Archivarium 2004

Josh Hansen

I want to keep two snails in the fish tank with a Black Ghost. I have lost snail last time when I treated the tank to white spot. Do snails react with Melafix and Primifix. Why do snails hide in the shell a lot and are they stress?

Any information appreciated

from Josh

Bla · New Members Joined: 28 Mar 2005

Your not really helping me. What kind of snails do you want?? tell me and I'll give you info

Josh Hansen

I am actually talking about apple snails( 1 yellow shell and 1 brown shell)
Any information appreciated

from Josh

Bla · New Members Joined: 28 Mar 2005

Well your fish won't eat snails so thats oke.
you have to make sure that you don't buy an apple snail species that eats your plants. just the algae. But you should also give them some vegetables once in a while, as algae is not there preferred food. They don't want to eat it 4-ever. They are not really active in the day time so that is probally why they hide in there shell. Make sure they have other hiding places, like beneath plants and behind rocks where it is dark. If the tap-water in your area contains copper and/or other metals, use one of these water preparation products that catch away those metals bofere putting the snail in the water. Apple snails are very sensitive for these compounds (especially copper). You won't be the first one loosing a snail due to this snail-toxic substances in the water. If you see that the snails become completely inactive or if the snails, especially the little ones, try to leave the water after a water change: get a product to treat the water (like aquasafe or for those with access to a lab: use EDTA or something similar).
When there are many apple snails in a tank, the water tends to become cloudy because apple snails have a large amount of microorganisms in their intestine, which help to digest the food, and which are expelled with the faeces. These micro-organisms (amoebocytes) should not cause any harm to the fish and can even serve as a food source for young fish. Fresh food (lettuce etc.) are more likely to induce this micro-organism based clouding of the water. If the snails are fed with dry fish food, the water will stay cleaner.
It is a good idea to do regular water changes if you have many creatures in one tank, just like one would advise with fish, to maintain good water quality and to avoid accumulation of toxic substances and waste.
So try this and it will go well. I had an apple snail once. It did really well and lived a long time. until it died of age and was eaten by my neon tetras.
Good luck Wink

,
Bla

Josh Hansen

Thanks for the help any way, but I end up losing both of the snails in my tank probably to the Black Ghost or to Primafix or Melafix. I will not in the future get snails for this tank.

from Josh

pluto · Members Joined: 29 May 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada

hi
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post my question but here it goes....
I have a black mystery snail which has decided to take up gardening as a hobby.....you see he has a green plant growing on the point of his shell, so I was wondering if this was normal, or not? any help is greatly appreciated! If a picture is needed I can provide one soon, thanks again!

Sanderz · New Members Joined: 13 May 2005

I have an apple yellow snail, and I want to buy it a mate.
The question is, How do I know if my snail is a male or female?
Thanks in advance.

nukri · New Members Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Location: Naperville, IL

Sanderz,

As far as I know, and backed up by my own experience with golden apples, snails are hermaphrodites. That is, they are both males and femails at the same time. They stab each other with their thingies (actually, THINGS, sonce they are huge) and whichever manages first, that will be a male in that instance. Another time, roles may reverse.
But I'm not sure if all species are like that though.
Happy mating!
nukri
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Magdana

drbdc

The yellow one is most likely a pomacea bridgesii. They are not hermies or plant eaters either one. If you hold the snail it will slowly come out (sometimes) and up above the head under the front of the shell, you will either see a lump if it's male or a depression if it's female. Real easy to tell if you see them mating as the male is usually riding on top and overlapping the front of the females shell. There is tons of info on applesnail.net if you need more info.