Apple snails

[shellyx]

I tried making my own calcium blocks got the recipe off applesnail.net as I'm a member but my guy's didn't show much interest. I might give the tums a go, do you just add one once a week? Mine prefer spinach and kale which seem to keep their shells healthy.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[wildroseofky]

In my 29 gallon tank I add two antacid tablets about twice a week. In my smaller tank, I just add one a week or so. It depends on how they eat them. Sometimes it seems they eat more than at other times. When I feed high calcium greens they seem to eat less of the tablets. I also keep eggshells in the tanks. I just break the eggs in half and make little doors by breaking off a little of the shell. I then stick them under plants, open side down. The shrimp use them for hideouts and the snails snack on them.

 

[Pleco1415]

My snails really like cuddle fish bone you should give that a try.

 

[wildroseofky]

I agree that cuttlefish bone works but in my area it was just not available. I looked in a 50 mile area. One of the drawbacks to rural country living. That is why I went looking for other alternatives. I could have ordered it but why do that when I had other sources readily available. Yay for country living. I have lots of neighbors with chickens. LOL

 

[senorkevin]

The shell of mine is starting to go white in places. What does that mean?

 

[wildroseofky]

They sometimes get white lines that flake off a little. They are growth lines. The faster the shell grows, the bigger those lines can be. I freaked and thought mine had cracked shells when I first saw them.

 

[Ryan24]

Is the Apple Snail the largest freshwater Snail?

 

[senorkevin]

It's the only one I have

 

[Dreamroper]

They sometimes get white lines that flake off a little. They are growth lines. The faster the shell grows, the bigger those lines can be. I freaked and thought mine had cracked shells when I first saw them.

I did the same thing when I saw the growth line on my blue mystery snail! I have a golden and a blue and they're both doing great, but I keep forgetting to buy tums. I have to make a mental note and pick some up tomorrow.

 

[senorkevin]

Mine has 4 lines!

 

[Pleco1415]

My purple apple snail laid eggs some time ago I'm not sure when but if found them and now there starting to hatch. They are much to fragile to move now and the snails are falling in the tank and getting stuck in the gravel. Is there any kind of snail trap I can make or buy because these snails are really rare and I don't want them all dying or getting lost.

 

[senorkevin]

My apple snail is digging itself into the gravel and I think it has some under its shell. Is this normal?

 

[wildroseofky]

You can place a bottle or some type of small jar near the egg sack. Lay the bottle on its side. Put an algae wafer in. Make sure the neck of the bottle is even with the substrate. The snails will climb in to get the food and you can then remove it and put the snails in another tank or even a bucket to raise. Baby snails will sometimes climb inside the shell of the adult snails and irritate the parent. If you can get the adult to stay open you can take a q-tip or something small and scrape them out. Be gentle and do not use anything pointed. If you do not want the cuttlefish bone to be seen in your tank, break it apart and put it in a nylon stocking. Hang that under the filter out flow or stick it in the filter itself. The calcium will dissolve into the water.

 

[Pleco1415]

My apple snail is digging itself into the gravel and I think it has some under its shell. Is this normal?

Apple snails don't usually do that if you have the Cana kind. I know there are some other types of apple snails that dig like the Chinese mystery snail but I'm not sure what kind you have. Does yours look like the snail I have in photo above?

 

[senorkevin]

I will post a picture when I get home. I don't think it looks like that, the shell doesn't spiral outwards

 

[senorkevin]

Here it is

 

[Jev12]

That looks like a columbian ramshorn snail

 

[Jev12]

And apple snails will occasionally burry them selves usually due to bad water parameters

 

[senorkevin]

I was told it is an apple snail. Maybe the picture is bad. I'll take another. My water is getting better

 

[senorkevin]

I hope that is better