Snails
Contents:
- Apple snail eggs: what to do now?
by mlstrother-at-ualr.edu (3 Jun 93)
- Apple Snails
by frazier-at-delphi.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier) (25 Jun 93)
- snail-eating fish
by frazier-at-oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Greg Frazier) (Wed, 8 Jan 92)
- snails
by jemille-at-cello.gina.calstate.edu (Jeffrey Miller) (Wed, 13 Sep 1995)
- re:Apple Snails!!!
by David Webb <DAWB.DSKPO33B-at-dskbgw1.itg.ti.com> (Mon, 16 Oct 95)
- More snails with plants
by "David W. Webb" <dwebb-at-ti.com> (Tue, 05 Nov 1996)
- Snails
by Pete Johnson <petej/wordsanddeeds.com> (Fri, 22 Aug 97)
- Do apple snails eat your plants??
by calvinchin/letterbox.com.spamfree (Calvin Chin) (Fri, 06 Feb 1998)
- (No Title)
by (6 Feb 98)
- When a blessing becomes a curse
by IDMiamiBob/aol.com (Thu, 4 Feb 1999)
- When a blessing becomes a curse
by Frauley/Elson <fraulels/minet.ca> (Thu, 04 Feb 1999)
- When a blessing becomes a curse
by Dave Mosley <dxm1/calweb.com> (Thu, 04 Feb 1999)
- apple snail information
by SAI Ghesquiere <SAI.Ghesquiere/STUDENT.UNIMAAS.NL> (Mon, 10 May 1999)
- apple snails
by "WIM KOEKEBACKER" <Wim.Leyland/GIRONET.NL> (Fri, 19 Mar 1999)
- MTS - pic
by Wright Huntley <huntley1/home.com> (Fri, 18 Jun 1999)
- Apple Snail Book
by "Ron Dubbs" <rondu/mindspring.com> (Thu, 25 Feb 1999)
- All my snails died... ???
by Wright Huntley <huntley1/home.com> (Thu, 11 Mar 1999)
- MTS Loach-proof? I think not!
by George Booth <booth/frii.com> (Sun, 20 Jun 1999)
- Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #572
by Thomas Barr <tcbiii/earthlink.net> (Wed, 27 Sep 2000)
- Malaysian Trumpet Snails
by George Booth <booth/frii.com> (Wed, 04 Oct 2000)
- Ramshorns do not eat plants!
by Thomas Barr <tcbiii/earthlink.net> (Thu, 22 Mar 2001)
- Ramshorns
by "Chuck Gadd" <cgadd/cfxc.com> (Thu, 22 Mar 2001)
by mlstrother-at-ualr.edu
Date: 3 Jun 93
On June 2, kalee-at-sage.cc.purdue.edu writes:
<I just purchased two apple snails...
<...recently, I've found two deposits of snail eggs above the waterline
<in the tank.
<Does anyone know what to do with these eggs to make them hatch?
<Should I separate them from the parents? Should I keep them wet, or
<dry? And what should I feed them after they do hatch?
I've never hatched apple snails, but have hatched and raised several
batches of mystery snails, both gold and brown ones. (They weren't
quite as big as apples - more like a kiwifruit. :) ) Here's what
worked for me:
If left in the tank, the clumps of eggs tend to fall into the tank and
drown the embryos. I took them out, put a flat-surfaced rock into a
small bowl, added about an inch of water, put the egg clump on the
rock (above the waterline), then covered the whole thing with plastic
wrap to keep the humidity up and keep the eggs moist but not wet, and
set it in a warm, not-drafty spot on a kitchen counter.
I don't remember how long it takes for them to start hatching -
somewhere between a few days to a couple of weeks (sorry, it's been
a while!). I just checked on them several times a day, and occasionally
changed the water. When the little guys start appearing (they don't all
hatch at the same time), they head for the water. I added a little
water from the tank they were going to be in, let them acclimate a bit,
then dumped them into the tank, water & all. Then the rock and the
remaining eggs (don't dump them! :) ) went back into the bowl with
more water to wait for the next ones to emerge.
Dunno about apples, but mystery snails can have ENORMOUS broods -
mine were easily 100 per deposit, and I once had three deposits at
the same time, from the same two parents. I fed them a variety of
flake, tablet and pellet foods. Those suckers eat A LOT!
They also matured at different rates - every so often I'd scoop up
the largest dozen and take them to the pet shop, after which another
group would have a sudden growth spurt. Could be that this was due
to overcrowding...I had only one 10g and two 29g, one of which also
housed my community - so very frequent water changes & gravel
vacuuming were necessary to maintain water quality. I also noticed
that the relatively small number which were in the community tank
at any given time grew faster than the ones in the snails-only
tanks. Less competition for food? Perception of having more space?
Anyway, those were generally the ones that went to the pet shop, to
be replaced by a new group whose growth rate would then go into
warp drive.
I enjoyed the first few hundred babies - after that I learned to
steel myself to flushing the eggs.
Hope this helps! Good luck! (warning - after watching these
critters for a few months, you may never eat escargot again! :) )
Martha
by frazier-at-delphi.cs.ucla.edu (Gregory Frazier)
Date: 25 Jun 93
cliff (cliff-at-watson.ibm.com) wrote:
: At the local aquarium store, I came across huge apple snails, almost
: the size of my fist. Can some tell me the pros and cons about
: buying one for my aquarium? I have a 110 gallon tropical fresh water
: tank with very large community fish, e.g. catfish, angels, tin-foil barbs
: severums, geophagus, etc. Will the snail get enough to eat with
: regular feeding of the fish? Will the large fish pick on the snail and
: kill it? Will reproduction be a problem, or will my larger fish simply
: eat the babies to keep the population under control? Will my fluval
: 403 cannister filter become saturated with baby snails?
Pros:
cool animal
don't have to feed it
needs two to tango
if eggs are layed (you bought two?), they are layed above the
water line, and thus are easy to find and remove
will support population of infusoria, which baby fish love
cons:
doesn't do diddly to control algae
snail poo isn't real attractive
if the snail dies, fish it out fast, cuz that's a lot of
protein rotting in your tank
will probably munch on your plants, if you have any
--
"They thought to use and shame me but I win out by nature, because a true
freak cannot be made. A true freak must be born." - K. Dunn, _Geek Love_
Greg Frazier frazier-at-CS.UCLA.EDU !{ucbvax,rutgers}!ucla-cs!frazier
by frazier-at-oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Greg Frazier)
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 92
Newsgroup: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Hello!
About 3 weeks ago, somebody posted looking for
good fish to irradicate snails. Well, a friend of ours
has been promising us for weeks that he'd give us some
fish that would do the job, and last night we finally got
over to his place. The fish is Cichlasoma aureum - a
smallish Central American cichlid, closely related to
C. meeki (firemouths). C. aureum are smaller than meeki
and probably less hardy, but they are <supposedly> not
too particular about water chemistry and they are less
aggressive toward tankmates. Their natural habitat is
smallish streams, and their natural diet is snails.
Anyway, around midnight last night two of them got
dumped into our very snail-y 30g tank, and the lights
were promptly turned off. At 8am this morning, I could
not see a snail in the tank - and, needless to say, the
fish looked very happy. Now, instead of trying to
eliminate our snails, I have started a snail culture in
a 2.5g tank to ensure that they will get snails once
in a while. Mind you, there is no way that *all* of the
snails have already been eaten - there are definitely
some Malaysians left - but these guys really do the job
if you can locate some for purchase.
--
Greg Frazier frazier-at-CS.UCLA.EDU !{ucbvax,rutgers}!ucla-cs!frazier
by jemille-at-cello.gina.calstate.edu (Jeffrey Miller)
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995
Greetings
In regards to snails, I have found two possible events to slow down the
pond snails that can run rampant in a tank or pond.
One is to introduce another snail, the ramshorn. My VERY limited
experience in aquariums, I grow my plants in 5 gallon buckets and kiddie
pools, my ramshorns have kept the pond snails to a minimum, perhaps by
competing for the same food and can move faster.
The other is to introduce leeches in to your aquarium. I have a bunch in
my buckets and they seem to keep the baby pond snails in check.
Hope this helps
PS send flames to alt.flame
Jeffrey Miller Technology Facilitator
1737 Oxford jemille-at-cello.gina.calstate.edu
Cardiff-By-The-Sea Be a Roll Model; Ride a Bike To Work
92007-1632
by David Webb <DAWB.DSKPO33B-at-dskbgw1.itg.ti.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 95
>Does anyone keep these guys bigger than 1 to 1.5 inches? They
>are called "Apple Snails" for a reason! At our local shop. hey have
>a few that are at LEAST three inches across. I think they are pretty
>impressive looking. With a pretty impressive price ($12 dollars). I
>know these things will ravage any tank like a rabbit in a carrot
>field. Does anyine keep them this big?
My brown apple snails, the largest of which is 2.5" across simply do not eat
live plant matter except algae. In fact, I've had them starve to death in a
tank full of plants (hygrophila difformis, vesicularia dubyana, saurus cernus,
microsorium pteroptus, bolbitis heudetrolis (sp?), duckweed, and another that I
don't know the name of) but no algae.
David W. Webb
Enterprise Computing Provisioning
Texas Instruments Inc. Dallas, TX USA
(214) 575-3443 (voice) MSGID: DAWB
(214) 575-4853 (fax) Internet: dwebb-at-ti.com
(214) 581-2380 (pager) Text Pager: pgr-at-msg.ti.com Subj:PAGE:David Webb
by "David W. Webb" <dwebb-at-ti.com>
Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants
Jeff Rice wrote:
>
> In article <01bbc87f$17e4e820$80df7d80-at-ppp.usc.edu>, "Jimmy Yeh" <jimmyyeh-at-scf.usc.edu> wrote:
> >Apple Snail, Ramshorn Snail, Golden Snail, and Mystery Snail. I'd
> >like to know which of these is effective on algae (on glass and plants)?
>
> And how can one tell them apart? I'm just starting up my plants and only
> see two or three snails at the moment....how do I know if I've got trouble
> or ones that will keep my algae under control? I checked the FAQ, but the
> descriptions were a little vague...
Apple snails are usually large when they're sold. They have a trap-door
second piece of their shell that closes when they retreat into the
shell.
The way I understand it, Apple snails come in several color varieties,
and
are members of the Ampullaria genus. I think the Golden and Mystery
snails are probably different names for apple snails. None of these
seem to munch on healthy plants, but they will all quickly devour plants
grown under too-dim lighting conditions, or sick plants.
Other snails include red and spotted ramshorns. Red Ramshorns are
nearly
the toughest snails you can put in a tank. It takes a lot of abuse to
kill
them. Their eggs and babies are extremely tiny, and they will rapidly
reproduce in any tank. Red Ramshorns are more likely to munch on sick
plants than apple snails. Red ramshorns often traverse the glass with
their shells laid-over on one side.
Spotted ramshorns look a lot like the reds, but they have brown, spotted
shells. They also keep their shells upright instead of on a side.
These
snails can be a minor nuisance, possibly killing off other snails by
eating
holes in their shells. Spotted ramshorns can also, in a pinch,
reproduce
via self-fertilization. Spotted ramshorns are possibly tougher than red
ramshorns, and do well in soft water, where other snails don't always
fare well.
Pond snails are an annoyance. They have a major weakness in water
hardness,
though. If the water they live in is very soft, they can't grow their
shell
and become very vulnerable to attacks and to drowning.
Trumpet snails are one that I haven't kept. They have a conical shell
and burrow in the substrate. Trumpet snails are livebearers.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
David W. Webb
dwebb-at-ti.com
Any correlation between my opinions and those of Texas
Instruments is purely coincidental.
-------------------------------------------------------------
by Pete Johnson <petej/wordsanddeeds.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 97
To: "apisto" <apisto/majordomo.pobox.com>
Snails help harden the water by leaching calcium from their shells, which
is undesirable for the many Apistos which love soft water. It's also
difficult to get rid of the smaller varieties without using chemicals
(copper, for instance) or snail-eating fish (loaches), which will also
eat fry.
I have snails in some tanks but I'd be happy if they disappeared. A
better method of algae control is light and nutrient reduction, the
latter accomplished by frequent water changes.
---------------------------------------------------------
Pete Johnson / San Jose, CA / petej-at-wordsanddeeds.com
---------------------------------------------------------
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by calvinchin/letterbox.com.spamfree (Calvin Chin)
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998
Newsgroup: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids,rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc,rec.aqu
Apparently, all snails eat plants.
It's just that if there's algae around, they'll go for the algae first
cos' it's supposed to be easier to eat. I let the ramshorn snails grow
wild in my tank (there're about a 100 of them, small ones) the and
they don't touch my plants, eating the algae instead.
However, I put some of them in a small tank with only riccia and no
algae- they eat the riccia.
I used to have 2 large apple snails in my tank and they left the
plants alone. However, a word of caution: they don't seem to do well
in soft and acidic water especially those with c02. After I put them
in, they died in 3 weeks. I noticed their shells were slightly eroded,
probably due to reaction from the c02. My pH was 6.7
On 5 Feb 98 09:05:32 GMT, "Scooby" <jb-at-no.Spam.com> wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I was in the pet shop yesterday and the man told me
>apple snails ate plants and he wouldn't recommend
>them if I have nice plants (which I have). I have read
>contrary to this - there is supposed to be a certain
>type of Ampallaria (sp?) snail which does not eat plants, just
>the algae.
>
>Has anyone experience with Apple Snails - the golden yellow type??
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>John.
From: "Charles Jolliff" <chucky1-at-bootheel.net>
Subject: Re: Do apple snails eat your plants??
by
...There is one genus (Pila) of apple snail in Asia and four genera of
ampullariids in Africa,Pila,Lanistes,Afropomus, and Saulea. The last two
genera contain only a single species each, and both are virtually unknown
as living animals.
Book shows,on same page, ....a few Lanistes shells, usually heavily eroded
and broken, are shipped along with cichlids from Lake Malawi and Tanganyika
(the cichlids hide in the shells and often lay their eggs in them as well),
but living specimens are never seen.
Page 40...Apple snails are,as we have seen, herbivores. They eat almost
any green plant they can get their jaws around.
A few sentences later......
...You can keep apple snails and plants together,however, by keeping the
snails heavily fed on lettuce, elodea, fish food flakes and pellets (veggie
based), boiled peas, carrots, and most other vegetables and fruits. A
snail will tend to eat soft plants first, the ones that are easier to chew.
Page 46......
Sexes are seperate but are not externally distinguishable in Apple snails
unless you have a practiced eye and can detect the somewhat narrower and
more vertical shell mouths of males as compared to females of some species.
The above are direct quotes from the book.
Chuck, hope this helps you out.
Klaus <klaus-at-intersight.be> wrote in article
<6bee9k$rp7$1-at-news3.Belgium.EU.net>...
> Not all of them snails are hermaphroditic Robert, Apple snails aren't
> and i believe the species from lake tangayika (I think Nesothauma?
> The ones the shelldwellers love so much) are also "singlesexed" ;-)
> HTH
> Klaus
>
> Robert John Molan wrote in message
> <6bdo7c$36b$1-at-ghostgum.hunterlink.net.au>...
> >Actually snails (at least non aquatic ones) are hermaphroditic, (can act
as
> >both mail and female), so two snails should do the trick for you.
> >
> >Regards Robert M
>
by IDMiamiBob/aol.com
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
In a message dated 2/4/99 12:57:41 AM Mountain Standard Time,
webwill@infinet.net writes:
> Any suggestions about the snails would be greatly appreciated- these are the
> first Apisto spawns I have had.
>
> Cory
If desparate times call for desparate measures, try Had-A-Snail or some
similar product from your LFS. These are generally copper-based and will take
out any and all inverts before the Cu level has to be raised to a point where
it is harmful to your fish. Bio-load (read:ammonia and DOCs from rotting
flesh) will be pretty high for about a week after they are dead, so follow the
prescribed treatment, and then follow it with lots of water changes for at
least a week. Use an ammonia test at least daily thereafter for another two
weeks and respond as needed.
Again, this is a last-hope scenario. It is better to rip the tanks down and
eliminate the snails or take all the fish out and treat without them.
Unfortunately, circumstances like Cory's don't always allow us to do things
the best possible way.
Bob Dixon
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by Frauley/Elson <fraulels/minet.ca>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
Hi,
I've had a true plague of these snails for 10 years, however, I only
view them as a pest because it's hard to tell if they're dead. I've had
no egg problems breeding apistos in with them. I always leave a light on
for the mother apisto though.
-Gary
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by Dave Mosley <dxm1/calweb.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
On Wed, 3 Feb 1999 21:32:40 -0800, "ALEX PASTOR" <alexp@idirect.com>
wrote:
> I was figuratively patting myself on the back last week for my serendipitous
> great good fortune in having somehow inadvertently introduced Malaysian
> trumpet snails into one of my planted tanks.(That sentence reads like
> something Lilith would have said to Frazier if she would have an aquarium)
> ... Then I read that these snails eat apisto eggs at night while the mother
> fish sleeps...ARGHHHHH!!!
that's extremely odd... i have had both pond and trumpet trumpet snails
in with apistos and kribs. never noticed any "carnage". spawns have
always been of normally reported size. i even keep a few large "mystery"
snails
in my larger tanks. i've seen the fry pick at the snail's shell when it
inadvertantly
cruises through the swarm.
where did you read this?
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by SAI Ghesquiere <SAI.Ghesquiere/STUDENT.UNIMAAS.NL>
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999
To: erik/thekrib.com
Hello Erik,
Nice collection of questions and answers on apple snails!
I've dedicated and whole site on these creatures (anatomy, species,
guide, pictures FAQ etc.).
http://huizen.dds.nl/~snc
Greetings, Stijn
by "WIM KOEKEBACKER" <Wim.Leyland/GIRONET.NL>
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999
To: <erik/thekrib.com>
Hi,
I read all mail on your site with great interest.
As for the apple snails, one has to keep in mind that these beautiful =
creatures come from different tropical regions on our planet. So, they =
all have different habits. Some eat plants, other species don't. I have =
had many species in my fish tank, and some ravaged my plants, others =
left them alone.
If one want some of these snails, usually available at specialised =
tropical fish stores, please make sure to pick the right ones. It is =
quite easy to distinguish the good guys from the bad ones. First of all, =
look for golden spots on the snout and around the eyes, as well as on =
the siphon (the "tube" the animal uses to pump in air) and the =
tentacles. These spots are present on the golden apple snail AND the =
related darker species, in fact it could be that these are one and the =
same species. Secondly, determine whether or not the opperculum (the =
"door" that is carried on top of the foot) is saucer shaped, so not =
flat. Remember, all ampullarid oppercula are oval shaped, so that is not =
representative for a certain species. Thirdly, avoid all other apple =
snails that do not match these simple identifications if to be kept in =
fish tanks with plants. And that includes the ramshorn shaped =
ampullarids, these ALL eat your plants overnight.
Look for "Ampullaria Cuprina"=20
"Ampullaria Gigas"
"Pila Ovata"
"Pila Gradata"
The latter two are from tropical east-Africa.
These 4 species all have the golden spots mentioned above. There might =
be other "plant-friendly" species but I have had only good results with =
these 4 species. The first two come in the golden and the brown (grey =
soft parts) variety. All apple snails have one thing in common though, =
they all have big appetite and MUST be additionally fed with lettuce =
leaves and fish food. They love canned spinach. Special attention must =
be given to the water quality. The water must not be too "soft", so =
regular water (10% each week) changes with water from the tap will take =
care for enough calcium. However, do not put tap-water in the tank =
rightaway. Leave it in the bucket for a few hours and use an air pump to =
let the chlorine escape from the water. Failing to do so will harm the =
snails. Chlorine will kill them. Furthermore, remove the snails from the =
tank if fish-medicines are used. These will kill the snails too. Do =
not re-enter the snails before the medicine has done its job, let's say =
after (at least!!) 4 weeks after the last medicine use. Besides, it's =
better to remove the sick fishes and treat them in a separate tank as =
all medicines have unwanted side effects!!!
Apple snails originate from different tropical regions. Water =
temperature should not get below=20
25 degrees centigrade. Also, since apple snails breathe air, the =
moisture level and temperature above the water should be kept high. So =
open fish-tanks can't be used, not only to maintain the moisture level =
but most, (NOT all, like Lanistes sp. do that!!) apple snails crawl out =
of the water to deposit their egg clusters. If given proper care, these =
critters will reward you with many offspring that can be sold to your =
local tropical fish store. And, YOU can tell the owner of the store how =
to take care of them. Most shop keepers don't have a clue which is a =
shame.
Wim Koekebacker
Wim.Leyland@gironet.nl
Groede 48,
3209 BL Hekelingen,
The Netherlands.
p.s.=20
I would like to have some more info on Florida ampullarids. Can they be =
kept in fish tanks (I guess so) without problems and what do they eat?
by Wright Huntley <huntley1/home.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999
> Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 15:25:43 -0400
> From: Steve Bansee <Steve.Bansee@PWGSC.GC.CA>
> Subject: MTS - pic
>
> Does anyone know of a site that has a picture of a Malaysian Trumpet Snail,
> they sound interesting but have no idea what the look like.
They are so distinctive that you don't need a pic for a clear ID. Their
spiral shell comes to a straight-sided point at the closed end, and looks
just like a miniature ice-cream cone. It is conical and like a straightened
cornucopia. Depending on variety, they can get up to a couple of inches, but
most we see are about an inch long when full grown. The open end is then
about 3/16 - 1/4" across.
These snails are really a mixed blessing. They are livebearers and
incredibly tough, so getting rid of them is a terrible task. They are
primarily carnivores, so they eat fish eggs rather than plants. That can be
good or bad, depending on what you want the tank to do.
Loaches can't eat them, they seem to have a front-door seal they close when
poisons are applied, and the shells are way to tough to crush. I wish
someone would come up with an easy way to totally rid a tank of these and
other snails, so my killies can breed in peace. Even baiting only gets
*most* of them. The rest are usually more than enough to reduce egg
production to useless levels.
BTW, any store that would not offer to reach in and pick me a few free (or
cheap) MTSs, when asked, would go off my list of "qualified vendors"
instantly. Unless the gravel is littered with dead shells, they are
constantly having to thin them to keep them from taking over their tanks. To
charge for, or refuse to sell at a low price, something they are throwing
away regularly is truly unprincipled and excessively greedy, IMHO. We don't
need to support stores that behave like that, do we?
Wright
- --
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679 huntleyone at home dot com
To all gun-control advocates: Please just place a sign
on your front lawn that reads: "This home is gun-free."
by "Ron Dubbs" <rondu/mindspring.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999
In Aquatic Plants Digest Wednesday, February 24 1999 Volume 03 : Number
868 "Colin Anderson" <colin_d_anderson@hotmail.com>
wrote:
I'm interested in the following book:
Dr. Gloria Perrera, Apple Snails in the Aquarium : Ampullariids : Their
Identification, Care, and Breeding
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0793820855/qid=919884676/sr=1-2/002-
0318442-0469024)
Has anyone out there read it?
I have read through this book and have it in hand.
Is there much information on genetics?
There is not to much genetic info in the book. It is mainly concerened
with the many different species if "Apple" snails including several
different species of mystery, ramshorn, pond and MT snails. It does state
that mystery snails are variable in shell and body color.
This book is not primarily written for the aquarist although many of the
pictures are taken of aquarium species, others are taken in the field
showing different types of egg masses.
There are even a couple of apple snail recipes. ie.spple snails in white
wine and apple snail croquettes
I've got them breeding madly and am coming up with four colour
variations and a wide variety of growth rates. Colors are basically,
1)Purple with dark stripes
2)Opalescent 'whiter' color with no stripes
3)Normal brown with dark and light stripes
4)'Caramel' brown with no stripes
The last batch I've raised has yielded snails that after 2.5 months vary
from a little under the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a golf
ball. I've no idea why the wide variation in growth rates--besides
evolutionary ponderances.
And I know they're herbivorous, it doesn't matter, I've got about eighty
of them growing in a 33 planted, they only eat the detritus and algae on
the glass, the perfect pet, right!?!? They NEVER touch the plants. But
I can only state this for the young, the adults may be a slight bet more
agressive but I really doubt they'd cause much damage. They(adults)
didn't like windelov java fern so...
Colin Anderson
Ron Dubbs
Brighton, TN
P.S. Colin if you need more info ao a copy of APD 868 e-mail me off list.
R.
by Wright Huntley <huntley1/home.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999
> Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 15:16:43 -0600
> From: jlemons@myriad.net
> Subject: All my snails died... ???
>
> I know that some folks hate snails, but I really didn't mind them when I had them.
> The never over populated, and they helped keep algea in check.
>
> Any way, my problem is, when I switched to RO water from tap water, I noticed a slow
> decrease in the snail population. Now I don't have any that I'm aware of. I don't
> know if the switch to RO water was the cause, or simple coincidence. Any ideas what would
> cause this? Anything I can change to make the tank more "snail friendly"? I read
> somewhere (don't remember where) that it could be related to carbonate hardness beging too
> low. Is this correct, and if so why, and how do I fix it.
>
> Thanks,
> John
RO water has essentially all the minerals removed, and snails (like fish and
plants) need things like calcium to survive. Otherwise their shells get thin,
brittle and essentially dissolve. It's probably the low General hardness, not
just the Carbonate hardness that does it.
Fish can get such stuff from their food, sometimes, but they need minerals for
skeletal development, too. Using pure RO water is usually a very bad idea, and
most of us blend in some tap water to replace essential minerals. I breed a few
rain-forest puddlefish in pure RO water, acidified with peat, but those
containers aren't very good plant or snail tanks.
Make your tank more "snail friendly" by using at least 25% tap water in your
major water changes. Pure RO is OK for just making up any evaporative losses,
but that's no substitute for regular changes.
- --
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679 huntley1 at home dot com
One big difference between a Libertarian and a Demopublican is the
Libertarian knows it's not a waste to vote against a Republocrat.
http://www.self-gov.org/
by George Booth <booth/frii.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999
There have been one or two posts stating that Malaysian Trumpet Snails are
safwe from loaches. This has not been my experience.
We have had a discus tank set up for about three years now and have had two
5" clown loaches in the tank. While there are a few snails visible,
especially a "grandfather" MTS, the overall snail population has been very
limited compared to our other tanks. This tank has alos been a "problem"
tank with more visible algae than I care for. Also, there was a lot of
detritus that was in among the plants and was easily stirred up by pruning
or SAEs swimming through.
Recently, Karla agreed to give the loaches away to make room for some new
discus. Now, a month later, there are quite a few snails visible: MTS,
small ramshorns and pond snails. The tank is much more pristine and there
is very little detritus.
Lesson: Snails are good and clown loaches are bad. IMHO.
George Booth, Ft. Collins, Colorado
by Thomas Barr <tcbiii/earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000
George Booth <booth@lvld.agilent.com>
> Subject: Re: Malaysian Trumet Snails (was Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #570)
>
>> Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 01:37:07 EDT
>> From: IDMiamiBob@aol.com
>>
>> They are Malaysian trumet snails, and this forum's
>> jury is still out. About half of us (myself included ) rue the day we
>> introduced them. They get about 1/2 inch long, and most stores are also
>> infested with at least one tank of them.
>
> Eh? Such harsh words for such a useful janitor. I certainly wouldn't call the
> MTS population I have an "infestation".
Ah, another defender of the lowly gastropod! They get and the others
(Physa/Ramshorn) get a huge "yes" from myself and always will. I never
realized that the "Jury" was still out on this. As a breeder, they are bad
pest, but for planted they (all three) kick some algae butt. They have been
taking care of algae since I started this plant thing and are always one of
main control animals for algae. Tried of Otto's or shrimp dying off? Need a
bunch fast? Mr snaily is the answer. Able to clean Rotala wallichii and hair
grass like no other critter.
Regards,
Tom Barr
by George Booth <booth/frii.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2000
The voting is completed.
MTS:Yes 35 APDites voted that MTS are way good.
MTS:No 5 APDites votes that MTS are a no-no.
So, Bob, the jury is in, the vote is counted and you (and four others) ARE
OFF THE ISLAND!
Bummer. Nice knowing ya. Gimme your torch.
George
George Booth in Ft. Collins, Colorado (booth@frii.com)
"The web site for Aquatic Gardeners by Aquatic Gardeners"
http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts/
by Thomas Barr <tcbiii/earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001
>> From: Cameron <ccase22@mail.com>
>> Subject: Ramshorns
>>
>> Will ramshorn snails eat my plants?
No they will not.
> Yes, they will eat plants if you have a lot of them, and you will have a lot
> of them because they reproduce so rapidly! In my experience, they eat any
> of the softer-leaved plants, including swords, but will say way from crypts
> and Anubias. They won't bother your Java moss. My ramshorns especially
> love Hygro polysperma.
> All I have are a few tiny green spots on the back glass, but will they
> eat that?
> Probably, but then you'll go after your plants.
This is simply not true. Your plants are in bad shape if they do. It's not
the snails fault if your plants are doing poorly. They will chew on old
dying or dead plant material. Healthy plants are **always** left alone by
this snail and pond and MTS's.
Something else is going on and your blaming it on the snails.
> Ramshorns won't eat your plants to the extent that mystery and apple snails
> do, but they will create ugly little holes. They will do quite a number on
> plants they really like.
Uh huh? Gee where are all my little holes?
I think/know you have a CO2 or nutrient problem, not a snail problem.
Apples and Mystery's will eat plants.
> If you only have a few spots, I wouldn't worry about them.
>
> I regret the day I ever introduced ramshorns into my tanks. I have to
> regularly remove dozens of them.
Add Zebra loach (Botia striata) and this will cure your snail problem. Then
you will still have holes in your plants and bit more algae to boot.
That's easy to take care of.
>
> People say that MTSs only come out at night and don't eat plants. That may
> be true in many cases, but not when you have a population explosion. When
> I've had population explosions, I've witnessed them munching on my plants
> during the day.
>
> I think folks are wise to stay away from snails all together.
Well you need to consider other factors before you accuse snails. Holes in
plants are not caused by the or pond or MTS's even en mass. I've have every
snail density ever seen in a tank. Large populations growth rates don't
matter if they eat the plants or not. Poor plant health does.
Regards,
Tom Barr
by "Chuck Gadd" <cgadd/cfxc.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001
Erick wrote:
> As I do regret the day they introduced themselves to my tank. Apparently
> they came in as eggs on a plant. Same way the Malaysian trumpets came in to
> my tank.
MTS definitely didn't come in as eggs on a plant. MTS are live-bearing...
As for Ramshorns, I've got hundreds of red ramshorns in my tanks, and they
do absolutely NO damange. Red Ramshorns stay fairly small, with my largest
being a little under an inch across.
- --
Chuck Gadd
The Krib
Fish/Animals
The Krib