Breeding Snails

[maddybrat]

So I was wondering first if the tank has to be only snails and if they have to have it a certain temperature.. If you can I would like to know all of the instructions to successfully breeding apple snails.. please and thank-you!

`XOXOXO Maddy

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

Just lower your water level a couple of inches, and they should do the rest. They will lay there eggs above the surface of the water. They don't need privacy to reproduce, and temp idk?

 

[maddybrat]

okay also can other fish be in the tank or will they not reproduce because of that?

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

No they don't need privacy. As long as you don't have fish in there that eat snails. They will be fine.

 

[maddybrat]

okay.. is ten gal too small for 3-7 snails?

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

Are you positive they are apple snails? Or are they mystery snails?

 

[maddybrat]

There is a difference?? oopss... heh-heh... petco needs smarter people..

 

[Ashes2ashes]

I like to have about 3 gallons per apple snail. They produce a lot of poop, so I wouldn't do more than 4 or so in a 10g. They do reproduce with other fish in the water. My other post from yesterday details a little on what to do with the clutch depending on if you want to incubate it or try to let nature take it's course. I don't get that many survivors when I let nature do it's thing, but my tank is not that humid, and humidity is the key to hatching a clutch. They don't need a certain temp, but they grow faster and have a shorter life span in really warm water. Mine do best in typical tropical temps, somewhere in the upper 70s. Like I said before, if you are interested I can post pics of the entire process from spawning to hatching, to growing out the babies. I really love hatching brigg clutches. I just don't have enough room to hatch many of them anymore. My tanks are all packed lol.

 

[maddybrat]

okayy i have black mystery snails. besides breeding with eachother can they breed with my gold snail??

 

[Ashes2ashes]

There are different types of apple snails, but in this hobby, they are usually referring to briggs, mystery snails, pomacea difussa. All the same thing.

 

[maddybrat]

okay.. i am scared to pick them up and see what sex they are so I honestly don't even know if i have a boy and a girl..

 

[Ashes2ashes]

okayy i have black mystery snails. besides breeding with eachother can they breed with my gold snail??

all colors of pomacea diffusa or mystery snails can breed together. Dark traits are usually more dominant though. If you breed an ivory body with another ivory body you are likely to get light bodied snails, but if you breed anyting with dark body the babies are usually dark footed as well.

The males have a white sex organ that looks nothing like a penis lol. but if you see them riding around on the other snail and trying to stick their organ in the other snails shell the one on top is the male.

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

Your black snails will mate with the gold.

 

[maddybrat]

I was kinda hoping to just buy snails and hope that out of them one would be a different sexx than the others.. ha they have ridden on eachother before. i couldnt see both sides of the snail but maybe. also if the snail is "knocked up" when will she lay her eggs?

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

I think its 2 to 3 weeks, and one female will produce about 100 eggs

 

[Ashes2ashes]

Usually takes mine about a week after I catch them doing the do before I see the female laying a clutch. You will know when she is hunting for a place to do it though as she will be at the top of the water line and above it sort of searching out a place to lay the clutch.

They also store sperm for around 3 months, so even if they have "ridden on eachother" before, your female could lay a clutch at any time.

 

[maddybrat]

Will they all live?!

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

I'm sure, I don't see why any would die. Unless the water level was to high. Are you planning on selling the snails?

 

[Ashes2ashes]

That all depends. I usually get about 60 snails per clutch, varying depending on the clutch size and age of the female. If you try to grow that many out very big in a small tank like a 10, their shells will not develop very healthy, or not all of them will, and growth rate varies anyway. So, no, all of them will likely not survive, but a good bit of them will if you are trying, so it would be good to know where you are going to rehome most of the babies before you breed them. Most LFS will take them for store credit, or you can sell them in the classifieds on different hobbiest forums.

 

[Ashes2ashes]

I'm sure, I don't see why any would die. Unless the water level was to high. Are you planning on selling the snails?

If the water level is too high the female just lays them in the hood of the tank or somewhere else instead of on the glass. It really doesnt affect the baby snails survival once they hatch. As soon as they hatch they are ready for the water.