Snail question.
- Thread starter Hopey22
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CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
I've read Pond snails get up to 0.75 inches/2 cm long. My biggest one is about 1/2 inch.
They start mating when they are about 1/4 inch, maybe smaller.
While you still have them, watch the coolest thing they do: they will let go of the bottom and quickly pop up to the surface by floating through open water to take in some air at the surface and then they float straight down again, like they are on some invisible elevator.
They start mating when they are about 1/4 inch, maybe smaller.
While you still have them, watch the coolest thing they do: they will let go of the bottom and quickly pop up to the surface by floating through open water to take in some air at the surface and then they float straight down again, like they are on some invisible elevator.
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
Ah, that explains it. the baby snail was probably floating in the water and got netted along with the guppies, or got scooped up when tank water was put in the fish bag. Mystery solved!
A lot of people stress that after floating and acclimating a fish that only the fish should be netted and placed into the tank and that the fish store water should not be added to the tank, but rather should be discarded. The main concern is not introducing parasites and other micro-organisms to the home tank, but I guess it applies to keeping floating, hitchhiking pond snails out also.
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yes, I've read that too: that in the absence of any other Pond snail, a Pond snail will auto-inseminate and reproduce all by herself.
Since they seem to start mating when they are still very small, it's also possible she had already mated with her tankmates in the store.
Yes I have noticed they start to reproduce early! We have found numerous egg sacs since earlier. Plus a lot more little babies. I guess we will just raise them until they start causing trouble. If it gets too out of hand you can sell them on eBay. We can't come to killing them!
Is it any kind of problem that we have a mystery snail and pond snails together?
Is it any kind of problem that we have a mystery snail and pond snails together?
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
No. The Pond snails will probably even clean the Mystery's shell.
I wonder if it would be possible to use a turkey baster to suck off and dispose of the egg sacs before they hatch as a way to limit the population?
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
That's a good lookiing Mystery snail. And it does look like a Spixi...except its foot looks greyish and Spixi pics always show a white foot.
I don't think I'd kill the little snails either. I think if I were in that situation I'd just get a 5 gal or 10 gal just for Pond snails and pick them out of my main tank and isolate them in the 10 gal.
I keep my Pond snail isolated in a jar and a large vase.
I don't think I'd kill the little snails either. I think if I were in that situation I'd just get a 5 gal or 10 gal just for Pond snails and pick them out of my main tank and isolate them in the 10 gal.
I keep my Pond snail isolated in a jar and a large vase.
Okay I got another question about the pond snails.
They are just multiplying like crazy now and getting worse and worse...if we collect all of them and put them in an actual pond do you think they would survive? Since they are 'pond snails'? Even though they have been raised in an aquarium..
They are just multiplying like crazy now and getting worse and worse...if we collect all of them and put them in an actual pond do you think they would survive? Since they are 'pond snails'? Even though they have been raised in an aquarium..
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yes, you're right, they do live in ponds, usually like the decorative fish or Koi ponds people have in their back yards. The only thing that might kill them could be low winter temperatures, but I don't know, they might live through the winter just fine, depending on where you live and how cold it gets.
It's not a good idea to release them into the wild in a 'real' naturally occuring pond due to problems of a non-native species causing problems with the ecosystem, such as outcompeting native species.
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
where do you live and how cold does it get there?
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
Also, I will try to see what the lowest survivable temperature is for Pond snails.
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
A 5 gallon tank indoors? I think that would be fine without a heater, and, in my opinion, even without a filter. I'd recommend not feeding them much and if the tank gets some light, say indirect from a window, then algea will begin to grow and that will give them something to eat and will remove ammonia nitrites and nitrates from the water. Fill it with old water from a water change from your main tank and that will help seed the tank with algea and maybe even a few beneficial bacteria.
By the way, I keep my pond snails in a mason jar and a large vase without heaters or filters.
CatmanDru
Aquarium Advice Freak
I researched a bit and it seems Pond snails will overwinter/live in outdoor ponds in areas much colder than Georgia, in areas that get heavy snow and ice and temperatures -10 to 30 F.
Oh okay..wow. so I guess it's safe to say they can survive indoors with no heater or filter!
Thanks for taking the time to research it. We have been debating on whether or not to do it because we didn't know if they could survive. The 5 gallon is just sitting around so we figure why not harvest some pond snails!
Thanks for taking the time to research it. We have been debating on whether or not to do it because we didn't know if they could survive. The 5 gallon is just sitting around so we figure why not harvest some pond snails!
