Golden Apple Snail eggs... GROSS!!

[helicopter]

So I go into my 2.5 gallon beta tank which has two golden apple snails in it to clean things up a little. I notice two clutches of eggs on the lid. The lighting is incandescent so it gets really hot and therefore the eggs have hardened solid from drying out. I threw them out but it was so gross. I have since removed them from that tank and put them in the 5 gallon waste basket filled with water that I use for breeding pond snails for my puffers. Will they tried to breed more in there? How often do they breed? There is no lid on the waste basket so when they go to try to lay eggs out of water are they going to crawl out and lay eggs on my stuff or will they just lay them above the water line (about 3'' above the water line is dry plastic for them). Is there a reason I would want my snails to breed? Are they difficult to get the eggs to hatch? Are they worth selling?

 

[plecoperson]

They will come out of the container to lay their eggs, and probly drop to the floor in the process.

The eggs always harden like that, though the heat might have killed them as well.

They can lay eggs every coupla weeks.

If you found two clutches it's possible that each snail laid a clutch and they are both female. If this is the case they will be infertile.

Unless you can find a LFS that will buy 'em from you, it's kind of a pain to package and ship them, but you can get maybe .50 to $1 each for them if you do.

I'd just leave the snails in the tank and chuck the eggs when you find them. Each clutch, if fertile, can make a LOT of baby snails. Like, hundreds.

 

[courtnee]

The 2.5gl tank is way to small for one apple snail in MHO. They grow large. I had a golfball sized one and my latest one is already almost to that size. They can grow the size of an apple.

They breathe air and will come to the top of the container to breathe and will crawl out of the bucket even with out doing any egg laying. They can live out of water for awhile. Many times when they crawl out they fall to the floor and damage their shells.

If you keep your tank full with a little room for them to breathe but not enough room for them to lay eggs above the water it helps. Pull the clutches out as soon as you see them.

applesnail.net is a wonderful site full of information on housing them, dealing with eggs and what these little guys do.