how long do Apple and Mystery snails Live ??

[Bubble_B0y]

and do they only come in gold and brown??
are there other colours ??

 

[Jchillin]

The "mystery" snail (another sub-species of P. Bridgessi) comes in a variety of colors. Some even two-toned.

I can't recall the life expectancy at the moment.

You can see some of these wonderful colors at:

Aquabid do a search for apple snails.

 

[Guest]

i just bought 5 "mystery snails" well they gold ones were called " gold Inca", the blue one was just called "blue mystery" and the balck ones were "black mystery" but they are all mystery snails right?
I am hoping they breed and i can get some interesting colors out of them... JC you have a gold one correct??? "Gary" LOL... they aren't asexual are they?

 

[Jchillin]

Yes, I have a huge gold one named Gary. They are not asexual (thank goodness), they do need mates. The female is known to remain fertile for a while after mating.

 

[Bubble_B0y]

question:

All mystery snails are apple snails.
However, not all apple snails are mystery snails

does that sound right ??

 

[Bubble_B0y]

Yes, I have a huge gold one named Gary. They are not asexual (thank goodness), they do need mates. The female is known to remain fertile for a while after mating.

by asexual, you mean breed with THEMSELVES right

about breeding - snails are both female and male right
so you can buy any two, and they can potentially mate

 

[Bubble_B0y]

question:

do snails change their shell (like hermit crabs)

 

[Fishyfanatic]

No, snails do not change their shell. It is like fingernails with humans. They grow with the snail. It's a common misconception with snails.

 

[erik7]

i have a black mystery snail, and just the other day babies poped up.

Did i get a pregnat one at the lfs.. cuz i thought they were asexual

 

[Jchillin]

The female can hold sperm and eggs for awhile, they don't reproduce by the male fertilizing after the female lays eggs. They lay fertilized eggs.

In regard to the Apple Snail, mystery snail alignment. Mystery snails should be classified as maculata, another species related to bridgessi. So, in reality, no "mystery" should be an apple nor should any apple be a "msytery".

Sometimes, LFS just label them "mystery" if they are not Gold in color. Which means that they can sell you a purple snail and call it a mystery when in fact it is an apple.

Check http://www.applesnail.net for further info on this.

 

[patagonia]

great info on that page Jchillin...amazing what a little snail can do...

 

[Guest]

oops double post 8O

 

[Guest]

I am a bit confused... none of mine were labeled apple snails but I KNOW thats what they are, I have 3 gold, 1 blue, and 2 black... so are they all most likely Bridgessi??

Also, i thought Asexual.. meant like Ramshorns are asexual and don't need a mate to reproduce... or do i have my terms mixed up?

 

[vero]

asexual: describes reproduction in which there is no fusion of male and female sex cells gametes, e.g. vegetative reproduction or budding

ramshorn have asexual reproduction (not sure if that means that a single ramshorn can reproduce...)

sexual: relating to the union of male and female gametes in reproduction

appel snails have sexual reproduction (need a male and a female to reproduce)

I think the confusion came from erik's post. He mentionned buying a single apple snail and ending up with babies, wondering if his apple snail was "self-reproducing". Nope. That apple snail mated with another snail at the lfs.

 

[Andos99]

So back to the original question...does anyone know how long they live?? I would be curious to find out. I have a black mystery snail thats about a year old now and the size of a raquetball.

 

[StyleUK]

I've had one apple snail for 4 years now, about the size of a tennis ball, it's huge, It's shell is starting to look a little messy, I belive this is due to age and just wear and tare wiht he usual algae growing on it's back. I dose with calcium so the newer snails get the best possible start in life and look almost perfect for the first year or so.

In awnser to the how long they live question I've just checked www.applesnail.net and their is down so I'm not sure, I think it's about 7 years but you'll have to check up on that when the sites back up.

 

[Jchillin]

I finally found the info:

How old do apple snails get?
The apple snail's life expectancy mainly depends on the temperature of their environment and the general life conditions. At lower temperatures, the apple snail can get over 3 years old and records of apple snails of ten years old have been reported. Lanistes nyassanus has an estimated life span of 5 to 10 years in Lake Malawi, Africa.
At a temperature of 25°C, they will only live 12-16 months. At higher temperatures, the snails are more active because their metabolism increases with the temperature, but this also speeds up their life cycle and thus shortens their life expectancy.
So you can elongate your snail's life by lowering the temperature. A general rule: keep the temperature between 18 and 28°C (65-82°F).
It is suspected that at least some apple snail species need an aestivation period in the mud to avoid burning-out.

 

[Jchillin]

I am a bit confused... none of mine were labeled apple snails but I KNOW thats what they are, I have 3 gold, 1 blue, and 2 black... so are they all most likely Bridgessi??

LOL...I tackled that question on the first page Ashley. It is either misinformation or laziness on the part of the LFS in regard to the name they give the snails. In most cases, if the snail has any coloration whatsoever, it will more than likely be called a "mystery" snail, even though it may very well be an apple snail.

 

[Fluff]

appel snails have sexual reproduction (need a male and a female to reproduce)

I think the confusion came from erik's post. He mentionned buying a single apple snail and ending up with babies, wondering if his apple snail was "self-reproducing". Nope. That apple snail mated with another snail at the lfs.

Exactly.

Female applesnails can store sperm for months. How long they live is dependant on their housing conditions. A warm water tank will shorten the life span while cooler waters will cause them to go dormant for a time and live longer. Also, temps control breeding. They will breed more in warmer waters.
So age is relative to the conditions they live in. But like Jchillin quoted, they can live for years in perfect conditions.

They come in a variety of colors. I have or have had gold, two different purple colors, jade, blue, chestnut, black and ivory. I have a pic of some of them in my gallery. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=5186
Here are some others.

 

[Guest]

Fluff.. what kind of leaves do you use for the snais? IS it just romain lettuce? Mine didn't touch the zucchini that i put in there, my pleco did.. lol.