"i grow stripe"

[NilsBaees]

I just bought a gold mystery snail (the one in the post “I dig hole,” maybe you saw it?). Anyway, ever since I put him in (JUST 2 DAYS) his shell has grown ¼ of an inch! It’s not gold, though. It is white, like his body. Will it turn yellow? :pikachu: Is everything okay? thanks


Note: sorry if the orange text is hard to read, it was bcs. I copied and pasted this from Microsoft Word and it was black and I am using the dark blue skin of AC, so I tried to pick a color that would show up on all skins. :wall:

[msjinkzd]

I would think its just fine. What is the tank temp? Often they will grow rapidly in higher tank temps (above 78) and sometimes the new growth is paler. As they reach full size, the striping can fade to a light color than in the deeper parts of the "whorls" of the shell.

[NilsBaees]

it is 80 degrees in there

[thebullit]

higher temps=quicker growth, and shorter life span. if atall possible i would consider turning the temp down a couple of degrees.

[NilsBaees]

shorter life span? WHY?

[msjinkzd]

because it increases their metabolism, breeding cycle, etc. In turn, this shortens their longevity. I typically keep my apple snail tanks between 72-74, this allows for slower growth and theoretically "thicker" shell growth, a slower laying rate, and longer life.

[LuxyBlue]

I'm lucky to keep my tank at 76-78 here in Texas. Surprisingly, my heater turns on more in summer when the AC is running than in the winter.

[thebullit]

i also keep mine at about 74-76

[eroomlorac]

Ummmm........what is the lifespan of an apple snail? Now I'm worried about my little guys dying.

[msjinkzd]

anywhere from about 18 months to about 3 years., depending on temp, nutrition etc.

[NilsBaees]

his "stripe" is no longer a stripe!!!! It is huge!!! like half an inch or more!!!
I'm starting to worry that it's not growth, but the yellow part is going away. is that possible? or is it really just really fast growth?

[msjinkzd]

i would try and gradually lower the tank temp a little. Don't be too concerned as long as he is acting well.

[thebullit]

i wouldnt worry to much about the change. one of my A Spixis turned from a bright yellow/maroon (sp)stripe to nearly completly maroon. acting the same,health the same ,eating the same. my other 3 Adults havnt changed appearence. all params ok. will have to take a pic in the morning and post here.

[NilsBaees]

okay, i'm starting to think that it's not rapid shell growth anymore. take a look at these pictures--it's like the gold shell is wearing away. the layer outside now is kind of transparent, like you can see his wastes.. :(

[Easydoesit]

idk if its normal or not. whats the pH of your tank?

[Easydoesit]

pH & hardness*

[NilsBaees]

pH is 7.1, I don't have a hardness testing kit :[

[msjinkzd]

his shell looks pretty healthy other than the color change. If he is eating and acting well, i wouldn't get too worried.

[NilsBaees]

oh..he is eating and acting well, but the "color change" is more like a different shell layer now..

[thebullit]

can you turn the temp down in the tank, because higher temp makes them grow faster, but with a thinner shell. if the temp is lower slower growth which gives the snail more time to grow a thicker and harder shell.

[thebullit]

heres the pics of the colour change, you can clearly see that the A Spixi has gone from striped to almost sold colour. theres a pick of 1 still all striped.

[NilsBaees]

Ohh! I see now...thanks for the pic! nice snailies, too (prettier than mine)! :)

[thebullit]

thanks.

[msjinkzd]

With your apple snail, i was just reading on another site that they can have some pretty drastic color changes when their food changes. Perhaps since this is an "albino" snail, that is what you are seeing...just a guess.

[NilsBaees]

ohhh..!!!! albino!!! That'd be really cool to have, but mine's shell (the wierd white layer) is kind of yellow. :pikachu:

[LuxyBlue]

My gold and pearl both looked lighter when they had growth spurts, and then the color (I am assuming shell thickness) caught up. They looked just like your pics. They were small though and grew very fast as my tank was heated, and they were from petsmart where all they were fed were clippings from plants that no one but canas eat and now they get food.

My mother in laws didn't look the same as she never fed them at all and let them get what scraps they could. :( So I am assuming they grew very slowly. Someone correct me if I am wrong on this.

Like Jinkzd said, if they are eating and acting normal, I wouldn't worry. Lowering the tank temp can help. Do you give any calcium to them?

[NilsBaees]

no, I tried putting a vacation block (the plaster or paris ones) because I've been recommended to do so by someone, but no one paid any attention to it. :(

[thebullit]

it will buffer the water not nessesary for the snails to eat, but if found they will graze on it.

[NilsBaees]

and so when they eat it it helps their shell?

[msjinkzd]

just by being in the tank, the vacation feeders help the shell. It buffers the water which reduces erosion of the shell.

[NilsBaees]

ok...do I reduce feeding while I put one in?

[thebullit]

no i would carry as normal and feed normaly.

[bluekrissyspike]

looks ok to me. i've had snails change color on my after buying the. i think it might be because of the difference between lps's water and mine

[NilsBaees]

ah. The white new part is turning yellow now, although not as yellow as before.

[thebullit]

am sure it will darken up.

[bluekrissyspike]

i put peices of cuddlebone in my snails tank for them. they floated around for a few days then sank. it seems to help their shells growth...

[thebullit]

regards cuttlebone you can boil them for a few hours, that makes them sink straight away.

[NilsBaees]

like the cuttlebone people sell in the pet store for their birds? will it harm other tank inhabitants?

[thebullit]

nope it does good as its full of calcium

[NilsBaees]

oh nice! I just did a water change and he dug a hole again...:)