Stowaways from Petsmart

[shellieca]

I have never gotten hitchhikers from Petsmart but did get one from a private plant sale, it was a trumpet snail which I added to my 46g. I don't want pond snails so those I would definitely get rid of but I do like other snails. I currently have Mystery Snails (1 in each of my 5 tanks) & recently added Nerite Snails to each tank.

[Hollthulhu]

I looove snails! Interesting fact a reader may not know, is all snails are hermaphrodites.. so if you got two, there is potential for babies! :D

I hope to put a snail or two with my betta.. but I am thinking it'd be wise to put in some adult (larger) snails to minimize risk of my betta wanting to eat them?

[InfiniteGlory]

Hmmm, i may put one in the QT and see if Glory II wants a snack. They are no bigger than a betta pellet.

[LadyVictorian]

Originally Posted by Hollthulhu

I looove snails! Interesting fact a reader may not know, is all snails are hermaphrodites.. so if you got two, there is potential for babies! :D

Even more interesting fact, not all snails are hermaphrodites actually. Apple snails and also know as mystery snails DO have separate genders which is why so many people love them. They don't reproduce as fast as other snails and if you have a group of males or females you will NEVER have baby snails. HOWEVER...this makes it a challenge for people like me who want to breed these snails. It's hard work ordering in a shipment for breeding when I could get landed with all females or all males on accident and am no closer to my breeding goal. Happened to me at petco, i was going to buy a female mystery snail for my male I have and the lady told me she can't guarantee females as they don't ever gender their snails.

In apple snails it also seems the females grow a little bigger than than males, the theory being she needs to room to produce her eggs. They also do something very interesting, they lay their eggs OUTSIDE of water in one clutch. Apple snails are truly a marvel in the snail world and honestly compared to other snails they are a highly advanced breed. They even seem more active and smarter than other snails, at least what I have seen. Their only downfall is they can get very large and produce a lot of byproduct but as far as snails go they are the top of my list and my boy Nikola Tesla never fails to amaze me....now only if I can get him a girlfriend and breed. :/

[NapoleonUWS]

Question -
How do you get rid of your extra snails? Find them homes? take them back to bet stores?

[LadyVictorian]

You can take them to the store, find them new homes, or get assassin snails that will hunt and kill them. However if you have snails that have trouble breeding in your tank they may kill off the whole population of them.

[Hollthulhu]

Originally Posted by LadyVictorian

Even more interesting fact, not all snails are hermaphrodites actually. Apple snails and also know as mystery snails DO have separate genders which is why so many people love them. They don't reproduce as fast as other snails and if you have a group of males or females you will NEVER have baby snails. HOWEVER...this makes it a challenge for people like me who want to breed these snails. It's hard work ordering in a shipment for breeding when I could get landed with all females or all males on accident and am no closer to my breeding goal. Happened to me at petco, i was going to buy a female mystery snail for my male I have and the lady told me she can't guarantee females as they don't ever gender their snails.

In apple snails it also seems the females grow a little bigger than than males, the theory being she needs to room to produce her eggs. They also do something very interesting, they lay their eggs OUTSIDE of water in one clutch. Apple snails are truly a marvel in the snail world and honestly compared to other snails they are a highly advanced breed. They even seem more active and smarter than other snails, at least what I have seen. Their only downfall is they can get very large and produce a lot of byproduct but as far as snails go they are the top of my list and my boy Nikola Tesla never fails to amaze me....now only if I can get him a girlfriend and breed. :/

Wow, really? Are they the only ones that aren't hermaphroditic? That's the first I've heard of it but that's really cool to know! I'm so going to look them up now.. I'm trying to decide on a good first-time aquarium snail to get anyways.

[Kytkattin]

Just as an fyi, the Mondo grass is not an aquatic plant. It will probably start rotting in a few days/weeks if left submersed.

[319]

I recently got an apple snail from the pet store here. He's cool and surprisingly fast, as I thought snails were slow. He's great and my betta loves to watch him or follow him around the tank from time to time and doesn't try to eat him like I was afraid might happen.

[Hollthulhu]

Are Apple Snails the same as the ones called Golden Snails at most pet stores I've seen? They look almost identical..