong sub forum. I've attached a picture of them.

Thanks for your help.

J.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

to me, looks like a common pond snail. Very very common hitchiker on plants... i usually remove them often because thier numbers can explode.

i find they like to dine on my plants from time to time 

hope that helps!

ops i forgot too add... If you do wish to feed them, you can drop a bit of lettus in the tank and turn the lights off. (good way of collection as well) 

Pablo is great with snail care as well, he might have some advice and a specific name other than a common one.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Yup common pond snail. they'll eat any left over. And when starved, they'll go after you plants although that is the last thing they'll eat.
I think I once read that they can reproduce asexually, but I am not sure if it's true or not.
I'd say crush it a feed it to the fish. (sorry to all those snail lovers here. I like snails too, as long as they don't try to take over my zebra pleco tank.)

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## CRXSR (Mar 7, 2007)

Yes, these snails produce asexually. They lay eggs on the tank glass usually, about a dozen or so in a liver shaped sack, and several sacks at a time.


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## Largesse (Apr 2, 2007)

*Um...Allergic to Lettuce*

Thanks for all that feedback. I've found that the critters are unhappy with the lettuce. They've mostly left it untouched in the past few days, ditto with the spinach leaves that I've left in there. Are they algae addicts?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Hmmmm....mine will eat lettus, i usually mircowave it for a few seconds or boil it.

Someone will have some advice i am sure ^^


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Its an evil pond snail. They could probably live off of uranium if you ground it up fine enough. Just leave it alone and it'll eat whatever sludge it finds. Literally. Its a common pest. They hide in plants, you buy, you get evil snail. 

if you want a cool snail try to get in touch with LuvFishies who lives in Belleville about 180Km East of Toronto ask ask her where you can get really high quality Pomacea canalicualata( thats a really big snail.) look for her on www.pricenetwork.com They make the best pet snails and get bigger than a fist. You'll need about a 15 gallon tank just for the snail. Fish tend to peck at them... so... just one snail. If you want more you'll need to do more frequent water changes but bla bla. If you ever get one lemme know and we'll talk.

For now just ignore that evil snail, youll have more soon.

Just to give you an idea. I had a dis used aquarium sitting in the open half full of water with some fish poo, gravel and 2 visible snails. When I dumped it four months later I had hundreds of them. I have no clue what they ate....

If you like snails, (and you have a few hundred dollars you'd like to put towards observing a little piece of nature in your home), you'd probably like other invertebrates too.

Crawfish and shrimp are interesting, but can be a little bit harder to deal with initially.
You can also try menagerie Pet shop and ask Harold if there are any good quality apple snails.

for an apple snail You'll need:

atleast a 10 gallon tank. A 15 is better, honestly... but a 10 will suffice. and its cheaper. 
A cover of some sort. You can't blame them for being a big stupid ball of snot in a shell, and they will climb out of the tank if there is no cover, and they can fall... on a hard floor... and bad things happen. Glass tops, aquarium hoods, whatevers on sale. Just leave an opening, as always, for air to recirculate.

10 gallon tank

cover/glass top

heater (about 78 degrees ferenheit works)

filter of some sort. (dont use whisper internal, the antennae can reach 4" on an adult snail, get sucked into intake, chopped off, very unhappy snail) An Aquaclear 200 will do, and is about $30. The snail will actually appreciate the extra flow.

- As per media, just get 2 extra sponges and rinse one out in tank water every month, alternating as you go to maintain them.

as per making the snail 'happy', give it stuff to 'feel'.. some gravel on the bottom (they dislike sand for obvious reasons. It sticks to snot), a few rocks here and there (just little boulders, they dislike 'formations' and digging. remember. snot. stupid. Try not to use wood as the acids in it and their affect on the pH etc arent so great for the snail. Just a few interesting non sharp rocks around the place for something to crawl on.

Change about 25 percent of the water every 3 days if you can. They'll grow faster. You wanna keep the water changes up because they suck calcium out of the water fast and you dont want the levels in the water to get low.

As per food- Tetramin bottomin AKA bottom feeder tabs are a good staple, and also HBH veggie wafers, and the odd defrosted frozen piece of krill or bloodworm. They eat a LOT. Feed them a bit, if they eat it, keep going until they stop. They can eat their body weight in a day or two.

And make sure you set the tank up with cycled media- a sponge from an old tank, or a bunch of gravel and used rocks so it wont 'cycle' and poison the little guy(s) with ammonia/nitrite).

Maybe you'll get a pair and bring more little snotties into the world


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

snotties.. LoL


I love my snail. I highly agree on the top. Forgot to close mine today and saw snail foot/face poking out the top. XD


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## Largesse (Apr 2, 2007)

*Thanks*

That information is quite good. Thanks to Pablo, Ciddian and all others. You may be interested to know that I no longer have 5 critters but close to 25 now (it's been approx. 7 days or longer). I've separated them by hand and placed them in a mini tank of their own. I'm debating whether or not to breed them as fish food (which fish eat these guys?) or whether to raise them just as pets ... it's just that they multiply so fast.

Incidentally, my cousin owns some apple snails - though I'm the one who periodically checks the water for him and so on. I guess I'm take some shots and share them.


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## CRXSR (Mar 7, 2007)

Largesse said:


> I'm debating whether or not to breed them as fish food (which fish eat these guys?) or whether to raise them just as pets ...


I think you mean "pests". 

I've heard that loaches will eat them. Specifically clown loaches... but no first hand experience here though...


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

I agree.

Those snails are really like having pet cockroaches.. Just a pest most people want to get rid of- though if they're cool to you, why not?

Nothing's really needed to take care of them... they're almost indestructible and much harder to kill than keep alive.

You can always look into a small filtered tank and an apple snail if snails are your thing


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Menagerie had some nice Pomacea bridgesii.

I can give you an stuff I dont need anymore to help out.

Get a 10 gallon tank and top from Big Als for $20, and pick up a heater for $30 (Jager, 50 watt) and a corner box filter for like $5. 

I can give you the air pump to run it, gravel, rocks and decorations. Its just sitting around.

You can obviously keep some fish in there too so it'll get you toward a real aquarium.

If you have $ nix the box filter and get an Aquaclear 150 instead for about $25. Don't get a whisper or penguin. Aquaclear. If BA's doesnt have it hit a PJs or Superpet.


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## Largesse (Apr 2, 2007)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the kindness, Pablo. I sort of have a tank for snails - it belongs to my cousin, though I'm the one who does the maintenance on the tank. It does have some apple snails - I'll make good on the promise of getting some pics. Thanks for the offer, feel free to message me.

The trumpet snails are doing quite well along with the dwarf ramshorns.


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## Largesse (Apr 2, 2007)

*Thanks*

Pablo,

Thanks for those offers again. As promised here are some pics of the critters that I look after at my cousin's tank.


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