Mystery snails are boring...
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shayfish
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My Mystery snails are so not boring! I have a black and a blue and they are way cool. They cruise all over the tank, and the black one has occasion to send himself shooting to the surface in the air pump bubbles. Sometimes he'll float gracefully down and land on an impossibly small plant leaf and other times he'll nose dive into the gravel. Then more often than not he'll cruise his way back to the air stone and do it again!
One time I witnessed what I swear was a low speed tackle. I had one smaller gold snail (now deceased) that went up the side of a flower pot where the bigger black one was sliding down the other side. The gold one went up on top of the black one as if it wasn't even there, and then they both went crashing down the other side. It was actually quite hilarious.
My mysteries give me as much entertainment as my fish. They rock.
One time I witnessed what I swear was a low speed tackle. I had one smaller gold snail (now deceased) that went up the side of a flower pot where the bigger black one was sliding down the other side. The gold one went up on top of the black one as if it wasn't even there, and then they both went crashing down the other side. It was actually quite hilarious.
My mysteries give me as much entertainment as my fish. They rock.
tropicfishman
Aquarium Advice Addict
my snails cruise all over the place, doing weird things, yours are prolly still scared of the new surroundings, give thems ome tiem, try luring themout with some lettuce or algea wafers
onah
Aquarium Advice Freak
give them sometime, when they come out ull make a post sooner or later.......
courtnee
Aquarium Advice Freak
My mystery snail is hilarious. I just love the guy. I have pictures of him even he is so cute. What is your water temp? My snail wasnt very active when he was with a Goldfish in cooler water. Now that we went tropical with warmer water he is pretty active. He comes out a few times a day to "play"
I know a friends snails float and as a poster above stated they float through the water. My snail does not do this. He will slide up the side of the tank to the surface for air.
He just the other night came out and knocked over our little sign in the tank thinking he could sit on it, He will crawl over the small bridge in the tank. Gets on top of decorations and will fall over, its funny to watch him fall over. He will sit there as we laugh a minute or two at him and he will flip over and continue to move around and get into more trouble.
The other day since I have a newer 55gl tank I feed him alge waffers. I gave him his little chunk of one, he went right to it. Laid on his side, wrapped his foot around it and just loved the piece of heaven for about 15 minutes just laying there on his side. I got a picture of it I was laughing so hard at him being silly.
I am getting another one soon.
I know a friends snails float and as a poster above stated they float through the water. My snail does not do this. He will slide up the side of the tank to the surface for air.
He just the other night came out and knocked over our little sign in the tank thinking he could sit on it, He will crawl over the small bridge in the tank. Gets on top of decorations and will fall over, its funny to watch him fall over. He will sit there as we laugh a minute or two at him and he will flip over and continue to move around and get into more trouble.
The other day since I have a newer 55gl tank I feed him alge waffers. I gave him his little chunk of one, he went right to it. Laid on his side, wrapped his foot around it and just loved the piece of heaven for about 15 minutes just laying there on his side. I got a picture of it I was laughing so hard at him being silly.
I am getting another one soon.
hc8719
Aquarium Advice Addict
dont let joande see that you think mystery snails are boring...
i just have a blue one, he's not great, i keep him for cleaning up, wish he was more like your guys'
my temps pretty warm, about 80 in his tank
i just have a blue one, he's not great, i keep him for cleaning up, wish he was more like your guys'
my temps pretty warm, about 80 in his tank
squeekness
Aquarium Advice Regular
I had a snail once but he died. I think my tank might have been too alkeline. I keep things slightly more acidic now because I found that my plecos were dying with the water too alkeline. I have had great luck with my pleco since then. Would I be able to keep a snail alive with my PH now more on the acid side?
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
LOL - here I am - I have 20 of the guys and they are NOT boring. I'd try a water change on your tank. Mystery snails seem to be sensitive to tank conditions. Ammonia and nitrites can kill them rather quickly - nitrates seem to make them sluggish - pun intended 
And since you have two you should be seeing even more fun. There's always a good belly laugh when you see one snail hitchhiking a ride on another snail - especially if the first snail has decided its time to "go for a float" and drifts around on the current in the tank. .... Then of course there's the "puppy pile" when they clamour all over each other for a bit of that tasty zucchini you've put in the tank ..... nope, nothing boring about them to me LOL
Seriously - do a 50% water change. I'll be they'll be out and about within minutes of that.
And since you have two you should be seeing even more fun. There's always a good belly laugh when you see one snail hitchhiking a ride on another snail - especially if the first snail has decided its time to "go for a float" and drifts around on the current in the tank. .... Then of course there's the "puppy pile" when they clamour all over each other for a bit of that tasty zucchini you've put in the tank ..... nope, nothing boring about them to me LOL
Seriously - do a 50% water change. I'll be they'll be out and about within minutes of that.
I woke up this morning to find that the gold one had finally come out of his shell (literally) and was sliding up the glass. The black one has been cruising around but never when I'm around for a few days now. I'm sure they would be more entertaining if I had 20 of them but there is only so much you can do with a 5 gallon.
Also... will they breed? I can never keep enough pond snails to satisfy my puffers... I'm sure they would love baby mysteries.
Nik
Also... will they breed? I can never keep enough pond snails to satisfy my puffers... I'm sure they would love baby mysteries.
Nik
onah
Aquarium Advice Freak
........
Burks
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I like my Gold Mystery. Just need to start adding some calcium I think, its shell is turning light colors of yellow.
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
2 is enough to keep you entertained as I said, water changes really help them wake up and go for a cruise.
Mystery snails need a male and female to breed; they lay their eggs above water level, so you should be able to see if they lay eggs (the fact that the eggs are pink helps to make them noticeable also !).
If you want to breed pond snails you might want to try a separate jar with some java moss in it. Put the jar where it can get some sunlight and be kept warm - you'll have more snails then you'll need in no time.
as I said, water changes really help them wake up and go for a cruise.Mystery snails need a male and female to breed; they lay their eggs above water level, so you should be able to see if they lay eggs (the fact that the eggs are pink helps to make them noticeable also !).
If you want to breed pond snails you might want to try a separate jar with some java moss in it. Put the jar where it can get some sunlight and be kept warm - you'll have more snails then you'll need in no time.
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
Niks - raising pond snails is rather simple if you use a glass jar or a 2.5G tank (the larger the better of course). Put in a golf ball size of java moss, and a java fern - then seed with about 6 - 12 pond snails. The small ramshorns do NOT breed as easily and if you put too many in they tend to breed even less. Within days you'll see the jelly sacs of eggs on the java fern and the walls of the jar/tank. Feed them fish flakes and the greenest part of romaine lettuce. Change the water every day or two (just spill it out and replace - don't forget to declor the water). With a temp of 75 or so the eggs will hatch in 1 - 2 weeks (the first batch tends to take longer, I have no idea why). I think the trick is the separate container and enough food, and the java moss (which nobody really knows why it helps , but again, it does).
plecoperson
Aquarium Advice Addict
This is kind of like saying "My fish are boring. All they ever do is float at the top of the tank and gasp or lie on their sides on the gravel."
If the snails aren't up and moving around, eating and so forth, then something is wrong. You should investigate your water parameters to try to sort out why they are inactive. Or return them to the store if you don't want to make that effort.
If the snails aren't up and moving around, eating and so forth, then something is wrong. You should investigate your water parameters to try to sort out why they are inactive. Or return them to the store if you don't want to make that effort.
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
Lisa, I have to agree with you. My snails are never still for very long - unless there is something wrong with the water (high temps above 80 and nitrates over 30 always do it).
What people forget is that they need to eat REAL food - not just leftovers. And they eat ALOT. Look at Courtnees guy with his algae wafer - now THAT'S a happy and well cared for snail Mine get algae wafers daily, a fresh veggie 2x a week (zuchini, yellow squash or carrots), and shrimp pellets 2x a week. With 20 of the guys I'm sure they don't all get to eat each thing each day. All that food produces alot of waste, and alot of nitrates, so water changes are even more important.
Niks - how many guppies are in the 5G with the snails ? You might be overstocked which is deteriorating your water quality - if the snails are motionless more than they are active I'd run a bunch of tests , see what's up and keep up on water changes.
What people forget is that they need to eat REAL food - not just leftovers. And they eat ALOT. Look at Courtnees guy with his algae wafer - now THAT'S a happy and well cared for snail
Mine get algae wafers daily, a fresh veggie 2x a week (zuchini, yellow squash or carrots), and shrimp pellets 2x a week. With 20 of the guys I'm sure they don't all get to eat each thing each day. All that food produces alot of waste, and alot of nitrates, so water changes are even more important.Niks - how many guppies are in the 5G with the snails ? You might be overstocked which is deteriorating your water quality - if the snails are motionless more than they are active I'd run a bunch of tests , see what's up and keep up on water changes.
courtnee
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have been told and read that snails can be pretty touchy with water changing on them and the NitrAtes will get them. I have been lucky with my Gary and the LFS was in shock when I told them how Gary made it through 3 weeks off of the charts NitrItes and the fish died and he made it through a cycle in a 10gl.
I think Gary was happy this time he went into a 55gl that was cycled fishless before he got in there.
He is more active now then he has ever been in the last several months we have had him as I have learned how to have better living conditions and water quality for him. I think that really has a lot to do with how they act. If the water is really good, they are eating well you see them "play" more.
I think Gary was happy this time he went into a 55gl that was cycled fishless before he got in there.
He is more active now then he has ever been in the last several months we have had him as I have learned how to have better living conditions and water quality for him. I think that really has a lot to do with how they act. If the water is really good, they are eating well you see them "play" more.
Ammonia and nitrites are both at 0... my nitrate test ran out so gotta get another. I'm sure its in a respectable place. Its a moderately planted tank with 6 guppies and 2 snails. I think they just needed to get time to adjust to their new home. Everytime I look at them now, one minute they are on one side of the tank, then the next they are on the other side but I never get to see them move. I think they are scared of me looking at them. Even when they are moving and I come close they stop and just sit there. They are getting more and more active as the days go by.
Nik
Nik
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
glad to hear it Nik
MyCatsDrool
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 901
I keep 3 types of snails in all my tanks...
Apple (canna)
Aselone Spixi (a mini canna type)
Malasyan Trumpets
All I can say is they are a beautiful and graceful animal. They have almost flourescent spots on their actual skin and glide around my tanks all the time. I have even been fortunate enough to see my Aselone Spixis breed and lay eggs. Extremely fascinating. They are among my favorites in my tanks.
Also, if you are buying your snails from PetSmart, be aware that they dip them to make them sterile and they will not breed.
Apple (canna)
Aselone Spixi (a mini canna type)
Malasyan Trumpets
All I can say is they are a beautiful and graceful animal. They have almost flourescent spots on their actual skin and glide around my tanks all the time. I have even been fortunate enough to see my Aselone Spixis breed and lay eggs. Extremely fascinating. They are among my favorites in my tanks.
Also, if you are buying your snails from PetSmart, be aware that they dip them to make them sterile and they will not breed.
