Thinking about getting some snails...

[papa_bear_21]

I have a 29g tank, currently populated with 4 mollies (one baby in a breeder net), 9 guppies (assorted fancy tails), 2 platy's, 2 black skirt tetra's, 1 spotted sail fin pleco, I dont remember the complete list, but its roughly about 20 fish. What kind of snails can I get, and what kind of special equipment (if any) do I need? Do they require any special diet? do I need a fully enclosed tank, meaning, do I need a hood that is not open in the back? My hood is open in the back to allow all my wires, hoses, and other stuff...would I need to close this off?

I appreciate all the help,

Bear

 

[SparKy697]

I have a little of everything in my tanks. Just about every tank has some pond snails and ramshorn snails. They are good at cleaning up excess food and dead plant material as well as dead fish. They are also a good indicator of how much food is lying around. their numbers will pretty much match the amount of food available. I personally think it is a good idea to have them in the tank. Malaysian trumpet snails are a type of snail that likes to borough into the substrate. They can help keep things aerated and lose.

If you want pretty snails then consider apple snails (brigs). They are often called Mystery snails in many lfs. Some can get the size of a golf ball and come in many color combinations. They will also leave the tank if an escape route is provided. Although I do not think the area where your tubes and cords pass poses much of a problem. None of these are knows for being fond of live plants, but a spixi snail when young seems to like to eat live plant matter (at least mine seem to).

As far as special needs, the only thing I do is to throw in a couple algae wafers once in a while and they all "come running" as it were.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

I'd suggest an apple snail; they have alot of personality.

I loved the one I had, but I was stupid enough to move it into my 55 gal with clown loaches....it only lasted a day.

 

[papa_bear_21]

apple snails? Those are the ones also referred to as mystery snails? The Hood is the original hood that came with the tank, which is a marineland kit (came from walmart), And there is approximately a 2 inch gap from glas to hood stretching most of the back length. Would that be too big of a gap, I dont want to get any snails just to have them escape. I have the resources, and have been looking into getting a new one. If one is recomended in this instance, what kind would be recomended? I only have a single tube flouresent, and likely a cheap setup, eventually an upgrade will be purchased. I do appreciate the help

Bear

 

[2cvbloke]

I've been speaking to a snail breeder on eBay as I want to get my mum some snails for her tank (even though we lost 2 due to lack of Loach snail munching knowledge!!!), and he has said that his "super-sized" Apples should be able to survive with Loaches (bigger & tougher I guess!!!), which I guess would be true as the biggest snail we had lived for a good couple of months with the Loach before it was nibbled (still have the shell as decoration, the loaches though are dim enough to snuffle about in it to see if there's a snail in it!!!)...

I want to get blue and/or Purple Apple snails as they look amazing...

 

[papa_bear_21]

I started doing further research on the apple snail, and I agree the blue and purple ones look the best. Hope we can find some, as my fiance would like the purple, and I'd go for blue. How many would be a good number, and will they effect my bio load in the tank? How do we acclimate the snails to the water? What other things should I know about snails before purchase?

And given the information regarding my hood, do yall recomend a new one, if so, which style? I've been eyes an all glass hood, are they good? Thanks again

 

[2cvbloke]

I started doing further research on the apple snail, and I agree the blue and purple ones look the best. Hope we can find some, as my fiance would like the purple, and I'd go for blue. How many would be a good number, and will they effect my bio load in the tank? How do we acclimate the snails to the water? What other things should I know about snails before purchase?

And given the information regarding my hood, do yall recomend a new one, if so, which style? I've been eyes an all glass hood, are they good? Thanks again

Acclimation I assume is the same as with fish, leave them in the fish-bag in the water in order to get them used to the temp, then set them free after 15 to 30 minutes. Numbers, I haven't a clue myself as I'm new to snails aswell, but you definitely do need a sealed lid so they don't escape!!!

I guess glass hoods are fine as I have a home-made perspex lid under the hood of my little tank, it acts as a condensation barrier too saving my light from getting wet!!! Plus they allow light through for those sit-on lights you can get, and you can get a top-down view of your underwater friends...

 

[SparKy697]

As far as bio-load goes, snails are not clean animals. They do not digest very efficiently so they will add to your filters work.

If you end up with more than one (who can have just one?) there is a chance they will mate and lay eggs. Apples (brigs.) lay outside of the water. This is where the issue of keeping the tank closed up really becomes apparent. The female will start searching for a suitable spot to deposit her clutch of eggs. If you keep the water high enough they will not lay eggs. But if they can get out they will and that is not what you want. The odds of her getting back in are pretty much zero. Not to mention, when she is done laying she tends to just let go because she things she is still above water. If she is out of the tank, you know the rest.

I use the all glass or perfecto brand of lids on my tanks and have never had a snail escape.

Thisis an example of what I am using.

Acclimation is the same as for fish.

Apples life span is greatly dependant on temperature. The cooler the water the longer they tend to live. 80F is about as warm as you dare go with them imo.

Hope this helps.

 

[papa_bear_21]

well...unfortunately right now, the tank stays about 81.5, as the house stays warm constantly...

That is the stlye lid I'm lookin at currently, then new lighting...

I do appreciate all the help, now I just gotta find a local place that sells them...LOL

 

[fish 'n' fries]

My apple snail dived out of the 2 in hole in the back behind the glass top that I didn't think it could fit out of. So just be careful with that. The only special thing you may need is a calcium supplement for their shells if you have soft water. applesnail.net is a great resource for applesnail info.

 

[kaz]

Spark, I have MTS and what I've understood the more food their is laying around the more i will get so does this mean I am over feeding? if I cut back on my feeding, which I feed only once a day they will eventually die out? I started with a few now up to about 30 + and I cannot find anyone who wants them cause I sure don't want that many in my tank.

 

[Alshain]

apple snails? Those are the ones also referred to as mystery snails? The Hood is the original hood that came with the tank, which is a marineland kit (came from walmart), And there is approximately a 2 inch gap from glas to hood stretching most of the back length. Would that be too big of a gap, I dont want to get any snails just to have them escape. I have the resources, and have been looking into getting a new one. If one is recomended in this instance, what kind would be recomended? I only have a single tube flouresent, and likely a cheap setup, eventually an upgrade will be purchased. I do appreciate the help
Bear

Apple snails need a gap between the hood and the water line, it is where they lay their eggs. They can breath out of water for upwards of a month but mostly will not leave if they feel they have a good thing where they are. They have been known to escape, but not often. If they do escape, you can usually find them, its not as dire as if a fish escapes because they can live for a month out of water, but they may break their shell from the fall.

Snails are lazy... everything they do, including moving, is done because they need something (food, air, lay eggs, find mate). Otherwise they don't.

The best thing about mystery/apple snails is that they require 2 to breed which means they don't become an infestation. Even when there is a male and female present they breed slowly and their eggs are always easy to find and destroy if not desired.

 

[7Enigma]

papa_bear_21,

I also switched from the plastic hood to the all-glass version and am very happy with it. Most have a hard plastic piece along the back that you can cut as needed to let wires/tubes through while keeping the rest sealed. I'm not familiar with apple/mystery snail's behavior but you might need to tape or otherwise weigh down the plastic if they like to push against boundaries (or if they just feel its a wall and turn around).

kaz,

That is normally the case. One important thing to remember is the consistency of the food being given. Over the last 3 months I have had an MTS explosion, I used to breed them in a separate tank, now I'm seriously thinking about removing some. I attribute it to my new homemade food. I forgot to put in the gelatin, and so when a fish aggressively bites the food it clouds the water. Microscopic pieces of food then litter the surface of the substrate which the fish don't/can't eat/see.

If you're feeding foods that easily separate and coat the substrate, consider switching or at least using more sparingly (or cleaning more frequently). They truly breed to their food source level. I've had my tank setup now for 1 1/2 years and it was only after switching to the frozen homemade food that the snail population has gotten outta hand.

Anyone in the SE PA area that wants some MTS come and get them!

Alshain,

I don't think there are any commonly found snails in our tanks that do not require 2 snails to breed. Many are hermaphrodites (contain both sexual organs), but still require a separate snail to breed. The odds of only 1 in the tank are rare however and this has in part caused the wrongly held belief that they can self reproduce (normally you get none or 10!). MTS can multiply so much faster than common pond or apple snails not because they self-populate (they don't), but because they are LIVE BEARERS. This is the key.

Snail eggs are tasty little treats for most fish (and other snails) and are very easily damaged even when a predator is not around. Live bred snails like MTS (and I think ramshorn?) do not have this problem and so the mortality rate is much lower per individual. MTS also have the advantage of spending a good portion of the time in the substrate where they are less likely to be eaten/killed, and so they are able to multiply faster still (that which isn't eaten can reproduce!).

HTH