MTS - Why no babies?

[Linwood]

I caught a bunch of MTS locally, and added to a good sized tank with the goal of aerating the substrate a bit, fully expecting a population explosion. I don't know exactly how many, maybe a dozen. Example below just to confirm what I added.

I added them on 10/6. They were all good size adults (1" or so, some larger).

They are still there, I see them periodically on the sand (or half in it), once in a while on the glass. I have not seen any dead ones.

But I have not seen any babies. None. That includes turning on the light in the wee hours to see if any came up on the glass.

So... where is the population explosion? Is there anything I should have considered?

Ramshorns have no problem breeding in this tank, by the way, got a mini-explosion of those going on, where I may need to start culling soon.

Tank details: 220 gallon, moderately planted, ph=7, dkh=3 (aiming for 5-6), dgh=8, blasting sand substrate, lightly stocked with fish, nitrates run about 5-10ppm with infrequent water changes.

 

[nshepler]

Are you giving them plenty of food to eat?


May the force be with you.

 

[Linwood]

Are you giving them plenty of food to eat?

Well, I think so based on the population explosion of the ramshorns. Unless you mean something specific?

 

[nshepler]

Maybe the ramshorn snails are out competing the mts?


May the force be with you.

 

[Linwood]

Maybe the ramshorn snails are out competing the mts?

I guess anything is possible, but there is a LOT of real estate in that tank, and not that many snails.

I'd agree with that if it was a few MTS babies and a lot of Ramshorn, but it appears to be zero MTS. Makes me wonder if there's a water parameter or something that is off that doesn't encourage them to breed.

 

[Fresh2o]

I've had MTS breed even when the water conditions were not so good (for snails). In my planted tank the MTS shells are decayed and covered with algae. There are several large empty shells in the tank (dead snails). Yet there are a few babies present. Interestingly, in my low light shrimp tank there are hundreds of MTS with gorgeous shells. I add ferts and CO2 to the planted tank but I think the problem in my case is too much light and not enough CO2. I believe the plants' need for carbon is stripping the water of calcium carbonate which is affecting the snails.
I don't have rams horn snails. There are a few pond snails present.
In your case I would give it some more time. Your tank is 10 times larger than mine so finding them may be a bit more challenging.


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[Linwood]

I believe the plants' need for carbon is stripping the water of calcium carbonate which is affecting the snails.
I don't have rams horn snails. There are a few pond snails present.
In your case I would give it some more time. Your tank is 10 times larger than mine so finding them may be a bit more challenging.

Something is happening in mine. I put water in at dKH of about 6, and the latest test shows it at 3, so the carbonate hardness is definitely dropping. Next water change I'm going to increase my buffers a bit and lower the equilibrium, also planned to look for cuttlebone or some plain old lime (CaCO3) to sprinkle in it.

I'm just surprised at the zero -- if I could find very few MTS babies over time I would not be surprised, as most may be under the substrate. But zero is more significant than "not many".

That is an MTS in the photo right? These are all wild caught, SW Florida, in fresh (not brackish, not anywhere that can get brackish) water.

 

[Fresh2o]

Yep, something is consuming the buffer for it to drop like that. I've placed chunks of cuttlebone in my tanks but not sure how well it is reacting with the water. I suspect a layer of biofilm would suppress it. I've heard of grinding cuttlebone into a powder and using that instead. I started sprinkling in some montmorillite clay to help boost the calcium.
I think it took about 3-4 weeks before I saw babies.
Yes that looks like and MTS in the pic. Do you suppose the transition from wild caught to captivity (or the transition of water conditions) might have something to with their breeding?


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[Linwood]

Yep, something is consuming the buffer for it to drop like that. I've placed chunks of cuttlebone in my tanks but not sure how well it is reacting with the water. I suspect a layer of biofilm would suppress it. I've heard of grinding cuttlebone into a powder and using that instead.

Yeah, I saw those as two different solutions, the cuttlebone was literally for them to come munch on, the lime would be to add more calcium and a bit more buffer. The buffer measure is all related to carbon anions not calcium per se. But from shell irregularities I suspect inadequate calcium also (my water is too alkaline for it to be from acid spikes).

I started sprinkling in some montmorillite clay to help boost the calcium.
I think it took about 3-4 weeks before I saw babies.
Yes that looks like and MTS in the pic. Do you suppose the transition from wild caught to captivity (or the transition of water conditions) might have something to with their breeding?

Absolutely, I just don't know what. I measured the water conditions where caught (as part of acclimating them), it was about 7.8ph, and (going by memory here) dkh of about 6 and dGH was pretty high, I think 10 or 12 or so. So they are use to more hard water than I am giving them, but not a monstrous difference.

But it could certainly be something about the water that is different that I'm not measuring. They came from a huge storm water holding pond area, it's also the home for huge numbers of apple snails (really, really big ones, enough to attract Snail Kites, which is how I heard about the place). Some of the apple snails there grow as big as a small fist, and there are literally piles of their shells on the shore (from predation). So there's something in that water very healthy for snail shells (well, healthy until a predator gets them).

 

[nshepler]

I've noticed my mts tend to really boom when I keep the lights off for a longer period of time. So maybe give that a try.


May the force be with you.