Mystery Snail Eggs

[joannde]

After months of wondering if I only had one sex of mystery snails (because I haven't seen eggs) today I woke up to find some white round "balls" on the bottom of the tank. Looks like styrofoam - except they sunk.

Then I looked under the glass top - a big ole batch of mystery snail eggs !
Since I'm down to 4 snails (lost for various reasons - the last few climbed right out of the tank, hit the tile floor and smashed themselves) I'm going to leave the eggs and see if any hatch.

I've read that mystery snail eggs are pink - well, not always I guess, these are definitely more white than pink and they're much bigger than expected - like I said, about the size of styrofoam sheddings.

We'll see what happens - even if I only get a few it'll be neat to see what the babies look like and how they act.

 

[Zagz]

Congratulations and good luck with the eggs.

 

[hc8719]

thats strange, mine mom kept telling me there were some snail eggs in the tank, saying that they were white, and under the water, i never found them, but maybe...

 

[joannde]

The ones that were under the water in my tank were dislodged from the group layed on the underside of the glass top. I know some other species of eggs lay their eggs in a gelatenous blob underwater.
Oddly nobody in the tank seems to be interested in eating the eggs that fell underwater, so I guess I'll be vaccuming them out later so they don't decompose and pollute the tank.

 

[plecoperson]

The eggs are usually white when laid, and turn a salmon-pink color as they mature. Snails can lay infertile eggs, too; if the clutch doesn't change color over a couple weeks then it's probly not fertile. Otherwise, here come the babies!

 

[joannde]

I'll keep my eye on the color change.

What really amazes me is how a snail can lay such a big bunch of eggs - there must be more room in the shell than I thought because the snail must have been HUGH inside there will all those eggs inside her.

 

[OceanMaiden]

Hey Joannde!! Congrats on the babies!! If you wish to keep these baby apple snails, once the mother has laid the eggs you can take them off the tank walls or hood ( yes sometimes they lay them way up there next to the lights!!) Once you have the eggs get a piece of styrofoam, a paper towel, and an empty clean sour cream container. Poke a hole in the strofoam just big enough to thread the bottom piece of paper towel through. This piece of paper towel will act as a wick to keep the upper half that is on top the styrofoam moist. Then fill the sour cream container about halfway with room temperature dechlorinated water. I use spring water as its already de chlorinated and charcoal and UV filtered. Then place the egg clutch gently on top the little stryofoam raft youve made and put it atop the water. Take the sour cream lid and poke lil holes in it everywhere for air. Close the container and put it somewhere warm and safe. It will take about 3 weeks for the babies to hatch. So mark youre calander to have an idea of when they will start coming. Once they have started to hatch out put a tiny shrimp pellet in the bottom of the container in the water. They will find it and eat it. After 4 weeks if none have hatched out the clutch is a dud. Also this is very important, the egg clutch if it falls into the water and stays there the baby snails WILL DROWN!! So check the container everyday during the incubation process to be sure all is well. The baby snails need time once theyve hatched too pump with air too before they get into the water. After the initial hatchout of my snails I moved them to a Betta viewer. Its a small viewing cup for the betta that has a plug on the bottom to let out the water and change it without losing snails so it is very convenient. Make sure your snails are big enough to SEE WELL before moving them to this though. Do not put gravel or anything in the betta cup, this makesit easier to keep track of the snails and their growth, plus they wont get stuck under the gravel. Feed them shrimp pellets tiny bits of spinach and french cut green beans. Once they are the size of a dime they are safe to be moved to the main aquarium.

 

[joannde]

Thanks Oceanmaiden ! Guess I'll be having some yogurt for lunch tomorrow LOL. What do I do with the rest of the paper towel thats below the raft ? Do I cut it off or leave it to absorb the water ?
(and yes, the eggs are ON the glass top, but on the side you lift, not under the lights thankfully).

 

[Musket]

congratulations on the clutch. Just so you know, it can take anywhere from 9 days to 3-4 weeks for babies to hatch. Temperature seems to be a factor. Personally, none of my clutches turned colors just got softer, and most hatched within 10 days. My last clutch hatched in 9 days and I did not remove them from the tank. Good luck!

 

[OceanMaiden]

You leave the bottom of the paper towel in the water to act as a wick and suck up water to the top half of the paper towel and keep it moist. Yes its a good thing they are not directly under the light or you would have had escargo' caviar. Ewwww. Good luck with the babies and as soon as you can see some let us know!

 

[joannde]

I made the little raft and moved the eggs yesterday. When I moved them I noticed they were looking a little more pink. Room temp is approx 82 so I guess they should hatch sooner rather than later. I can't wait to see them ! I saw a pic of a baby applesnail on applesnail.net and it was just the cutest little thing.

 

[Gena575]

I made the little raft and moved the eggs yesterday. When I moved them I noticed they were looking a little more pink. Room temp is approx 82 so I guess they should hatch sooner rather than later. I can't wait to see them ! I saw a pic of a baby applesnail on applesnail.net and it was just the cutest little thing.

I just had a clutch hatch Saturday. They look pretty gross right before they hatch. I thought I would share a photo with you so you don't think they've rotted and throw them out

And these are the tiny babies at 1 day old. The gravel is ordinary pea gravel...1ish cm in diameter.

 

[hc8719]

why do they take 4-6 weeks to have hatch, other snails hatch in a few days...

 

[joannde]

Gena - thanks for the pics - the babies are so cute ! I hope mine hatch - it'll be an interesting experience

 

[fish_4_all]

I love the slime they use for the egg clutches, make you think the entire shell is hollow. Is actually a neat little compound that expand because it absorbs so much water. Best of luck and when I hatched my Columbian Ramshorns, I used a net breeder and just dumped the egg sucks in there. Worked great, actually too well but I was dealing with 5-10 egg clutches every couple of days.

Best of luck.

 

[Gena575]

Fish-4-all, I think that Columbians and Mysteries (bridgesii) have very different clutches. Mysteries clutches would drown in a net breeder unless it was completely out of the water. I can't even imagine trying to hatch and care for that many clutches! You must have been drowning in snail slime!! LOL

 

[hc8719]

gena is that first pic you posted of a mystery snail clutch?

just want to know what to expect, i thought they'd be a transparent pink

 

[Gena575]

gena is that first pic you posted of a mystery snail clutch?

just want to know what to expect, i thought they'd be a transparent pink

Yes, pomacea bridgesii. This is one 3 days after laying.

And 11 days after laying.

 

[hc8719]

ohh thats kinda ugly... compared to other snail eggs anyways

 

[fish_4_all]

I like that raft thingy, looks like it works really well. I will have to look around for some stuff that could work well for making one. Wicking is easy with cotton cloth and I just like to mess with things like that anyway. I may be able to figure one out that they can sit in the tank and come out when they want to.

My ramshorns did really well but I have never had mystery snails or apple snails. I didn't want two species competing and my Columbian ramshorns bred by the hundreds in a very short time. I finally had to get skunk botia loaches to get rid of them al. Talk about some fat and happy loaches!

Anyway, let us know how it works. I will let you know if I find something that will work in the tank.