So what are mystery snails?
There is a lot of debate as to the actual classification of these creatures, they can have various different names – apple snails, ivory snails, Inca snail, day & night snails, the list goes on but the most common variety sold on the market are usually classified as being Pomacea Bridgessii and these all belong to the family of Ampullariidae (sometimes referred to as Pilidae) which contains over a hundred different members.
Far from being a pest these snails can be a bonus to your tank as they will clear up any rotting vegetation from your plants, plus any surplus food from the substrate, and they will earn their keep by clearing some algae from the glass (apart from hair algae).
My own experience with these creatures has been with the Golden Apple variety and believe it or not after a while I could recognize each one by its behavioral patterns, being mostly sluggish in the day but coming into their own from evening onwards.
There is a general rule for the amount of snails per tank usually 1 per 2.5 gallons of water (dependant on the filtration and aeration provided in the set up) but be warned, a tight fitting lid is a must as they can and will leave the water at times so any gaps where pipe work enters through the lid should be sealed and small ventilation holes provided. They can produce a lot of waste so under stocking would be better than vice versa.
Some keepers have kept these in coldwater setups but they much prefer the warmer water provided with a tropical tank. Normally they are sold in the pet shops at about 1 inch or under in size but each individual can grow to a size of 2.5 inches if kept in optimum conditions. There is one species of theses snails (Pomacea maculata sometimes referred to as Ampullarius gigas) that can grow to an astounding 6 inches.
Average lifespan if kept healthy & well fed is normally about 2 years.
Specific Needs:
pH levels need to be kept to at least 6.5 -7 as below this can cause an erosion of the shell and stunted growth, however there are also on the market several calcium supplements that will aid shell development. I did use these on a regular basis & it seemed to keep them happy although I have no scientific proof to hand that it was vital to their needs.
The water should be well aerated with an air stone or an air driven sponge filter but this is where these snails can do their party piece! If there is insufficient oxygen in the water they have a branchial respiration system as well as possessing a gill. They will head towards the surface of the water and extend a siphon out to take in external oxygen – a truly amazing sight! It has been known for one of these tubes to extend anything up to 4 inches. This system of breathing is believed to have evolved to create a defense from predatory birds grabbing them once they leave the safety of the water. How true this is I cannot say but it seems to make sense to me.
Never fill your tank completely; with their need for plenty of oxygen at least leave a 2 inch gap from the top of the tank to the water level inside.
Last but not least keep your water healthy & stable, as they produce a lot of waste, ample filtration should be provided.
As with all invertebrates they will not tolerate any form of copper based medication so if kept in a community tank either remove before treating the tank or quarantine the infected fish to treat.
Do not keep them with tank mates likely to harass them.
Feeding:
These snails will eat algae, rotting plant matter, leftover fish food i.e. flake or pellet. I used to give mine Hikari algae wafers and the occasional treat of brine shrimp pellets. They can also be fed spinach, blanched greens. However be warned if they are kept in the community tank and food is scarce they will attack healthy plant life so keep them well fed.
Breeding:
Unlike most snails these are not hermaphroditic (asexual), you will need at least 1 male and 1 female for breeding success. The male has a penal tube similar to its breathing siphon tube that is used purely for this purpose. When they pair up the male will insert the tube under the females shell and enter her body. It is quite often that you will see the female carrying the male about on the back of her shell. Eggs are normally laid at night out of the water and in a clutch averaging anywhere from 200-600 eggs at a time.
In my breeding setup I used a 10 gallon tank, filling it up halfway.
For aeration, filtration a double sponge filter was added and a temp of 26°C was set. I placed the tank in a dimly lit place adding a watertight lid to prevent any escapees.
Eggs once laid would be expected to hatch out after 2 weeks sometimes 3 weeks but the young couldn’t be easier to feed, basically they were given the same diet as the adults.
As a matter of habit I doubled the water changes to reduce any risk of mortalities but these were normally very few, and to be honest, a newly hatched snail is not the easiest thing to find if it does not survive.
I hope this article has convinced you of the benefit of keeping this creature-trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Pictures
Links to related articles located outside of aqua-fish.net
- Feel free to visit Care of Ornamental Snails at firsttankguide.net too!
- Apple Snails and Bettas at nippyfish.net!
100 comment(s)
Katie on April 15, 2009, 5:05 am wrote
I was wondering if anyone knows whether these Mystery Snails can coexist with an African dwarf frog. I have a 4 gallon tank with a ADF and was thinking of getting a snail as well.
I was wondering if anyone knows whether these Mystery Snails can coexist with an African dwarf frog. I have a 4 gallon tank with a ADF and was thinking of getting a snail as well.
Charlotte on April 25, 2009, 9:13 am wrote
Katie, I have two African dwarf frogs and a gold mystery snail they work great together in the tank and don’t bother each other.
Katie, I have two African dwarf frogs and a gold mystery snail they work great together in the tank and don’t bother each other.
Ash on May 17, 2009, 3:12 am wrote
I was wondering if I could keep a snail in a 1 gallon tank with aeration, with water changes every few days.
I was wondering if I could keep a snail in a 1 gallon tank with aeration, with water changes every few days.
Answer by admin: Yes. Bear in mind that these snails need minerals to be present in the water, otherwise their shells suffer and snails die sooner.
Katie on June 17, 2009, 11:47 am wrote
I am trying to figure out what kind of snails I bought, as I recently found two new ones in the tank. I never saw any kind of egg clutch, and I have my tank open at least once a day to feed the frog. The snails look like pictures of mystery snails that I have found, but I am unsure. Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated.
I am trying to figure out what kind of snails I bought, as I recently found two new ones in the tank. I never saw any kind of egg clutch, and I have my tank open at least once a day to feed the frog. The snails look like pictures of mystery snails that I have found, but I am unsure. Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated.
Answer by admin: If no cocoon has been created, then I’m almost sure that your snails are Ramshorn snails. They look similar to Mystery snails in the beginning, but they stop growing (and start reproducing themselves very fast). once they reach 1cm in length. Ramshorn snails can be introduced into the tank when buying new plants, or when moving decorations from one fish tank to another (assume that plants or decorations contain eggs of Ramshorns).
Niki on June 25, 2009, 10:44 am wrote
We purchased white, black, blue, and yellow mystery snails a few months ago. We now have a many babies in the tank, I can identify the blue and black babies... But the majority of the snails look like they are a shiny olive green color (almost metallic). We were told that mystery snails don’t combine colors when they mate, but that one color is dominant. I just have no idea how else that color could have occurred though. If someone has experienced a similar situation or knows how that happened that would be great. PS - Will pet stores take babies from anyone... I have well over a hundred babies, and they are beautiful and growing well, but that is a bit much and I would love to see them go to another good home as well. Thank you so much for your help!!!!
We purchased white, black, blue, and yellow mystery snails a few months ago. We now have a many babies in the tank, I can identify the blue and black babies... But the majority of the snails look like they are a shiny olive green color (almost metallic). We were told that mystery snails don’t combine colors when they mate, but that one color is dominant. I just have no idea how else that color could have occurred though. If someone has experienced a similar situation or knows how that happened that would be great. PS - Will pet stores take babies from anyone... I have well over a hundred babies, and they are beautiful and growing well, but that is a bit much and I would love to see them go to another good home as well. Thank you so much for your help!!!!
Answer by admin: Pet stores should accept these. Especially those small ones.
Dave on July 15, 2009, 10:14 am wrote
We just brought a new black mystery snail home from Petsmart two days ago. We dropped a carrot chip into the small tank it shared with a leopard danio and a guppie. Tonight, we found the danio dead next to the carrot. Its body was mauled and had one eye missing. Could this be the work of a killer snail?
We just brought a new black mystery snail home from Petsmart two days ago. We dropped a carrot chip into the small tank it shared with a leopard danio and a guppie. Tonight, we found the danio dead next to the carrot. Its body was mauled and had one eye missing. Could this be the work of a killer snail?
Answer by admin: These snails won’t kill a fish. When a fish is dead, laying at the bottom, it’s body can be eaten by snails, or by other fish too.
joe on July 25, 2009, 5:15 am wrote
My golden snail always floats on the top but is still alive, is this normal?
My golden snail always floats on the top but is still alive, is this normal?
Answer: It isn’t anything unusual, however it may point to aeration problems. Mystery snails usually crawl the tank in all directions, they prefer substrate the most as the substrate contains most uneaten food. However, being at the surface is OK as long as your snail lives.
Bri on July 31, 2009, 11:06 pm wrote
I have several cocoons in my tank but only the one mystery snail, is that normal?
I have several cocoons in my tank but only the one mystery snail, is that normal?
Answer: If you introduced a snail into the tank in the past few days, then it’s completely normal. One must have at least two specimens to let them reproduce.
sakura1 on October 3, 2009, 5:34 am wrote
I have one mystery snail, thanks and is it OK if I only have 2 inches of air for my snail to come up and breed? And I thought they could breed asexually but didn’t want to and wanted to breed sexually? And also can an ivory mystery snail get along with another say black mystery snail? Would they breed?
I have one mystery snail, thanks and is it OK if I only have 2 inches of air for my snail to come up and breed? And I thought they could breed asexually but didn’t want to and wanted to breed sexually? And also can an ivory mystery snail get along with another say black mystery snail? Would they breed?
Answer: 2 inches may be OK, it all depends on how comfortable your snails feel. Sometimes 10 inches may be insufficient as there are also other factors that affect breeding. pH and carbonate hardness are perhaps the most important ones. There is no problem regarding breeding ivory and black ones. They should breed and their babies will be of different colours combinations.
Stella on December 4, 2009, 10:58 pm wrote
On Tuesday, we brought home a black mystery snail and a female betta from PetSmart. I had worried that the betta would attack the snail, so we made sure they were pretty equal in size. On Friday, we went to feed the fish and it was no where to be found... completely gone from a sealed tank with small ventilation holes. My only thought is that the snail must have eaten the fish. (Either that, or our sweet little fish has been the victim of alien abduction.) Is this even possible? I want to get a new betta fish, should I get a larger one? Or should I just let my snail live along happily by itself?
On Tuesday, we brought home a black mystery snail and a female betta from PetSmart. I had worried that the betta would attack the snail, so we made sure they were pretty equal in size. On Friday, we went to feed the fish and it was no where to be found... completely gone from a sealed tank with small ventilation holes. My only thought is that the snail must have eaten the fish. (Either that, or our sweet little fish has been the victim of alien abduction.) Is this even possible? I want to get a new betta fish, should I get a larger one? Or should I just let my snail live along happily by itself?
Answer: Your fish could be eaten by these snails if only it was dead already. Mystery snails cannot catch and eat any fish that swims, is healthy, and thus can escape. You can buy another specimen, of course. Make sure it’s healthy.
Camden on December 9, 2009, 7:47 am wrote
When taking water samples from the Tennessee river, I accidentally got a snail, which I think is a mystery snail. I can’t release it back into the Tennessee, as i live in Gerogia... Could I keep it as a pet or something? And if so, what kind of things would he need?
When taking water samples from the Tennessee river, I accidentally got a snail, which I think is a mystery snail. I can’t release it back into the Tennessee, as i live in Gerogia... Could I keep it as a pet or something? And if so, what kind of things would he need?
Answer: You can keep anything that is not prohibited by law, and most likely it’s not against law to keep Mystery Snails in aquariums. These snails don’t need anything special; Good water quality is recommended, and feeding from time to time. They can breathe the atmospheric air, so oxygenation isn’t necessary. Use lid to keep them in the aquarium as they’re known to like escapes from tanks :) . Apart from these basic needs, practically everything else regarding care is mentioned within this article already.
Jon on December 15, 2009, 9:30 am wrote
Recently my mystery snails have given me 3 egg clutches. One has already begun to hatch, and I’d like to move the babies to a bigger tank. How long do I need to wait till they get big enough to easily transfer? Also, I’d like to move the other 2 clutches to the new tank, so how can I go about doing that? Thanks! ^.^
Recently my mystery snails have given me 3 egg clutches. One has already begun to hatch, and I’d like to move the babies to a bigger tank. How long do I need to wait till they get big enough to easily transfer? Also, I’d like to move the other 2 clutches to the new tank, so how can I go about doing that? Thanks! ^.^
Answer: If newborns are already crawling the tank, then you can move them to another aquarium at any time. Make sure that the conditions are similar or preferably same. You can even use the water from original aquarium. Regarding moving cocoons: I wouldn’t do this. Rather wait until small snails get out of it.
Krueger on December 17, 2009, 9:05 am wrote
Hey, my mystery snails laid some clutches recently and since then I’ve had my aquarium light off in fear of it drying the eggs out. So I’m wondering, should I keep the light off for the eggs or will it not affect them? Not sure if it’d help to know but I believe the snails are laying them at night when I have the aquarium light off. Cheers.
Hey, my mystery snails laid some clutches recently and since then I’ve had my aquarium light off in fear of it drying the eggs out. So I’m wondering, should I keep the light off for the eggs or will it not affect them? Not sure if it’d help to know but I believe the snails are laying them at night when I have the aquarium light off. Cheers.
Answer: Turning the light on and off shouldn’t affect if new snails are born or not. I tested it myself in the past.
Finnican on December 20, 2009, 4:24 am wrote
I have mystery snails and they have recently laid 4 clutches, and these aren’t the first, and every time they fall in to the water. There are two on the glass, above water, and two fell into the water during the night. Are the eggs suppose to fall into the water? Every egg clutch I have had has done that. Is that a normal thing? I’m so confused and lost about it. Is there something wrong with my tank that they are falling? Also, the longest the eggs have stayed up on the glass is almost three weeks and I have read by day 10 you can see things moving inside or they change color.... they never changed color and I don’t ever remember something moving inside. Is there something wrong with the eggs?
I have mystery snails and they have recently laid 4 clutches, and these aren’t the first, and every time they fall in to the water. There are two on the glass, above water, and two fell into the water during the night. Are the eggs suppose to fall into the water? Every egg clutch I have had has done that. Is that a normal thing? I’m so confused and lost about it. Is there something wrong with my tank that they are falling? Also, the longest the eggs have stayed up on the glass is almost three weeks and I have read by day 10 you can see things moving inside or they change color.... they never changed color and I don’t ever remember something moving inside. Is there something wrong with the eggs?
Answer: The clutches shouldn’t fall down, they should stay attached to where they were laid. You can try replacing them by razor blade in order to keep them above water surface. Once you see small snails coming out, move them to the water. You should keep the clutches near aquarium, preferably near place where they’ve been laid in order to keep conditions such as humidity and temperature stable.
Tracy on December 24, 2009, 1:23 pm wrote
My mystery snails recently laid 2 clutches. We believe the first clutch had already hatched when we noticed it, as we found babies in our filter. I’m fairly certain these are not ramshorn snails. We moved all the babies we could find to our ten gallon hospital tank, which is circulated with a power head made for a 30 gallon tank. Could this be too turbulent? I’m afraid to leave the babies in my tank, I have 3 very large goldfish and a dojo loach who would make quick meals of them. Thanks for any help ( :
My mystery snails recently laid 2 clutches. We believe the first clutch had already hatched when we noticed it, as we found babies in our filter. I’m fairly certain these are not ramshorn snails. We moved all the babies we could find to our ten gallon hospital tank, which is circulated with a power head made for a 30 gallon tank. Could this be too turbulent? I’m afraid to leave the babies in my tank, I have 3 very large goldfish and a dojo loach who would make quick meals of them. Thanks for any help ( :
Answer: In my experience you can control the speed of flow on almost every filter. This is why a filter designed for a 30 gallon aquarium can be used in an aquarium of 10 gallons.
Melissa on December 24, 2009, 3:13 pm wrote
This is a response to what the admin said about Niki on: June 25, 2009, 10:44 am. That the pet stores would take the baby mystery snails. I tried to do that with petco but they do not accept anything for their birds or fish sections. I am not sure about the other chains but a locally owned pet shop might. They took a Gold Gorumi from me so I am thinking they will take the baby snails.
This is a response to what the admin said about Niki on: June 25, 2009, 10:44 am. That the pet stores would take the baby mystery snails. I tried to do that with petco but they do not accept anything for their birds or fish sections. I am not sure about the other chains but a locally owned pet shop might. They took a Gold Gorumi from me so I am thinking they will take the baby snails.
Jen on February 23, 2010, 8:16 am wrote
I have a blue mystery snail and it laid eggs and I read in in this article that they need a male and a female to reproduce so should I just throw the clutch away? Is it normal for a mystery snail to just lay eggs without having a male to fertilize them?
I have a blue mystery snail and it laid eggs and I read in in this article that they need a male and a female to reproduce so should I just throw the clutch away? Is it normal for a mystery snail to just lay eggs without having a male to fertilize them?
Answer: I haven’t seen it yet even though I kept Mystery Snails for about 4 years. I would remove the clutch.
cjay on March 7, 2010, 7:42 am wrote
I just want to breed 2 mystery snails, but want to get about 8 of them, will they still breed?
I just want to breed 2 mystery snails, but want to get about 8 of them, will they still breed?
Answer: Yes, they will breed. Actually, all 8 will breed if they’re healthy.
Fiona on March 28, 2010, 10:34 am wrote
I have had one mystery snail for about 2 months. We love it and are thinking about getting another one. Last night it laid a clutch of eggs, but as they are not hermaphrodites, is it possible that she was carrying fertilized eggs since we bought her? Or should we assume these eggs will be sterile? I guess we can wait a few weeks and see....
I have had one mystery snail for about 2 months. We love it and are thinking about getting another one. Last night it laid a clutch of eggs, but as they are not hermaphrodites, is it possible that she was carrying fertilized eggs since we bought her? Or should we assume these eggs will be sterile? I guess we can wait a few weeks and see....
Answer: It certainly is possible that she may have been carrying the eggs when you purchased her, what colour are the eggs, they should be a nice orangey colouration. If they are white then they have not been fertilised. Mystery snails can store sperm for a couple of months so she could also be producing healthy eggs because of this. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Maddie on March 29, 2010, 12:06 pm wrote
Is it normal for mystery snail egg clutches to dry out? What happens when they hatch? Will they crawl out of my fish tank? Will all of them survive? Why are my mystery snail eggs orange, not white?
Is it normal for mystery snail egg clutches to dry out? What happens when they hatch? Will they crawl out of my fish tank? Will all of them survive? Why are my mystery snail eggs orange, not white?
Answer: 1) Yes, the eggs can dry out. It is normal too. 2) When they hatch, they will start crawling the tank. They will start eating what’s on the bottom. 3) Newborns don’t use to crawl out of the tank. 4) Not all of the newborns will survive. 5) Because you bought the orange colour variation.
Alison on April 1, 2010, 5:25 pm wrote
I have 2 Mystery Snails; an ivory and a gold one. The ivory one has been in it’s shell for almost a week now. And the gold one comes out once in awhile but later in the day I’ll find it back on the bottom of my tank along with my ivory one. I haven’t tried to pick them up and smell them, I think that’s kind of gross to be honest. But I’d really like to know if there’s something wrong with them. I think it might be my fishes too. But it wouldn’t make any sense because I have 10 neon tetras and aren’t they supposed to be shy and community fishes? But I’m really starting to believe that my ivory one is dead. And the other day I saw one of my neons trying to eat the testicles on my gold snail.
I have 2 Mystery Snails; an ivory and a gold one. The ivory one has been in it’s shell for almost a week now. And the gold one comes out once in awhile but later in the day I’ll find it back on the bottom of my tank along with my ivory one. I haven’t tried to pick them up and smell them, I think that’s kind of gross to be honest. But I’d really like to know if there’s something wrong with them. I think it might be my fishes too. But it wouldn’t make any sense because I have 10 neon tetras and aren’t they supposed to be shy and community fishes? But I’m really starting to believe that my ivory one is dead. And the other day I saw one of my neons trying to eat the testicles on my gold snail.
Answer: When snails become apathetic like in your case, it’s a sign of soon death. Nothing more, nothing less. They can be simply too old or can be sick. Once they die, you’ll notice that the shell is empty or you will find parts of snails floating at the top. If you have Ramshorn snails in the tank too, you will notice that Ramshorns "visit" shells of Mystery snails and eat what’s left there.
Britney on April 9, 2010, 7:06 am wrote
I’ve had a yellow mystery snail for four months now and he/she isn’t as yellow as he was when I got him/her, it looks like the shell is degrading a little. Though I don’t have calcium supplements, is there an alternative I could use? Also I bought a black mystery snail today and I’m hoping it will breed with my other snail. I’m glad this website shows that they lay their eggs out of water and I hadn’t known that before. This is a relief because I keep my snail with a Gold Piranha. (my golden one has lived with the piranha with no problem, which led me to buy another seeing as their the only species my piranha wont tear to bits.) I was worried if they laid eggs my piranha would eat them. Do you think the yellow and black snail will breed although the differences in color? Also I bought an API ’Stress Coat’ liquid that is not only a damaged skin and fin repair, but also removes chlorines and neutralizes chloarmines, do you think this could be the cause of my yellow snail’s shell deteriation? When baby snails come out of their eggs are their shells hard? I’m scared that my piranha will eat them if they hatch then go into the water. Sorry for so many questions, I’m just inexperienced with the snails and I would like for them to be happy in my aquarium.
I’ve had a yellow mystery snail for four months now and he/she isn’t as yellow as he was when I got him/her, it looks like the shell is degrading a little. Though I don’t have calcium supplements, is there an alternative I could use? Also I bought a black mystery snail today and I’m hoping it will breed with my other snail. I’m glad this website shows that they lay their eggs out of water and I hadn’t known that before. This is a relief because I keep my snail with a Gold Piranha. (my golden one has lived with the piranha with no problem, which led me to buy another seeing as their the only species my piranha wont tear to bits.) I was worried if they laid eggs my piranha would eat them. Do you think the yellow and black snail will breed although the differences in color? Also I bought an API ’Stress Coat’ liquid that is not only a damaged skin and fin repair, but also removes chlorines and neutralizes chloarmines, do you think this could be the cause of my yellow snail’s shell deteriation? When baby snails come out of their eggs are their shells hard? I’m scared that my piranha will eat them if they hatch then go into the water. Sorry for so many questions, I’m just inexperienced with the snails and I would like for them to be happy in my aquarium.
Answer: 1) You can put shells into the aquarium. You don’t have to worry what shells you’re going to use; both, freshwater and marine are OK! If there is not enough calcium in your aquarium, the shells will decompose as time goes by and they’ll introduce calcium into the water. Often when calcium is missing, people watch how snails "suck" the shells. 2) As it’s perhaps already mentioned above, colours don’t matter in breeding. As long as it’s a mystery snail, they’ll breed. 3) Chlorine remover shouldn’t affect the shell. 4) Shells of babies aren’t hard, but they shouldn’t be eaten. They’re simply not tasty in my experience. Only fish such as Pufferfish or Paradise fish eat them, but the shells stay uneaten. Feed your Piranha well and snails won’t be touched. Good luck!
Britney on April 13, 2010, 7:12 am wrote
Thank you, you answered most of my questions except for the calcium problem. I already have tons of shells in the tank that came from florida on the beach. I boiled them and put them in the tank a long time ago, if they’re in there then why is my yellow snail’s shell getting degraded? Also I’ve never seen them stay on a shell for too long as if they needed the shells. P.S. I’m really glad I’ve found this site it has been VERY helpful :)
Thank you, you answered most of my questions except for the calcium problem. I already have tons of shells in the tank that came from florida on the beach. I boiled them and put them in the tank a long time ago, if they’re in there then why is my yellow snail’s shell getting degraded? Also I’ve never seen them stay on a shell for too long as if they needed the shells. P.S. I’m really glad I’ve found this site it has been VERY helpful :)
Answer: That’s really interesting, because shells usually need Calcium. In your case it’s possible that the snails miss another element. If possible, try other foods and wait to see the result. Sometimes the snails are simply weak (due to breeding them without taking care of genetics) and they simply don’t grow, die too early, have problems with shells and so on. I personally bought snails who lived 3 years and then I bought other ones who did it to 1 year of age and then died (same aquarium, same conditions).
max on April 25, 2010, 6:44 pm wrote
Hey, I brought new mystery gold snail and it’s not moving at all. In the pet shop it was moving and when I put it in my tank it’s not moving at all, how come? I could see it hiding in it’s shell, how come, please help.
Hey, I brought new mystery gold snail and it’s not moving at all. In the pet shop it was moving and when I put it in my tank it’s not moving at all, how come? I could see it hiding in it’s shell, how come, please help.
Answer: It is usual, the acclimatisation process should take up to 2 weeks. Also the snail may feel miserable because of fish that may be harassing it, or due to water chemistry change.
randy on May 2, 2010, 7:49 am wrote
I have a mystery snail I got from petsmart and it’s been in the same tank alone for about 4 months and it laid an egg clutch on the tank. Should I remove it? Similar clutches have produced snails in my other tank which has multiple larger mystery snails. What should I do with this clutch of eggs?
I have a mystery snail I got from petsmart and it’s been in the same tank alone for about 4 months and it laid an egg clutch on the tank. Should I remove it? Similar clutches have produced snails in my other tank which has multiple larger mystery snails. What should I do with this clutch of eggs?
Answer: More people have experienced this. Sometimes these snails store sperm for further usage. Wait a month and if there are no newborns, remove the cocoon.
Sarah on May 7, 2010, 5:16 am wrote
I recently got four mystery snails, two black and two gold. I’m hoping to breed them, but I was wondering what colors I should expect from the babies. Will they just be either black or gold, or will I get a mix of the two? Also is it possible that the babies would be other colors, or do I need to go out and buy more to get other colors?
I recently got four mystery snails, two black and two gold. I’m hoping to breed them, but I was wondering what colors I should expect from the babies. Will they just be either black or gold, or will I get a mix of the two? Also is it possible that the babies would be other colors, or do I need to go out and buy more to get other colors?
Answer: The colouration of the shells is dependant on the dominant genes of the snails. The stronger genes could prove to be weaker in some of the offspring hence the variation in the colours. There is no fixed rule as to which colour shells the young will have, indeed you could end up with some of the shells having a mix of black and gold. Using dominant colours does increase the chances of producing young with the colour of shell that you are after but nothing is certain. I bred two golden snails and the young were every colour under the rainbow. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
jake on May 9, 2010, 1:13 pm wrote
Well, I have a betta fish and I want to get a friend for it or something and I’m thinking of a Mystery Snail. Will it be okay to put a mystery snail with my Betta? Thank =)
Well, I have a betta fish and I want to get a friend for it or something and I’m thinking of a Mystery Snail. Will it be okay to put a mystery snail with my Betta? Thank =)
Answer: No problem at all.
tina on May 12, 2010, 6:36 am wrote
I have only one mystery snail in my tank and have had it for over a month. Today I discovered an egg sac in the tank. Please explain why and how this is possible when it takes two of them tango?
I have only one mystery snail in my tank and have had it for over a month. Today I discovered an egg sac in the tank. Please explain why and how this is possible when it takes two of them tango?
Answer: This is a common scenario as these snails are capable of storing sperm for a couple of months so even if a male is required initially, future batches of eggs can still be produced by the female snail without a partner to breed with. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Casadie Rae-Lyn Oelrich on May 18, 2010, 1:56 am wrote
My freshwater mystery snails laid eggs on the glass above the water and I do not know what to do. I have a 10 gallon tank and 2 snails already, how many should I keep? My parents think I should only keep one but I want to keep more than that. Please, help me.
My freshwater mystery snails laid eggs on the glass above the water and I do not know what to do. I have a 10 gallon tank and 2 snails already, how many should I keep? My parents think I should only keep one but I want to keep more than that. Please, help me.
Answer: Nothing to do at the moment. Wait and monitor the cocoon until the newborns hatch. It is OK to keep even 30 mystery snails in a 10 gallon aquarium, however it is necessary to ensure that carbonate hardness is 4 at least. Also ensure that there is enough Calcium in the tank. Once small snails reach 2-3 cm in length, they can be sold.
Brittany on May 18, 2010, 7:00 am wrote
Hi, I just got a new fish tank about 6-7 weeks ago and put in one black Mystery Snail from Petco. There are also two guppies, two glofish and one hatchetfish. Yesterday I saw a baby snail on the glass! It is about 3/16"- 1/4". I haven’t noticed a cocoon or any eggs while doing water changes and I was wondering how in the world I may have ended up with just ONE baby snail?
Hi, I just got a new fish tank about 6-7 weeks ago and put in one black Mystery Snail from Petco. There are also two guppies, two glofish and one hatchetfish. Yesterday I saw a baby snail on the glass! It is about 3/16"- 1/4". I haven’t noticed a cocoon or any eggs while doing water changes and I was wondering how in the world I may have ended up with just ONE baby snail?
Answer: I have a funny feeling that this snail could have been brought in on something that you have added to the tank. Have you recently added any décor or especially plants as snails can be really good at hiding so that you don’t spot them until they are actually in the tank? It would be interesting to see if it is the same species as it develops. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Branden on May 21, 2010, 12:35 pm wrote
Hello, I am 12 years old. I breed ramshorn snails, crayfish and guppies. I bought a gold inca snail and a black mystery snail, they are in a 10 gallon tank with my big male crayfish, don’t worry he won’t eat them ;) . I was wondering if they would breed? Thanks for the help.
Hello, I am 12 years old. I breed ramshorn snails, crayfish and guppies. I bought a gold inca snail and a black mystery snail, they are in a 10 gallon tank with my big male crayfish, don’t worry he won’t eat them ;) . I was wondering if they would breed? Thanks for the help.
Answer: The term Mystery Snail can actually cover several different species of snails, some of which require a snail of either sex for breeding to take place. If this is the case then there is no reason why they shouldn’t breed if they are the same species and opposite sexes. To sex the snails turn them upside down and the penis on the male should be visible near the shell mantle. [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Melisa on May 25, 2010, 6:04 am wrote
I have three apple snails, and 13 commet fish. The snails laid two egg clutches and i was just wondering if the commet fish will eat the baby snails when they hatch and fall into the water. If you could let me know that would be great!
I have three apple snails, and 13 commet fish. The snails laid two egg clutches and i was just wondering if the commet fish will eat the baby snails when they hatch and fall into the water. If you could let me know that would be great!
Answer: It’s hard to tell. It depends on how big your fish are. Even small Angelfish or Guppy would try to eat such snails. However, I’m almost sure that some snails should survive no matter if fish are going to try their taste.
tsenter on May 28, 2010, 1:43 pm wrote
I’m on "shelley" no. 3 for my daughter. It’s a yellow mystery [again]. This one is also doing as the other 2 did. Came out for a quick look around and then crawled in their shells and never came out again. 3 Gallon fish bowl with live plant and 1 betta fish, gravel and a few glass stones for ’prettiness’. Sits next to a window on a night stand next to my daughter’s bed. No tapping allowed and we regulate feedings. First one, we thought the shells from the beach we had in the tank were too salty and it died from too much "salt" for lack of a better term. Second one, same thing and we thought maybe the salt wasn’t the problem, it was the Beta. Third one, well, can’t be either of the above problems, it’s in a separate "vase" tonight with the pet store water with the pet store "plant snack" and no other fish. Again, came out for a quick look around and bammo, back into his shell locked up tight. WHAT IS GOING ON?
I’m on "shelley" no. 3 for my daughter. It’s a yellow mystery [again]. This one is also doing as the other 2 did. Came out for a quick look around and then crawled in their shells and never came out again. 3 Gallon fish bowl with live plant and 1 betta fish, gravel and a few glass stones for ’prettiness’. Sits next to a window on a night stand next to my daughter’s bed. No tapping allowed and we regulate feedings. First one, we thought the shells from the beach we had in the tank were too salty and it died from too much "salt" for lack of a better term. Second one, same thing and we thought maybe the salt wasn’t the problem, it was the Beta. Third one, well, can’t be either of the above problems, it’s in a separate "vase" tonight with the pet store water with the pet store "plant snack" and no other fish. Again, came out for a quick look around and bammo, back into his shell locked up tight. WHAT IS GOING ON?
Answer: Have you tried observing the Snails at night after lights out as this is when they normally come out and are most active. How long have they been in the tanks as I have kept them in the past where some would be active as soon as they were added while others took a few days to come out and then they behaved normally. Also did you acclimatise them the same way as you do when adding fish? [answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
FrogzandFlyz on June 13, 2010, 11:55 pm wrote
Hi, I have a gold mystery snail and I was wondering 1) Can they survive out of water? If so for how long? 2) Do they sleep? Thanks!
Hi, I have a gold mystery snail and I was wondering 1) Can they survive out of water? If so for how long? 2) Do they sleep? Thanks!
By gold mystery snail I take it we are talking about the Pomaceae Bridgessii or Golden Apple Snail as they are often known. These can survive out of water and will lay their clumps of eggs above the water line. It is best to keep these in a tank with a lid as they have been known to climb out and be on the floor the next morning. They do sleep. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
DJ on June 18, 2010, 8:00 am wrote
I just realized that my fish food has copper sulfate in it and I have 1 black snail in the tank. It has only been in there for a few days and I am going to quarantine it. Will the fish food affect it/ will the copper be absorbed into the water from the fish food? What can I do to make my tank safe for my snail again?
I just realized that my fish food has copper sulfate in it and I have 1 black snail in the tank. It has only been in there for a few days and I am going to quarantine it. Will the fish food affect it/ will the copper be absorbed into the water from the fish food? What can I do to make my tank safe for my snail again?
Answer: The amount of copper sulphate in the fish food will be a very small percentage but you are wise to read through the ingredients and you have spotted that invertebrates cannot tolerate any trace of copper in the water column. If the snail has only been in there for a few days I don’t think it should have been affected but purchasing another brand of fish food sounds like a good idea. Cheaper foods may seem like a bargain but they are not of the same quality as more expensive foods. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Bonnie on June 29, 2010, 12:13 am wrote
My granddaughter has a 5 gal. tank with some guppies and 2 mystery snails. It has an outside filter that "water-falls" into the tank. There are both live and plastic plants, rock, and a few odd shells. The fish and snails are active and seem healthy. However, it seems to be overwhelmed with algae. I have a product "Tetra Algae Control" that shouldn’t be used with Crustacians - crabs, shrimp, and crayfish are specified. Will use of this product harm the snails? I am try trying to avoid breaking the tank down if at all possible. Thanks for the help.
My granddaughter has a 5 gal. tank with some guppies and 2 mystery snails. It has an outside filter that "water-falls" into the tank. There are both live and plastic plants, rock, and a few odd shells. The fish and snails are active and seem healthy. However, it seems to be overwhelmed with algae. I have a product "Tetra Algae Control" that shouldn’t be used with Crustacians - crabs, shrimp, and crayfish are specified. Will use of this product harm the snails? I am try trying to avoid breaking the tank down if at all possible. Thanks for the help.
Answer: If the description says it shouldn’t be used with Crustacian, I wouldn’t use it in an aquarium with snails. You’re trying to get rid of algae, but instead you should get rid of the reason why algae grow in the tank too fast. Please, use site search that is available at the top of this page, type "algae" into that box, press ENTER and you’ll get a list of articles that already discuss algae-related problems on this website. Perhaps it’s just too much sunlight, perhaps it’s caused by high levels of ammonia in the tank. By using "algae killer" products you will only get rid of algae, but later it will outgrow the tank. At the moment algae grow because there are right conditions for it to grow. Change the conditions, then it will be OK.
wilmy on July 3, 2010, 6:35 am wrote
I was just wondering if it’s normal for the snail shell to look a little white. It’s kind of like if something is eating the shell? I have a feeling that they are sick. Or is it that they are growing?
I was just wondering if it’s normal for the snail shell to look a little white. It’s kind of like if something is eating the shell? I have a feeling that they are sick. Or is it that they are growing?
Answer: I’ve had the same problem. After adding more calcium to the tank the problem disappeared (it took a couple of months though). Calcium is present in sea shells, freshwater shells.
kristen on July 16, 2010, 10:20 am wrote
I have 3 mystery snails. Last night I cleaned my stones. Afterwards I saw a tiny snail sliding over the rocks. I am amazed that it survived, I never saw any eggs at the top and I never saw them mating. I can’t find the baby now, I think it has been sucked up the filter. I spent hours looking at my fish tank and there was definitely no clutch of eggs. The mystery snail mystery...
I have 3 mystery snails. Last night I cleaned my stones. Afterwards I saw a tiny snail sliding over the rocks. I am amazed that it survived, I never saw any eggs at the top and I never saw them mating. I can’t find the baby now, I think it has been sucked up the filter. I spent hours looking at my fish tank and there was definitely no clutch of eggs. The mystery snail mystery...
beactreie75 on July 16, 2010, 5:50 pm wrote
Hi. I had 3 apple snails and 2 died after I put some ice salad in my tank for them to eat. In the US the one I had used to love that food. (and even lay eggs afterwards!) Could it also be that my fishes are bothering the snails so much that those died from either the salad or the fishes picking on them at feeding times? And why don’t my eggs ever hatch?
Hi. I had 3 apple snails and 2 died after I put some ice salad in my tank for them to eat. In the US the one I had used to love that food. (and even lay eggs afterwards!) Could it also be that my fishes are bothering the snails so much that those died from either the salad or the fishes picking on them at feeding times? And why don’t my eggs ever hatch?
Answer: I don’t think the salad can be to blame here, snails relish food like that and it is good for them. They eat rotting plant leaves so fresh salad should not upset their digestive system. Which species of fish do you have in the tank as certain species will see snails as food and will keep pestering them until the snails get stressed and die. The snail eggs need to be kept humid to hatch out successfully, I used to place the batch in a separate tank floating on a piece of polystyrene and keep a tight lid on the tank so that the atmosphere above the water surface stayed perfect for them to hatch. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
gabrielle on August 3, 2010, 12:06 am wrote
My golden mystery water snails had babies; tiny and cute, how do I take care of them?
My golden mystery water snails had babies; tiny and cute, how do I take care of them?
Answer: It’s only necessary to ensure that they have food to eat. As long as adult specimens survive in your aquarium, and as long as they breed, all water conditions should be just fine, and thus it’s not necessary to do further steps.
Emily on August 9, 2010, 4:26 am wrote
Hi, I don’t know if this question was asked yet. But I had one gold apple snail in my tank. And then I bought another one. And after about 3-4 weeks I found a half thumb sized clutch. But the color never changed. They are still small and milky pink. And it’s been 3 days. And then they fell into the water. But I was there when it happened so I snatched them out of the water and put them on a plastic ridge near where they were laid. Could this have harmed them by moving and handling them? Or are they infertile due to their non changing of color? Thanks. (really nice site by the way, it’s really helpful)
Hi, I don’t know if this question was asked yet. But I had one gold apple snail in my tank. And then I bought another one. And after about 3-4 weeks I found a half thumb sized clutch. But the color never changed. They are still small and milky pink. And it’s been 3 days. And then they fell into the water. But I was there when it happened so I snatched them out of the water and put them on a plastic ridge near where they were laid. Could this have harmed them by moving and handling them? Or are they infertile due to their non changing of color? Thanks. (really nice site by the way, it’s really helpful)
Answer: Once the small newborns can be found in the water, they should be kept in water as well. The cocoons are laid above the surface for a reason; The apple snails are mainly water beings, and they should be kept there too. If a short "timeout" (in terms of being still in the water) happened, the snails should be unharmed. However, if they were on a dry place for a long time, they could die easily. Mystery snails grow slowly, you should be patient.
Maggie on August 15, 2010, 2:46 pm wrote
Hey everyone. I have 3 mystery snails; 2 black, 1 golden. I know for sure my biggest black one is female because she has laid 10 different clutches of eggs. At the beginning the first 4 clutches were huge (about thumb length) and all turned pink. Then they 1 by 1 started getting smaller and color starting to fade almost pure white. The last 2 clutches were pure white and a lot smaller, about 20-40 eggs. I guess what I’m trying to find out is, are the clutches that are white duds or could it be that both the other snails are male and she’s having gold babies separately from the black babies. She has produced thousands of eggs in a 2 week period. Normal?
Hey everyone. I have 3 mystery snails; 2 black, 1 golden. I know for sure my biggest black one is female because she has laid 10 different clutches of eggs. At the beginning the first 4 clutches were huge (about thumb length) and all turned pink. Then they 1 by 1 started getting smaller and color starting to fade almost pure white. The last 2 clutches were pure white and a lot smaller, about 20-40 eggs. I guess what I’m trying to find out is, are the clutches that are white duds or could it be that both the other snails are male and she’s having gold babies separately from the black babies. She has produced thousands of eggs in a 2 week period. Normal?
Once mystery snails start to lay eggs they can produce thousands, did she start laying as soon as you got her as it seems that the latest batches of eggs are not being fertilised due to them being white, they should be a bright orange in colour. I have a feeling that all of the snails you have in the tank may be female. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
jonathan on August 18, 2010, 12:04 pm wrote
I have a few fancy guppies, two mystery snails, and two balloon mollies. I’ve noticed that the male balloon molly seems to be biting my black mystery snails shell and flesh, and one of my fancy guppies do the same. Is this normal, because they seem to to leave my golden mystery snail alone? If not what should I do?
I have a few fancy guppies, two mystery snails, and two balloon mollies. I’ve noticed that the male balloon molly seems to be biting my black mystery snails shell and flesh, and one of my fancy guppies do the same. Is this normal, because they seem to to leave my golden mystery snail alone? If not what should I do?
Answer: It is normal, fish are just "trying" the taste. Of course, a healthy snail should be able to hide inside of the shell and thus it will stay unharmed. My fish were doing the same thing when I kept mystery snails. Snails lived up to 3 years and survived all such attacks.
Danny on August 19, 2010, 9:44 pm wrote
I bought 5 gold mystery snails a few days ago, how long before they start to breed?
I bought 5 gold mystery snails a few days ago, how long before they start to breed?
Answer: If your snails are adult, they can create cocoons immediately.
jonathan on August 20, 2010, 1:55 pm wrote
I have another question. My gold mystery snail seems to sometimes climb over my black mystery snail and clean it. But sometimes it bites the flesh as well. Is this normal? I can’t tell whether or not their either both male or both female. Is their any sign that they might have babies if their gender relation is right? The black snail sometimes does the same as the other snail, but I’ve never seen it bite the golden snail.
I have another question. My gold mystery snail seems to sometimes climb over my black mystery snail and clean it. But sometimes it bites the flesh as well. Is this normal? I can’t tell whether or not their either both male or both female. Is their any sign that they might have babies if their gender relation is right? The black snail sometimes does the same as the other snail, but I’ve never seen it bite the golden snail.
Answer: Its quite common for the mystery snails to clean each others shells but I have never heard of them attacking the flesh. To sex the snails, turn them over and you should see the penis on any male next to their syphon tube. As for knowing if they will breed that is in the hand of the gods as to whether they will or not, if they are happy and you have both sexes then they should eventually. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
abigal on August 28, 2010, 11:28 pm wrote
I have a 29 gallon tank with 3 gold fish in it and it gets dirty fast, so I want to put 1 or 2 mystery snails in the tank. Will gold fish mix with mystery snails?
I have a 29 gallon tank with 3 gold fish in it and it gets dirty fast, so I want to put 1 or 2 mystery snails in the tank. Will gold fish mix with mystery snails?
Answer: Yes, they will mix. But mystery snails WILL NOT fix the problems with water. It gets dirty because (most likely) of lack of filtration, overfeeding or inappropriate size of the tank. A 29 gallon aquarium can be good for goldfish, but you really have to run a good filter all day long.
Tanner on September 1, 2010, 11:38 am wrote
I have 2 ADFs and 2 mystery snails. I just put them in the tank with the frogs today, and the frogs keep attacking the snails :(. Should I just take them out or is this normal at first?
I have 2 ADFs and 2 mystery snails. I just put them in the tank with the frogs today, and the frogs keep attacking the snails :(. Should I just take them out or is this normal at first?
Answer: The frogs will see the snails as food, they are slow moving and easy prey for them, you will need to separate the snails into another tank if you wish to keep them, they are not compatible with frogs. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
Alex on September 4, 2010, 7:37 am wrote
Hi! I just got a mystery snail today from Petsmart and it is happily cruising along my tank wall. I have two African Dwarf Frogs also, but they don’t bother him (or her?). On the edge of my snail’s shell there is a tiny cluster of little black things. It look almost like a mini anemone. pieces of it have dropped off but I don’t know what it is or if it’s safe and will be okay for my frogs. Please help! Thanks!
Hi! I just got a mystery snail today from Petsmart and it is happily cruising along my tank wall. I have two African Dwarf Frogs also, but they don’t bother him (or her?). On the edge of my snail’s shell there is a tiny cluster of little black things. It look almost like a mini anemone. pieces of it have dropped off but I don’t know what it is or if it’s safe and will be okay for my frogs. Please help! Thanks!
Answer: Interesting one here, if it looks like a small anemone then it could be a freshwater hydra. These are very basic life forms and completely harmless to fish or invertebrates, some fish will even see them as a meal. I can only go on the description that you gave me but I am sure that I am right; they should not be anything to worry about. [answered by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk]
bigbelow on September 8, 2010, 12:15 pm wrote
Can mystery snail eggs take longer than a month to hatch? I have a ton of eggs but none hatching. The last of the clutches just hit one month, the rest are almost 2 weeks ahead. No color change. Are they bunk eggs or should I wait longer? I have 3 snails, not sure if m/f though. Thanks!
Can mystery snail eggs take longer than a month to hatch? I have a ton of eggs but none hatching. The last of the clutches just hit one month, the rest are almost 2 weeks ahead. No color change. Are they bunk eggs or should I wait longer? I have 3 snails, not sure if m/f though. Thanks!
Answer: All cocoons that are one month old can be removed, no snails will hatch. It also happened to me. Then I cut the cocoon into two and found some small snails that have dried out in there.
Kelly C. on September 10, 2010, 10:13 am wrote
Hi! I need help ASAP! I have a 5 year old goldfish in a 25 gallon tank. I got the new tank in July, and up until a couple weeks ago, it was crystal clear. Now the water is still very clear, but I have greenish algae growing up the sides of the glass. Should I buy a snail? Or is there something else I should do? The fish still seems very happy and active, eating its food as usual. Please help ASAP! Thank you!
Hi! I need help ASAP! I have a 5 year old goldfish in a 25 gallon tank. I got the new tank in July, and up until a couple weeks ago, it was crystal clear. Now the water is still very clear, but I have greenish algae growing up the sides of the glass. Should I buy a snail? Or is there something else I should do? The fish still seems very happy and active, eating its food as usual. Please help ASAP! Thank you!
Answer: The reason why algae grows is presence of substances that help algae to grow. Please, go through the following articles, they will help you to understand what’s happening in your aquarium: Nitrogen Cycle, Goldfish Water, Auqarium Bacteria. Basically you don’t need to buy a snail. Instead, you should remove substances that help growing algae from the water. If not remove completely, then at least eliminate as much as possible.
Taylor on September 13, 2010, 6:42 am wrote
I was given a few apple snails after a scavenger hunt, and I’ve had them for a few months now. I’ve been keeping them in a small tank full of spring water for now, but I’ve only recently figured out what kind of snails they are and realised how large they could actually get. This wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I’m in a dorm room and can’t have a tank large enough for them if they get much bigger. I plan on keeping them, but if they get too big, is it possible to release them into a pond? Or should I just call a pet store and ask them to take them? Also, I’m not exactly sure what to do with the eggs if the snails start breeding. Can I take those to a pet store as well? I’m not sure if I have enough time to give baby snails the required energy they might need. Thank you for the help!
I was given a few apple snails after a scavenger hunt, and I’ve had them for a few months now. I’ve been keeping them in a small tank full of spring water for now, but I’ve only recently figured out what kind of snails they are and realised how large they could actually get. This wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I’m in a dorm room and can’t have a tank large enough for them if they get much bigger. I plan on keeping them, but if they get too big, is it possible to release them into a pond? Or should I just call a pet store and ask them to take them? Also, I’m not exactly sure what to do with the eggs if the snails start breeding. Can I take those to a pet store as well? I’m not sure if I have enough time to give baby snails the required energy they might need. Thank you for the help!
Answer: Apple snails won’t live in a pond except for Summer. If the temperature gets lower than 20°C, they may die. Moreover if there are fish in the pond, the snails could be eaten. I think it’s best to give them to someone else. Eventually you can cook them :) , but as a fish keeper I would rather choose giving them even at free of charge..
Caite on September 18, 2010, 1:01 pm wrote
I’ve had one gold mystery snail for almost a year now and it recently laid eggs. They were white, and from what I read that means they were unfertilized, they are on the door that opens to feed my fish. It’s slightly inconvenient and I want to remove it. I just wanted to double check and make sure that there’s nothing inside before I remove it because if there are babies then I’d hate to harm them. Thanks :)
I’ve had one gold mystery snail for almost a year now and it recently laid eggs. They were white, and from what I read that means they were unfertilized, they are on the door that opens to feed my fish. It’s slightly inconvenient and I want to remove it. I just wanted to double check and make sure that there’s nothing inside before I remove it because if there are babies then I’d hate to harm them. Thanks :)
Answer: You can wait. If nothing happens in 30 days, it is OK to remove the cocoon. The speed of hatching may vary and depends on temperature and humidity. That’s why it’s better to give them more time than less. You can also cut the cocoon away by using a razor blade. Then place it onto a place that is suitable for potential newborns; such as bucket or small fish bowl. I’ve been always waiting. When the eggs weren’t fertilised, nothing happened. Sometimes only 1-2 newborns hatched, but it was worth waiting and effort.
shellshocker on October 6, 2010, 8:35 pm wrote
I want mystery snails for my tank with goldfish ’cause the algae is growing rapidly. I was also wondering if the snails will eat goldfish poop so I don’t need to clean the tank. PS: will the snails live happily in a tank? I’m wondering because of the goldfishes slime coat.
I want mystery snails for my tank with goldfish ’cause the algae is growing rapidly. I was also wondering if the snails will eat goldfish poop so I don’t need to clean the tank. PS: will the snails live happily in a tank? I’m wondering because of the goldfishes slime coat.
Answer: What type of goldfish do you keep? Comet goldfish? Or goldfish that’s suitable for ponds much more than for home tanks? Goldfish are coldwater fish, mystery snails aren’t. Mystery snails won’t eat excrements. If you’re facing problems with algae, then you should rather get another filter, ensure that the nitrification bacteria are present in the tank, ensure that you don’t keep too many goldfish in your aquarium, and so on. Algae don’t grow for without a reason. Usual trigger is ammonia which doesn’t only affect presence and growth of algae, but it also negatively affects health of fish that live in the tank.
jen on October 14, 2010, 4:55 pm wrote
What do you do if there are cracks and holes in their shell, is that OK or can that hurt them?
What do you do if there are cracks and holes in their shell, is that OK or can that hurt them?
Answer: Holes in snails’ shells usually mean that something is missing in the tank. On the other hand, when mystery snails become old, it’s normal that their shells aren’t as nice as used to be. If your snails are still young, ensure that the water contains enough minerals. If not, mineralise it. Performing regular water changes and adding plants fertilizers will help you to mineralise the aquarium water. Additionally you can change or add a new layer of substrate and/or add a couple of aquarium-safe rocks.
Diane on October 17, 2010, 12:26 am wrote
We have been trying to keep a couple mystery snails in our community aquarium with little success. We started with 3 and after a week or so found one had attempted to climb onto the filter and it had actually gotten sucked in a little. Needless to say it did not live. A couple weeks later we had another do the same thing. I moved what I thought was the only way the snails could reach the filter and we got two new ones. Woke up this morning to find both the new ones on the filter. It’s really upsetting and I don’t want to add anymore until I can solve the problem. We also still have one left that I am concerned about. Our Filter is an Aqueon 30 for our 36 gallon tank.
We have been trying to keep a couple mystery snails in our community aquarium with little success. We started with 3 and after a week or so found one had attempted to climb onto the filter and it had actually gotten sucked in a little. Needless to say it did not live. A couple weeks later we had another do the same thing. I moved what I thought was the only way the snails could reach the filter and we got two new ones. Woke up this morning to find both the new ones on the filter. It’s really upsetting and I don’t want to add anymore until I can solve the problem. We also still have one left that I am concerned about. Our Filter is an Aqueon 30 for our 36 gallon tank.
Comment: You could use external canister filter for instance.
Angie on October 26, 2010, 7:44 am wrote
Just wondering if a small, tied net (stockings) of crushed eggshells in the tank would be a good way to get some calcium in the water for my snails? Angie
Just wondering if a small, tied net (stockings) of crushed eggshells in the tank would be a good way to get some calcium in the water for my snails? Angie
Answer: Although I haven’t tried it myself, I’m sure it will be a good source of calcium not only for snails, but also for every other being in your aquarium.
Charlotte on November 7, 2010, 11:03 pm wrote
Hello, I’m a dorm resident wanting a fish bowl of snails. What are the inconveniences of a bowl as opposed to a fish tank? If I have a 1.75 gallon bowl, what setup would you suggest? I’m thinking of having a betta fish with the snail, is this OK? Also, would growing bamboo in the tank benefit the snail at all? If not, what type of plant would you suggest? Thank you!
Hello, I’m a dorm resident wanting a fish bowl of snails. What are the inconveniences of a bowl as opposed to a fish tank? If I have a 1.75 gallon bowl, what setup would you suggest? I’m thinking of having a betta fish with the snail, is this OK? Also, would growing bamboo in the tank benefit the snail at all? If not, what type of plant would you suggest? Thank you!
Answer: A small bowl shouldn’t be used for raising fish. Snails... that’s OK. The problem with bowls it is hard for a fish to orientate in there. Such a fish will swim round and round... As it’s impossible to add a rock or other big decorations into a small bowl, all fish will suffer. Also it is important to understand that a small fish bowl won’t allow you to use a good filtration system. There are small filters available at pet stores, but a small filter cannot house enough nitrification bacteria (foam surface is very small). Heaters... just another problem. And so on. If you’re about to put a snail into a fish bowl, ensure that there’s a lid on the bowl! Otherwise you’ll find your snail(s) how it crawls and explores the room. Plenty of things can be used as covers. Bear in mind that water changes are necessary! Mystery snails can breathe atmospheric air, but you should use an air pump too. In my experience a bamboo plant will grow quite big, won’t it. Since I recommended a cover to be used, you should use some small plants instead. Anubias species for example.
Jonathan on November 12, 2010, 5:34 am wrote
One of my ivory mystery snails shells have begun degrading a bit, and algae is beginning to grow on it. My other blue mystery snail’s shell seems fine, other than just a bit of algae. But there’s not as much degradation. Is there anything I can do to help? I’ve tried to put in a calcium based liquid, but that doesn’t seem to do anything. Also I’m not sure which, but one of my snails had babies. I never saw the cocoon and suddenly there were five-six snail babies. Is this normal for such speed for them to hatch?
One of my ivory mystery snails shells have begun degrading a bit, and algae is beginning to grow on it. My other blue mystery snail’s shell seems fine, other than just a bit of algae. But there’s not as much degradation. Is there anything I can do to help? I’ve tried to put in a calcium based liquid, but that doesn’t seem to do anything. Also I’m not sure which, but one of my snails had babies. I never saw the cocoon and suddenly there were five-six snail babies. Is this normal for such speed for them to hatch?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: To answer your first question, I would recommend hardening the water with some sodium bicarbonate if the calcium supplement is not doing the trick. Once the shells start to degrade, it can be hard to get them back again, so it could be that one of your snails had problems before you noticed it and thus is more advanced. The small snails could have been hiding in the tank as the eggs normally take up to 3 weeks to hatch.
Jonathan on November 21, 2010, 12:12 pm wrote
I have one more question. My baby snails have these spotted brown shells. They’ve been like this for a month or a half. How long will they be brown, and is it possibly they’ll be brown forever? Is a white and blue combination not very good?
I have one more question. My baby snails have these spotted brown shells. They’ve been like this for a month or a half. How long will they be brown, and is it possibly they’ll be brown forever? Is a white and blue combination not very good?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: In my experience, baby snails will retain the shell colour that they were born with. I had two snails that laid eggs on a regular basis and the variety of shell colour was different every time. White and Blue sounds a good combination to me.
jonathan on November 25, 2010, 1:45 pm wrote
Can snails actually get out of the water and survive for a long period of time, as if in water?
Can snails actually get out of the water and survive for a long period of time, as if in water?
Answer: No. A couple of hours maximally, I doubt some could survive after being out of water for say 24 hours or longer.
Chriz on November 25, 2010, 9:18 pm wrote
I got a mystery snail about 2 months ago, he is living with 2 comet fish, a little yabby and a otto, is this OK? Also is it normal for him being on the lid without water for a couple hours, he does that everyday. Thanks!
I got a mystery snail about 2 months ago, he is living with 2 comet fish, a little yabby and a otto, is this OK? Also is it normal for him being on the lid without water for a couple hours, he does that everyday. Thanks!
Answer: In my experience these fish and a crayfish all require different water conditions. Crayfish are predators... that’s all I can say, no more words are necessary.
Willy mason on November 27, 2010, 7:55 pm wrote
Hi, I bought a plant today and there was a little snail on it. It’s body is red and it’s shell is brown, it’s tiny, any ideas what it is? Thanks! PS can HD live with my mystery snail?
Hi, I bought a plant today and there was a little snail on it. It’s body is red and it’s shell is brown, it’s tiny, any ideas what it is? Thanks! PS can HD live with my mystery snail?
Answer: Most likely it’s a Ramshorn snail which is harmless toward fish and plants. If these snails find some food in the tank, they will eat it. In some cases these snails can become a pest because they reproduce very fast. Then there can be a problem with too many excrements. If Ramshorn snails cannot find food, they’ll start eating plants. Keeping gouramis, Badis badis, Yoyo loaches and some other species will help; These fish eat Ramshorn snails. Pufferfish are best snails-killers, but they require specific water conditions. Read about Puffers here. If it’s a Mystery snail, which I don’t think so, you can purchase more of them.
Jonathan on November 29, 2010, 10:07 am wrote
My mystery snails had babies, but I never saw a cocoon once, and I checked. Now there are baby snails again. When is the stage when snails can reproduce, like how many months.
My mystery snails had babies, but I never saw a cocoon once, and I checked. Now there are baby snails again. When is the stage when snails can reproduce, like how many months.
Answer: Mystery snails often reproduce at once which takes about 5-10 days. During this period they create cocoons. Then they can rest a month or two until they start reproducing again. Sometimes it can take more than 2 months for these snails to reproduce again. When they’re older, say 1.5 year old, reproduction will be rarer.
Lori on November 29, 2010, 12:52 pm wrote
Hi, I’ve read some prior posts about these snails killing fish and the general response was that the fish had to be dead already. Well we noticed my son’s goldfish had some scales missing and part of his tail fin was gone about 3 days ago. Tonight we found him still alive and breathing being gnawed on by our gold mystery snail. He couldn’t recover after we removed the scale and he died. My black moor was swimming along healthy and fine at the time of the incident. An hour later when I went to feed the fish the same snail had my fish and had sucked the life out of it. Needless to say my husband threw all three of the snails out. I had brown snails one time before and they were not aggressive but these yellow ones have killed two of my fish. I saw it with my own eyes.
Hi, I’ve read some prior posts about these snails killing fish and the general response was that the fish had to be dead already. Well we noticed my son’s goldfish had some scales missing and part of his tail fin was gone about 3 days ago. Tonight we found him still alive and breathing being gnawed on by our gold mystery snail. He couldn’t recover after we removed the scale and he died. My black moor was swimming along healthy and fine at the time of the incident. An hour later when I went to feed the fish the same snail had my fish and had sucked the life out of it. Needless to say my husband threw all three of the snails out. I had brown snails one time before and they were not aggressive but these yellow ones have killed two of my fish. I saw it with my own eyes.
Comment: Mystery snails WILL NOT kill or injure a healthy fish, nor goldfish and black moors!!! Your fish were almost dead or couldn’t defend themselves due to particular reasons and then they became victims of these snails. It’s a natural process, not only snails do attack weakened specimens! Firstly do basic water tests to ensure that especially pH and ammonia, nitrates, nitrates are as required! If these tests show no irregularity, then it can be a presence of dangerous metals in the water! Snails are hardier than most fish species! I’ve kept Mystery snails in aquariums with plenty of species and they were just crawling the tank, eating uneaten food and plants, sometimes eating dead fish, not bothering healthy fish. The only occasion when snails were doing something unwanted was when they ate fish’ eggs. But eggs CANNOT defend!
amanda on November 30, 2010, 7:43 am wrote
Hi, I bought a black mystery snail along with 4 other community fish 3 days ago, the fish are just fine but the snail I have only seen it do snail stuff for about 5 minutes then it just fell to the bottom of the tank on the back of its shell. I turned it over but later it was on its back again, this has happened several times but always in the same spot, never moved around. What is going on with it?
Hi, I bought a black mystery snail along with 4 other community fish 3 days ago, the fish are just fine but the snail I have only seen it do snail stuff for about 5 minutes then it just fell to the bottom of the tank on the back of its shell. I turned it over but later it was on its back again, this has happened several times but always in the same spot, never moved around. What is going on with it?
Answer: Are water conditions good for your mystery snail? In my experience only two explanations come into play; 1) Your snail is too old 2) Your snail doesn’t like the water (something has to be changed to make him feel better)
Willy mason on November 30, 2010, 6:08 pm wrote
Thanks for that, it died but it’s OK. I supposed one more question, can my apple snail live with a yabby? I might buy one if it’s OK with you thanks.
Thanks for that, it died but it’s OK. I supposed one more question, can my apple snail live with a yabby? I might buy one if it’s OK with you thanks.
Answer: Snails are too slow, lobsters are predators. Under some circumstances they could live together, but it’s risky.
Mr why on December 1, 2010, 4:44 pm wrote
Hi, nice page, I bought some goldfish today. Should I buy a snail or an algae eater fish? Which one is better for my tank?
Hi, nice page, I bought some goldfish today. Should I buy a snail or an algae eater fish? Which one is better for my tank?
Answer: Size of your tank??? You should buy that one which would be fine in your aquarium! This means you must know pH, water hardness and things such as adult size of fish/other potential inhabitants of your fish tank before you get one! Never buy incompatible specimens, never buy because "it looks cool".
jonathan on December 6, 2010, 12:33 pm wrote
My snails had another load of baby snails, and this was the third load in the past two months or so. Is this natural? What’s going on? This load was especially large as well. I’ve never seen a cocoon either.
My snails had another load of baby snails, and this was the third load in the past two months or so. Is this natural? What’s going on? This load was especially large as well. I’ve never seen a cocoon either.
Answer: It’s natural, nothing to worry about! You should be glad of this as snails won’t reproduce in environment that’s not friendly and good enough.
david on December 12, 2010, 11:50 pm wrote
Well I can comment that in spite of having lost two of our fish recently, the snails seem to be quite happy and we had a batch of a half dozen or so baby blue mystery snails (2 cm) show up unexpectedly. Our current tank setup is a 20 gallon tank with 3 blue mystery snails, 1 ghost shrimp, 3 raspboro het., 3 zebra danios, 1 male swordtail, and 1 male red tailed variatius (platy). The female swordtail and platy recently died but the rest of the tank seems to be okay, minor issues with algae due to sunlight but the snails don’t seem to mind much.
Well I can comment that in spite of having lost two of our fish recently, the snails seem to be quite happy and we had a batch of a half dozen or so baby blue mystery snails (2 cm) show up unexpectedly. Our current tank setup is a 20 gallon tank with 3 blue mystery snails, 1 ghost shrimp, 3 raspboro het., 3 zebra danios, 1 male swordtail, and 1 male red tailed variatius (platy). The female swordtail and platy recently died but the rest of the tank seems to be okay, minor issues with algae due to sunlight but the snails don’t seem to mind much.
VC on December 21, 2010, 7:59 am wrote
I keep goldfish, at about 69-70 degrees, and for several months we also had a mystery snail. The snail seemed very happy and thriving until the temperature dipped down too low for a period of several days (we have since purchased a new aquarium heater), at which time he died unfortunately. I would like to buy another mystery snail (and we’re keeping a watchful eye on the temperature), but I guess my question is, should goldfish and mystery snails be kept together, or are their environmental preferences really too different? I never modified the tank with calcium for the snail, as my understanding is goldfish don’t like that, so I’ve been worried about that too. Can these guys exist together happily in the same tank?
I keep goldfish, at about 69-70 degrees, and for several months we also had a mystery snail. The snail seemed very happy and thriving until the temperature dipped down too low for a period of several days (we have since purchased a new aquarium heater), at which time he died unfortunately. I would like to buy another mystery snail (and we’re keeping a watchful eye on the temperature), but I guess my question is, should goldfish and mystery snails be kept together, or are their environmental preferences really too different? I never modified the tank with calcium for the snail, as my understanding is goldfish don’t like that, so I’ve been worried about that too. Can these guys exist together happily in the same tank?
Answer: It has been mentioned already at the top of this page: Some keepers have kept these in coldwater setups but they much prefer the warmer water provided with a tropical tank. Your own experience is basically same, if temperature gets too low, it can be deadly for mystery snails. Better keep the temperature up, but then it’s not suitable for Goldfish which prefer lower temperatures.
Fishy on December 29, 2010, 10:11 pm wrote
Hi, um is my 130 gallon fish tank overstocked with 6 guppies (2 male and 4 female), also 5 zebra danios, 2 black tetras and 2 Chinese algae eaters and 2 glass catfish and 1 mystery snail? Please, write back. Thanks.
Hi, um is my 130 gallon fish tank overstocked with 6 guppies (2 male and 4 female), also 5 zebra danios, 2 black tetras and 2 Chinese algae eaters and 2 glass catfish and 1 mystery snail? Please, write back. Thanks.
Answer: No! Definitely!
Jonathan on December 31, 2010, 3:47 pm wrote
I said earlier before I had baby mystery snails. I think I have at least 20-30 of them and I’m afraid they’ll run out my other larger snails. How do I get rid of them? I tried using a lettuce leave to attract and take them out of the water, but that failed since only maybe three snails went on it. Is there another way without harming the fish?
I said earlier before I had baby mystery snails. I think I have at least 20-30 of them and I’m afraid they’ll run out my other larger snails. How do I get rid of them? I tried using a lettuce leave to attract and take them out of the water, but that failed since only maybe three snails went on it. Is there another way without harming the fish?
Answer: My Mystery snails loved carrot. Try it, I’m sure that carrot will attract more snails than lettuce.
Albert the snail on January 18, 2011, 5:50 am wrote
Hi, I have an ivory mystery snail and the other fish it has been living with in my tank have been leaving him alone and everything is going well. My other fish are fish that like aquarium salt added to the water. I have not added any salt yet and I was wondering if I will kill the snail by adding salt to the water? My other fish just prefer having salt in the water but do not need the salt. But I would really love to buy a dwarf gourami which I was told needs aquarium salt in the water. That is the reason why I am asking about the salt mainly.
Hi, I have an ivory mystery snail and the other fish it has been living with in my tank have been leaving him alone and everything is going well. My other fish are fish that like aquarium salt added to the water. I have not added any salt yet and I was wondering if I will kill the snail by adding salt to the water? My other fish just prefer having salt in the water but do not need the salt. But I would really love to buy a dwarf gourami which I was told needs aquarium salt in the water. That is the reason why I am asking about the salt mainly.
Answer: Dwarf gouramis don’t need any salt to be present in the water. Snails are very sensitive to salt, however they are able to accept a limited amount. This is my own experience. On the other hand, I would be surprised if they lived normally in a brackish tank. I used to add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per 100 liters every year and these snails didn’t mind. I was doing weekly water changes though.
Danette on January 27, 2011, 6:15 pm wrote
I just added a blue and gold mystery snail to my 20 gallon tank. (contains a few tetras and a couple plants) The blue is cruising around having a blast but the gold one buried him/herself into the gravel and hasn’t come out. I have looked everywhere online to see if this is normal and haven’t found any answers. Could you give me an idea as to why this is happening? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.
I just added a blue and gold mystery snail to my 20 gallon tank. (contains a few tetras and a couple plants) The blue is cruising around having a blast but the gold one buried him/herself into the gravel and hasn’t come out. I have looked everywhere online to see if this is normal and haven’t found any answers. Could you give me an idea as to why this is happening? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.
Answer: This is normal. Snails must get used to their new environment. When I introduced new Mystery snails to my tanks before, almost always they didn’t move during first 24 hours. When they’re juveniles, environment change is taken easier.
Angie on February 4, 2011, 2:17 am wrote
I’m worried my snails aren’t getting enough calcium. I placed a small piece of cuttle bone in the tank, held down by a bit of substrate to keep it from floating. Aside from calcium supplements, what else can I do to keep their shells strong? Angie
I’m worried my snails aren’t getting enough calcium. I placed a small piece of cuttle bone in the tank, held down by a bit of substrate to keep it from floating. Aside from calcium supplements, what else can I do to keep their shells strong? Angie
Answer: Proper feeding is the most important thing in my experience. Snails must get normal food just like your fish, which means you should feed them foods that won’t float, but fall down to the substrate instead. Having bottom dwellers may cause problems as they’re usually faster and stronger than snails. Adding vegetables to the tank is too appreciated by snails. Your snails must get every sort of vitamin and element, Calcium isn’t the only required element that makes shells perfect.
Wendylou on February 6, 2011, 6:22 am wrote
I have a small beta tank, maybe a gallon in size. My beta passed away. I had a small pond snail that came on a live plant I had bought for the tank, I since gave the plant away, but then I see the snail is still alive. So I decided since I was having bad luck with fish I would get more snails. I now have an ivory and a blue mystery snail. If I get a live plant again for the tank will that help bring oxygen to the water? The tank has no filtration or aerator. I have given the snails veggies (held in place with a clamp under the water and small pieces of algae wafers.
I have a small beta tank, maybe a gallon in size. My beta passed away. I had a small pond snail that came on a live plant I had bought for the tank, I since gave the plant away, but then I see the snail is still alive. So I decided since I was having bad luck with fish I would get more snails. I now have an ivory and a blue mystery snail. If I get a live plant again for the tank will that help bring oxygen to the water? The tank has no filtration or aerator. I have given the snails veggies (held in place with a clamp under the water and small pieces of algae wafers.
Answer: One plant won’t produce enough oxygen. Depending on quantity of plants that you can put the the tank, in some cases it’s possible to aerate the water this way. A couple of snails won’t need that much oxygen, that’s for sure.
JessiLa on February 19, 2011, 7:05 am wrote
Awesome site. Really interesting reading what everyone has to say. I have what I think are two mystery snails, and one small snail that is peculiar looking, and about the size of a peanut - in a different shaped shell than the mystery snails. The mystery snail I’ve had longest is black with lighter speckling around the head who has doubled in size in what I think is a short time, and the new one looks albino to me - quite pretty, with red eyes and orange speckling around the face. I’ve had the dark one now for about 6 months, and the new light colored one for 2 weeks. For the first few days, my dark snail seemed to have gone into some sort of coma. He was lying limp on the bottom of the tank, upside down, even a small bit out of the shell. I left him, because I’ve had incidences where he would float on the surface and be inactive for close to a week. Both snails seemed some what lethargic for the first 3 or 4 days and the new one was the first to be active in the tank, the black one following after a 2 day sit on the wall of the tank. I have 3 orange and black platy’s and had 3 ghost shrimp (which are now gone - will the snails & fish eat the remains?) I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 inches of air space (Do I need more?), no heater (Do snails prefer one?), and what I think is a proper filter. Today, I came in mid afternoon and noticed my snails were in an embrace, what I think is intercourse after some research. She almost seems to be carrying him on his back - he is about twice her size. This has been going on for about an hour (How long will it last?) I have never had snails before and rather like having them in the tank. They do a good job, for the amount of gunk they put out, and my fish seem to get along with them just fine. So, they lie their eggs in the air space above the water’s surface? How long will they take to hatch? How do you keep the clutch safe? If you could explain to me what the deal is with why my snail who is tough as nails, went into a semi-shock when I introduced the new snails, and the questions about breeding. Will they continue to breed? How many snails can be reproduced in a certain amount of time by two mystery snails?
Awesome site. Really interesting reading what everyone has to say. I have what I think are two mystery snails, and one small snail that is peculiar looking, and about the size of a peanut - in a different shaped shell than the mystery snails. The mystery snail I’ve had longest is black with lighter speckling around the head who has doubled in size in what I think is a short time, and the new one looks albino to me - quite pretty, with red eyes and orange speckling around the face. I’ve had the dark one now for about 6 months, and the new light colored one for 2 weeks. For the first few days, my dark snail seemed to have gone into some sort of coma. He was lying limp on the bottom of the tank, upside down, even a small bit out of the shell. I left him, because I’ve had incidences where he would float on the surface and be inactive for close to a week. Both snails seemed some what lethargic for the first 3 or 4 days and the new one was the first to be active in the tank, the black one following after a 2 day sit on the wall of the tank. I have 3 orange and black platy’s and had 3 ghost shrimp (which are now gone - will the snails & fish eat the remains?) I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 inches of air space (Do I need more?), no heater (Do snails prefer one?), and what I think is a proper filter. Today, I came in mid afternoon and noticed my snails were in an embrace, what I think is intercourse after some research. She almost seems to be carrying him on his back - he is about twice her size. This has been going on for about an hour (How long will it last?) I have never had snails before and rather like having them in the tank. They do a good job, for the amount of gunk they put out, and my fish seem to get along with them just fine. So, they lie their eggs in the air space above the water’s surface? How long will they take to hatch? How do you keep the clutch safe? If you could explain to me what the deal is with why my snail who is tough as nails, went into a semi-shock when I introduced the new snails, and the questions about breeding. Will they continue to breed? How many snails can be reproduced in a certain amount of time by two mystery snails?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: The amount of air space that you have allowed is sufficient for your snails. Sometimes the snails can seem to go dormant for a few days and often this is unexplained, something may have bothered the snail in the tank or it sensed the new arrivals and took a bit of time to adjust. When the male snail is being carried about by the female snail it is a good bet that they are mating and can produce hundreds of young snails if the eggs are allowed to hatch. Once the eggs are laid above the water line keep the atmosphere at the top of the tank humid to help with the hatching.
JessiLa on February 19, 2011, 7:26 am wrote
Awesome site! Love the comments, and reading the interesting answers. I have a 10 gallon tank, with no heater, and about 4 inches of air space at the top. I have 3 orange and black platy’s and 3 snails - 2 mystery snails and one interesting looking snail, about the size of a peanut in a different shape shell than the two mystery snails. Do the snails need a light, or heater? I’ve had one of my mystery snails for 7 months now and he has doubled in size in what seems to be a short time to me. He is dark, almost black with lighter orange speckling patterns around his head. The new mystery snail seems to be albino to me - quite pretty with light orange speckles around her head and red eyes. When I introduced the new snails to my tank, my dark snail seemed to have gone into some sort of a coma. He laid still and inactive on the bottom of the tank for days, and was even a bit out of his shell at times. I left him because I’ve had incidences with him floating on the top of the tank for days, or being stuck to the wall, or lying on the tank bottom for days. And then seems to recover from whatever his long rest was, perfectly! What is this a sign of? Is this normal? Not only was he in a state of shock or something, but the new whitish snail was lethargic as well. She stayed in one relative location for a day or two and then shortly after became active. After all is said and done, it took roughly a week for the snails to return to active duty. Maybe 10 days for the male snail. So, it has been about two and a half weeks since I got the new snail and I came home today in mid afternoon and my snails were in what seemed to be an embrace of sorts. What is intercourse apparently; after some research. It looks as though she’s carrying him on her back and he’s twice her size! They stayed in one spot for quite some time, and then moved about the tank for 25 minutes and after close to an hour and a half - not sure when they started, they separated. He went directly to the water’s surface and then floated to the bottom. She is currently wandering around the tank. Does she immediately lay the clutch afterward? She needs to lay her clutch above the water’s surface in the air space on the tank wall? How long will they stay clung to the wall before snails arrive? Is there any way to keep the clutch safe? Right now she is in a cup in my tank with a small air pocket inside - will she lay them there, and would that suffice? Should I move her out of the cup if she can’t seem to get out? Is it safe to touch the clutch? Once the babies hatch from the clutch, do I have to be worried of fish eating them? Will most of them head straight for water? How many snails will survive? Will the continue to reproduce from here on out? Hopefully all the questions aren’t a bother! I think this site is rather intriguing and love to learn about the pets I have! Not even the pet stores know too much about snails. I love having the snails in the tank. They add a lot. Thanks so much for your help snail person!
Awesome site! Love the comments, and reading the interesting answers. I have a 10 gallon tank, with no heater, and about 4 inches of air space at the top. I have 3 orange and black platy’s and 3 snails - 2 mystery snails and one interesting looking snail, about the size of a peanut in a different shape shell than the two mystery snails. Do the snails need a light, or heater? I’ve had one of my mystery snails for 7 months now and he has doubled in size in what seems to be a short time to me. He is dark, almost black with lighter orange speckling patterns around his head. The new mystery snail seems to be albino to me - quite pretty with light orange speckles around her head and red eyes. When I introduced the new snails to my tank, my dark snail seemed to have gone into some sort of a coma. He laid still and inactive on the bottom of the tank for days, and was even a bit out of his shell at times. I left him because I’ve had incidences with him floating on the top of the tank for days, or being stuck to the wall, or lying on the tank bottom for days. And then seems to recover from whatever his long rest was, perfectly! What is this a sign of? Is this normal? Not only was he in a state of shock or something, but the new whitish snail was lethargic as well. She stayed in one relative location for a day or two and then shortly after became active. After all is said and done, it took roughly a week for the snails to return to active duty. Maybe 10 days for the male snail. So, it has been about two and a half weeks since I got the new snail and I came home today in mid afternoon and my snails were in what seemed to be an embrace of sorts. What is intercourse apparently; after some research. It looks as though she’s carrying him on her back and he’s twice her size! They stayed in one spot for quite some time, and then moved about the tank for 25 minutes and after close to an hour and a half - not sure when they started, they separated. He went directly to the water’s surface and then floated to the bottom. She is currently wandering around the tank. Does she immediately lay the clutch afterward? She needs to lay her clutch above the water’s surface in the air space on the tank wall? How long will they stay clung to the wall before snails arrive? Is there any way to keep the clutch safe? Right now she is in a cup in my tank with a small air pocket inside - will she lay them there, and would that suffice? Should I move her out of the cup if she can’t seem to get out? Is it safe to touch the clutch? Once the babies hatch from the clutch, do I have to be worried of fish eating them? Will most of them head straight for water? How many snails will survive? Will the continue to reproduce from here on out? Hopefully all the questions aren’t a bother! I think this site is rather intriguing and love to learn about the pets I have! Not even the pet stores know too much about snails. I love having the snails in the tank. They add a lot. Thanks so much for your help snail person!
Answer: Snails usually need a heater and light; Light is good for orientation in the tank, and heater is good because sometimes the temperature might get too low... in winter for instance. When there’s a light at the top, snails, fish, plants can easily understand the position of their "Sun". As already mentioned, temperature in the tank should be 20°C and above - say up to 28°C, this also depends on fish and plants that you keep/grow in general. Laying at the bottom and doing nothing after being introduced to a new home is completely normal for Mystery snails. I think it has been mentioned a couple of times on this page already... also my own experience with these snails is just like that. Some snails become interested in their new home very soon, but some seem to be stressed out and thus they need more time to settle down. RE "Does she immediately lay the clutch afterward?": No. It may take a couple of days until the clutch is created. This always depends on more factors, there is no guaranteed "Yes" or "No" answer. RE "Is there any way to keep the clutch safe?": Just leave it "as is". The cocoon must be in a humid place, that’s all what’s needed. The cocoon is always placed somewhere above the water level. Fish won’t eat the snails; at least your fish won’t do so. If you kept Pufferfish, then it would be a different story :) . Other questions are answered already (in my opinion), just read other comments ;) . If there’s anything unexplained, let us know and we’ll answer.
Angela on February 25, 2011, 8:25 am wrote
My mystery snail that has been with a betta since September all of a sudden laid eggs about 3 weeks ago. Four big clusters have appeared and 2 small ones. None have hatched yet so I’m thinking they won’t but will wait the full month and see. They’ve all been laid different times, is that normal? Also, the one last night is the smallest yet, probably only 20 eggs or so, very small. A co-worker said "oh yeah she’s probably running dry and about to die." Is that true?! Just because she stops or slows with the eggs does that mean imminent death? I hope not!
My mystery snail that has been with a betta since September all of a sudden laid eggs about 3 weeks ago. Four big clusters have appeared and 2 small ones. None have hatched yet so I’m thinking they won’t but will wait the full month and see. They’ve all been laid different times, is that normal? Also, the one last night is the smallest yet, probably only 20 eggs or so, very small. A co-worker said "oh yeah she’s probably running dry and about to die." Is that true?! Just because she stops or slows with the eggs does that mean imminent death? I hope not!
Answer: Laying cocoons at different times is completely OK, this is how these snails reproduce. If your snails make a small clutch, it doesn’t mean that they’re about to die.
Angela on February 25, 2011, 8:28 am wrote
Oh and one more thing, sorry I forgot before: I read that you can even supplement their calcium with TUMS so I got fruity flavored, in the same 5-gallon tank how much and how often should I add it and do you think it will harm the betta? I added like 1/4 a tab a few days ago and so far so good, I just don’t know how often to do so and if the betta will be fine. Thanks. :)
Oh and one more thing, sorry I forgot before: I read that you can even supplement their calcium with TUMS so I got fruity flavored, in the same 5-gallon tank how much and how often should I add it and do you think it will harm the betta? I added like 1/4 a tab a few days ago and so far so good, I just don’t know how often to do so and if the betta will be fine. Thanks. :)
Answer: Well, I wouldn’t put such tablets to a tank because they may contain additives. Instead you should get some shells... The calcium will be released to the water, that’s OK, but what about other substances that are present in the tablets? Just my opinion. I don’t mean that adding TUMS is wrong, because it might not be bad, but I’d rather choose a natural way.
Jen on February 28, 2011, 5:15 am wrote
Hello. I have 3 fantailed goldfish, 2 black Moors, 2 apple snails about 1 inch diameter and 1 about half an inch diameter. The tank is about 28 gallons and is well planted and filtered. I have had my fish and big snails for just over 6 months. All has been well have loved watching my snails, so decided to get 2 more. We have had them just over a week and they seemed to behave as the others had. Until 2 days ago and one shut it’s door and stayed upside down. So yesterday I took it out and isolated it and had a sniff (smelt fine) so put it back in the tank carefully. This morning it was still there. So I again took it out carefully and had another sniff and it was smelly so waited to see if a miracle would happen but sadly not! The other small snail has been sat on the water line all day. Then tonight it is laying with the door shut upside down. What do I do? Do I take it out or my big ones out? Or leave it? I really don’t want to loose my big ones or the little one for that matter. The fish are fine I just don’t know what to do with my snails :-( help please.
Hello. I have 3 fantailed goldfish, 2 black Moors, 2 apple snails about 1 inch diameter and 1 about half an inch diameter. The tank is about 28 gallons and is well planted and filtered. I have had my fish and big snails for just over 6 months. All has been well have loved watching my snails, so decided to get 2 more. We have had them just over a week and they seemed to behave as the others had. Until 2 days ago and one shut it’s door and stayed upside down. So yesterday I took it out and isolated it and had a sniff (smelt fine) so put it back in the tank carefully. This morning it was still there. So I again took it out carefully and had another sniff and it was smelly so waited to see if a miracle would happen but sadly not! The other small snail has been sat on the water line all day. Then tonight it is laying with the door shut upside down. What do I do? Do I take it out or my big ones out? Or leave it? I really don’t want to loose my big ones or the little one for that matter. The fish are fine I just don’t know what to do with my snails :-( help please.
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Something is bothering the new snails and I would put money on it being the fish, they have grown up with the larger snails and accept them being in the tank. There are a lot of fish in that tank so conditions may be a bit cramped for any more additions, the goldfish may even think the new snails were added for their benefit and nibble at them. I would consider upgrading to a larger tank as your fish grow and then think about adding more snails once there is more room in the tank.
Allison on March 3, 2011, 12:41 pm wrote
I bought my daughter a snail and she wanted 2, it has only been 3 days and when we got home today the fish bowl was all cloudy and there are little black things all at the bottom and like a stringy thing hanging from the snails with the little black things? What is it? There is no fish and definitely no egg sack, I would have seen it...
I bought my daughter a snail and she wanted 2, it has only been 3 days and when we got home today the fish bowl was all cloudy and there are little black things all at the bottom and like a stringy thing hanging from the snails with the little black things? What is it? There is no fish and definitely no egg sack, I would have seen it...
Answer: Well, I suppose the thing you’re talking about are excrements. From what you’ve written I also suppose that there’s no filter in the bowl, otherwise the water wouldn’t get cloudy unless the filter is not good enough or broken. We have an article about cloudy water, it’s reachable after clicking this link. Basically you need a tank with proper filtration and the problem with cloudy water will be no more.
Allison on March 4, 2011, 12:49 am wrote
Thank you... I cleaned the bowl out last night and this morning the black things are all over again and now there are little clear bubbles on the beads and on the rim of the bowl, what are these? If it’s poop how come they are pooping so much my sister’s snail does not poop like these ones are and she has the same kind... I’m afraid for babies cause I would not know what to do with them...
Thank you... I cleaned the bowl out last night and this morning the black things are all over again and now there are little clear bubbles on the beads and on the rim of the bowl, what are these? If it’s poop how come they are pooping so much my sister’s snail does not poop like these ones are and she has the same kind... I’m afraid for babies cause I would not know what to do with them...
Answer: The clear bubbles are (most likely) oxygen bubbles that are present in tanks where a water change has been performed, is it your case? If your snail has been overfed, then no wonder that he’s producing "tons" of excrements. It could be a long answer, but we’ve covered these topics already on this site, so I’ll be brief... In order to minimise maintenance and worries you’ll have to get a big fish tank. Big fish tank offer better conditions, because the water won’t get dirty that fast. Not only that, there will be more beneficial bacteria that eliminate dangerous substances such as ammonia, nitrates and nitrites - nitrification bacteria are a must for a healthy tank. These bacteria live in filter media - the bigger the tank is, the bigger filter you need - and big filters offer more space for nitrification bacteria (bacteria live in foam and inside of other filtration media such as ceramic rings). A couple of years ago I was facing a similar problem too, but then I got really a big tank with perfect filter and the worries are gone. Fish bowls are usually small...
Craig on March 4, 2011, 1:01 am wrote
I have two mystery snails and I am not sure what sex they are. Can you post a picture of a female and a male? Also, is it harmful to the snail if I remove the algae on its shell, if not what should I use?
I have two mystery snails and I am not sure what sex they are. Can you post a picture of a female and a male? Also, is it harmful to the snail if I remove the algae on its shell, if not what should I use?
Answer: Since I don’t have any of these snails at home right now, this link was the best I could find, hopefully it’ll help you. Don’t remove algae from your snail’s shell. Algae is often attached much stronger than one would think and removing won’t prevent it from growing again. You could get a couple of small Siamese algae eaters (if there’s enough space in the tank), perhaps they’ll remove the algae from your snail :) . Sometimes Ramshorn snails climb on shells of Mystery snails and they clean the shells (I’ve seen it personally) - obviously Mystery snails do this when reproducing, but they don’t clean the shells.
Angela on March 13, 2011, 3:35 am wrote
Some of the eggs finally hatched! I threw the first clutch away after a month but there were several more and I awoke today to find some very cute, hard to see babies :) How quickly do they grow? Like, to a significant size where I need to distribute them away so my tank isn’t overcrowded?
Some of the eggs finally hatched! I threw the first clutch away after a month but there were several more and I awoke today to find some very cute, hard to see babies :) How quickly do they grow? Like, to a significant size where I need to distribute them away so my tank isn’t overcrowded?
Answer: The answer is DIET. Mystery snails can have 1 cm in diameter after being one month old, but this requires proper diet. I used to sell my Mystery snails when they were about 3-4 months old, at that time they had approximately 3 cm in diameter. No worries if your snails grow slower, it’s difficult to feed all of them 100%.
Jessica on March 16, 2011, 10:31 am wrote
Hi, I got 4 snails for my 10 gallon aquarium. They have not come out of their shells since I got them 2 days ago. They are not dead, sometimes they half open their door, but I see them close up tight again. I have tried tempting them with romaine lettuce and carrots (very well washed) and I have tested my water. There is no ammonia on nitrates in the water, I keep the tank ammonia free :) . I have added sea shells (well washed) to added calcium. Still they will not come out. What can I do to get them to move? Also, I really don’t want them to die because I lost a snail before after buying it. I have researched snails and know a lot about them but I cannot find and answer to this. HELP PLEASE!!!
Hi, I got 4 snails for my 10 gallon aquarium. They have not come out of their shells since I got them 2 days ago. They are not dead, sometimes they half open their door, but I see them close up tight again. I have tried tempting them with romaine lettuce and carrots (very well washed) and I have tested my water. There is no ammonia on nitrates in the water, I keep the tank ammonia free :) . I have added sea shells (well washed) to added calcium. Still they will not come out. What can I do to get them to move? Also, I really don’t want them to die because I lost a snail before after buying it. I have researched snails and know a lot about them but I cannot find and answer to this. HELP PLEASE!!!
Answer: This case is already mentioned somewhere on this page (I know it’s a lot of reading). Basically you should wait; If water in your aquarium is 100% OK, then I am sure your snails will start moving soon, perhaps in a couple of days. Apart from ammonia I’d focus on temperature and pH too. Eventually you can find out water parameters of the tank that your snails were in before you purchased them. It’s always good to compare as big differences in water chemistry won’t help them to acclimatise fast.
Kelsi on March 16, 2011, 10:51 am wrote
I just added 4 mystery snails and a plant to my 10 gallon tank. Ever since my tank has been cloudy. I changed my water 3 times (only partial water changes) but it is still cloudy. The plant is healthy. What should I do? I just recently (about a week ago) changed all my water and cleaned everything in my tank. Thanks a lot for your help.
I just added 4 mystery snails and a plant to my 10 gallon tank. Ever since my tank has been cloudy. I changed my water 3 times (only partial water changes) but it is still cloudy. The plant is healthy. What should I do? I just recently (about a week ago) changed all my water and cleaned everything in my tank. Thanks a lot for your help.
Answer: Questions that are not unique are usually deleted, but in this case I’ll make an exception. Simply press CTRL+F and type "cloudy", you’ll find a comment by Allison, it’s about the problem that you’re facing. Simply follow this article: cloudy water in aquariums and you’ll find out that your tank hasn’t been cycled. Yes, we have articles about cycling fish tanks too; aquarium cycling is that article. In general you need to run the tank for a while (along with filter) in order to make the water conditions stable. A 10 gallon tank is big enough for 4 Mystery snails, so I really believe that the lack of cycling is causing your problems. By the way, if your aquarium filter is good enough, the cloudiness will be gone in a couple of days. If there’s anything more that you’d like to ask, we’re here :) .
Kelsi on March 17, 2011, 6:54 am wrote
Thanks SO much! I appreciate the help a lot!
Thanks SO much! I appreciate the help a lot!
lauren on March 17, 2011, 8:41 am wrote
Hi, my apple snails laid eggs. As they were hatching I noticed they didn’t have much chance at survival as my fish were eating them. I moved the remaining clutch to a separate tank were they all hatched. They are 3 days old but they all gather at the top of the water. Is this normal? This my first batch of babies.
Hi, my apple snails laid eggs. As they were hatching I noticed they didn’t have much chance at survival as my fish were eating them. I moved the remaining clutch to a separate tank were they all hatched. They are 3 days old but they all gather at the top of the water. Is this normal? This my first batch of babies.
Answer: The snails should be everywhere in the tank, not only at the top; I suppose there’s lack of oxygen in the water. If oxygen level is OK, then something else might be causing the problem; Inappropriate temperature, or presence of substance that makes your snails want to get out of the tank.
Kelsi on March 18, 2011, 12:04 am wrote
I’m going away for 4 days but I need to leave the light on for heat. Will that be OK for my mystery snails? I’m also afraid, one of them might lay eggs soon. Will it lay the eggs in the light? My mystery snails go to the top of the water near the light because they like the heat. Will the snail lay eggs in the light or wait for 4 days? Thanks, Kelsi
I’m going away for 4 days but I need to leave the light on for heat. Will that be OK for my mystery snails? I’m also afraid, one of them might lay eggs soon. Will it lay the eggs in the light? My mystery snails go to the top of the water near the light because they like the heat. Will the snail lay eggs in the light or wait for 4 days? Thanks, Kelsi
Answer: Mystery snails won’t lay eggs on bulbs. Heating should be a job for heater instead of bulb in my experience. Otherwise you’re risking overheating. For light you can easily use a timer that’s independent on used lights or heater. If you’re sure that the bulb won’t overheat the tank, then it’s OK to leave it turned on for 4 days. Also make sure that there’s a lid at the top, because these snails love exploring rooms :) .
lauren on March 18, 2011, 2:02 am wrote
I am thinking it could be lack of oxygen in the tank. It’s only a small tank just to hold them until their shells harden and won’t get eaten by the fish. When I watch them closely they are all moving around, they just stay at the top most of the time. I don’t want to put them in my big tank yet as they won’t survive. Are they likely to die anyway being kept in the small tank?
I am thinking it could be lack of oxygen in the tank. It’s only a small tank just to hold them until their shells harden and won’t get eaten by the fish. When I watch them closely they are all moving around, they just stay at the top most of the time. I don’t want to put them in my big tank yet as they won’t survive. Are they likely to die anyway being kept in the small tank?
Answer: Tank size is not a problem, but make sure that the water is always of good quality. Too many snails produce plenty of excrements, which can cause ammonia poisoning and related problems. If you don’t have any filter there, then simply do a 50% water change every two-three days. Use water from your main aquarium if possible.
Macilyn on March 18, 2011, 11:53 am wrote
Hi, I saw my mystery snails mating. How long would it be until they lay eggs? Also, if I need to move them to a warmer place, how would I set up a little baby snail tank? That would also be so that I know when they hatch and my friend wants to choose some. What would I need in the baby snail tanks and how would I remove the egg sack and how would I care for the egg sack and newly hatched snails? Thanks, Macilyn
Hi, I saw my mystery snails mating. How long would it be until they lay eggs? Also, if I need to move them to a warmer place, how would I set up a little baby snail tank? That would also be so that I know when they hatch and my friend wants to choose some. What would I need in the baby snail tanks and how would I remove the egg sack and how would I care for the egg sack and newly hatched snails? Thanks, Macilyn
Answer: You’re complicating things :) . Simply let your snails lay cocoons and keep conditions stable. You don’t need a baby snail tank at all unless your current tank houses fish that can eat the baby snails - once again, this is not very likely. Only fish such as Pufferfish, Badis badis and some other species do hunt snails... Angelfish, Gouramis, Paradise fish and similar may eat a couple of snails, but won’t spend all day hunting them. Anyway, if you’d like to setup a baby snails tank, then simply take water from your original aquarium and use it in the baby tank. Don’t move the baby snails immediately after they hatch, because at this time they’re very sensitive to changes in their environment (water); Instead, wait a week or two before moving them to a baby tank. No need to worry about snails, they’ll take care of themselves. Just keep feeding them and focus on water quality. When I was breeding these snails, I wasn’t using a baby tank.
Macilyn on March 19, 2011, 3:47 am wrote
Hi, my goldfish have been acting weird and today the snails gathered at the waterline. Is a power filter providing enough oxygen for 2 goldfish and 4 snails? I think that the snails might go to the waterline because they like the heat that the light bulb gives off, and at night when the light is turned off they usually go to the bottom. There are holes in the tank lid (small ones) so is everybody getting enough oxygen? I see lots of air bubbles going in constantly and the filter is always on putting in oxygen in the water. PLEASE HELP!!! Also please help with my other question. Thanks, Macilyn
Hi, my goldfish have been acting weird and today the snails gathered at the waterline. Is a power filter providing enough oxygen for 2 goldfish and 4 snails? I think that the snails might go to the waterline because they like the heat that the light bulb gives off, and at night when the light is turned off they usually go to the bottom. There are holes in the tank lid (small ones) so is everybody getting enough oxygen? I see lots of air bubbles going in constantly and the filter is always on putting in oxygen in the water. PLEASE HELP!!! Also please help with my other question. Thanks, Macilyn
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: As the lights go on in the tank, the water temperature will increase slightly which in turn could be lowering the oxygen levels, is the output of the filter aimed at the water surface as agitating this will dissolve more oxygen than running an airline in the tank. How large is your tank as each goldfish will require at least 10 gallons of water per fish. The mystery snails rise to the surface to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere via their syphon tubes so the oxygen levels in the water will not affect them.
Mai-Britt on March 20, 2011, 8:20 am wrote
Hi, I was thinking of adding a snail to my betta tank. My local store has golden apple snails and dark mystery snails. Which would you recommend? Currently I don’t have any live plants in the tank; should I add a live plant before adding the snail? Will the snail need separate food? Is it necessary to add calcium to the water? Would a snail be of benefit in terms of cleaning the tank, or does the waste it produces outweigh this benefit? If I only have one snail, will it still lay eggs and reproduce? Wow, that’s a lot of questions! I appreciate your feedback. Thanks, Mai-Britt
Hi, I was thinking of adding a snail to my betta tank. My local store has golden apple snails and dark mystery snails. Which would you recommend? Currently I don’t have any live plants in the tank; should I add a live plant before adding the snail? Will the snail need separate food? Is it necessary to add calcium to the water? Would a snail be of benefit in terms of cleaning the tank, or does the waste it produces outweigh this benefit? If I only have one snail, will it still lay eggs and reproduce? Wow, that’s a lot of questions! I appreciate your feedback. Thanks, Mai-Britt
Answer: Well, some questions are already answered on this page, it’s necessary to go through the entire article and other comments... But OK, let’s answer your questions: 1) It doesn’t matter what colour you buy; I had both types and both are Mystery snails :) . 2) Live plants will be welcome by Bettas too, they’re good for more reasons. Plants act as natural filters, they grow and make your tank unique, and if you’re good at growing plants, you can even sell them. Plus another 10-20 positives. Actually snails don’t need plants, but I’d get some anyway. 3) Yes, snails need food; Buy some granulated food that sinks; They will appreciate such a food. 4) Adding calcium isn’t necessary as long as there is enough calcium in the tank already. If you’re performing regular weekly water changes (say 10% up to 20%), then you won’t have to add calcium to the tank. Adding some freshwater shells will be good anyway. Sea shells are even better (my own experience). 5) Snails, just like other living beings, produce excrements; One snail won’t clean your tank. Not sure what it should clean your tank of; algae maybe? 6) These snails aren’t hermaphroditic; You’ll need a pair in order to reproduce them. You’re welcome to ask more questions, but firstly make sure that they haven’t been answered on this page already, please (some were unique anyway, I think).
Maccilyn on March 20, 2011, 11:40 am wrote
Thank you! You are so helpful and you know so much!
Thank you! You are so helpful and you know so much!
Jessica on March 21, 2011, 12:12 am wrote
Hi, I have an ivory mystery snail, two blues and a gold. How would I be able to breed purple or green snails?
Hi, I have an ivory mystery snail, two blues and a gold. How would I be able to breed purple or green snails?
Answer: As long as your snails are Ampullaria, then they’ll breed together; Bear in mind that they have to be male and female (at least one pair is required).
Montel on March 21, 2011, 2:33 pm wrote
Hi, I have two mystery snails in a 1.5 gallon tank with seven rosy red feeder fish with only a pump and no filter and I would like to know if they can live properly in it or until I get the proper materials. Also one of my snails has some small black ball-like things hanging from but it’s not above the water and it’s on the wall.Do you know what it is?
Hi, I have two mystery snails in a 1.5 gallon tank with seven rosy red feeder fish with only a pump and no filter and I would like to know if they can live properly in it or until I get the proper materials. Also one of my snails has some small black ball-like things hanging from but it’s not above the water and it’s on the wall.Do you know what it is?
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Keeping any fish or livestock without a filter is a risky business, the water quality will drop especially in a small tank like that one. Have you a picture of your snails as I cannot work out what the black things are without seeing them (URL of the picture will be enough).
Mai-Britt on March 30, 2011, 9:04 am wrote
Thanks for your fast and helpful responses! Yes, I did mean algae from the glass :) I know that these snails are not hermaphroditic, and that two are needed for reproduction; however, it sounds like lots of people who get one snail still end up with eggs some time after they bring the snail home. I really don’t want that to happen because I don’t have room in the tank for babies and don’t want to have to find homes for all those babies. I’m thinking that I might get around that if I get a male. Can I rely on the people at the store to be able to tell if it’s a male or female? I don’t think I’ll be able to tell simply by looking at the diagrams and pics I’ve seen online. Thanks again for your help! Mai-Britt
Thanks for your fast and helpful responses! Yes, I did mean algae from the glass :) I know that these snails are not hermaphroditic, and that two are needed for reproduction; however, it sounds like lots of people who get one snail still end up with eggs some time after they bring the snail home. I really don’t want that to happen because I don’t have room in the tank for babies and don’t want to have to find homes for all those babies. I’m thinking that I might get around that if I get a male. Can I rely on the people at the store to be able to tell if it’s a male or female? I don’t think I’ll be able to tell simply by looking at the diagrams and pics I’ve seen online. Thanks again for your help! Mai-Britt
Answer: Relying on shop assistants isn’t always wise, however many of them really know a lot about fishkeeping including snails and plenty of other things related to running a fish tank. No problem if you get a female (by mistake for instance), you can always remove the cocoon if she’s about to reproduce after being fertilised in the shop. Most local pet stores will accept small snails anyway, no matter whether they’re going to be sold or used as food for Tetraodons for example.
Mai-Britt on April 5, 2011, 10:18 pm wrote
Hello again, So I finally got my snail 3 days ago. It’s a golden apple snail and it has been getting along well with my betta so far. Today I noticed this long light brown/yellow thing hanging off the back end of the snail. It’s about 1/2-3/4 of an inch long, and it’s attached to the foot of the snail. My tank is at work, so I don’t have a camera handy to take a picture. Is it poop or is my snail sick? It’s not a very active snail. Mostly it just sits on the glass by the surface of the water, sometimes cruising around on the glass or the things in the tank, but from what I can ready, that is normal. I just hope there is nothing wrong with my snail. Mai-Britt
Hello again, So I finally got my snail 3 days ago. It’s a golden apple snail and it has been getting along well with my betta so far. Today I noticed this long light brown/yellow thing hanging off the back end of the snail. It’s about 1/2-3/4 of an inch long, and it’s attached to the foot of the snail. My tank is at work, so I don’t have a camera handy to take a picture. Is it poop or is my snail sick? It’s not a very active snail. Mostly it just sits on the glass by the surface of the water, sometimes cruising around on the glass or the things in the tank, but from what I can ready, that is normal. I just hope there is nothing wrong with my snail. Mai-Britt
Answer by Mick; fishtankforum.co.uk: Reading between the lines of your question it sounds like the snail is displaying its syphon tube which it uses to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, is this only visible when your snail is near the surface? If your snail is active and moving around the tank then it should be healthy as snails that are unwell or unhappy tend to close themselves in their shell for days before finally passing away. I don’t think you have anything to worry about but a picture would help us to answer your question better.
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One day we bought some live plants for the aquarium and in a couple of weeks of having the plants we spotted some creatures on our glass, we went back to the store and looked all they had was the Black, White mystery snails so that is what I think I have. I currently have them in a 1 gallon tank and am trying to breed them (4 of them). They are very small and I think I need to use one of my bigger aquarium, in my big aquarium we suddenly got a outbreak of them. Thanks for the good info :) .