View Full Version : How to breed snails??
PCDawg
04-09-2003, 1:58 PM
I have a lil dwarf puffer and its kind of hard to feed it frozen bloodworms as the water current always pushes the bloodworms away from the puffer and the worms always settle at the bottom of the tank. I want to get some snails as an additional food source for the puffer.
What is the best type of snail to get?? Apple snails?? golden snails?? and do i just get one and it'll automatically reproduce so that there'll be food for my puffer??
I forgot how snails reproduce, but if i remember correctly they just lay eggs and reproduce without breeding with other snails?? ....
Thanks!!
OrionGirl
04-09-2003, 2:09 PM
Get a pair of snails--most are hermaphrodites, but still require the exchange of DNA, unlike worms. I prefer the common pond snails for my puffers. Best bet is to setup a small bowl, and feed it with algae tabs. Keep it warm but not hot, and do regular water changes to prevent trace nutrients from being depleted.
tricksterpup
04-09-2003, 2:24 PM
Feed them and they will breed. ;)
I keep my Rams Horn snails in a separate 1 gallon tank (the left over Betta tank) and throw in any old veggies that I have lying around. Once you have 2 snails you will have many more. Gravel will help as well so the little ones have a place to hide until they are big enough to feed to the fishes. Excess food is important as well as this seems to cause them to breed faster.
thom336
04-09-2003, 3:09 PM
dont feed them and they'll breed...chuck em in the bin and they'll breed....crush every single one in the bloody tank and they'll still somehow find a way to breed!!!!
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/snailsforpuffers.shtml
But they do require food to breed, and cannot reproduce after being crushed.
Dangerdoll
04-09-2003, 6:45 PM
The way I obtained snails small enough to keep my dwarves happy was I simply bought a couple plants from my lfs. There's bound to be some hitchhikers on them. I don't know what kind of snails they are, but my little guys are apparently happy with them.
Heady
04-09-2003, 10:11 PM
LOL!!
How to breed snails! That is the funniest thing I've ever heard!!
Put. Them. In. Water. :D
Tetratastic
04-09-2003, 11:34 PM
I don't even bother with an extra tank for snails, I have a philodendron clipping that I put in a vase to take root, and I threw some snails in there to see what would happen. Turns out this is a perfect arrangement, I don't have to feed the snails, and can take out one or two as needed without them over-running a tank.
As far as breeding goes, this sizable colony was starting by one snail (that I foolishly thought would stay that way!), although I did get another two or three from my sister to mix up the DNA a little bit ago(as mentioned above by OrionGirl).
Heady
04-09-2003, 11:57 PM
While it is true you need 2 snails to mate, any snail that has already mated and makes it into your tank will produce dozens. Inbreeding... then dozens upon dozens upon dozens.
You're really only limited by the amount of food and/or fish poop in your tank.
MTS don't need two, they are parthenogenic females. But they are also poor choices for puffer food, the shells are too strong.
And if you keep more than one of two small puffers, you will find you need breeding tanks for snails.
RENEGADE
04-10-2003, 1:50 AM
could i feed them to my RCC?
PCDawg
04-10-2003, 1:31 PM
Thanks guys...i have a lil 2.5 hex that i'll use to breed my snails...
What snails are best for puffers??? I haerd some snails have harder shells than others...
RENEGADE
04-10-2003, 8:30 PM
Red Claw Crab = RCC
Renegade - the MTS have an operculum and use it, so they might shut the door in the crab's face. You would have to test to see, and as they burrow in the substrate, only empty shells would tell you.
PCDawg - I use Common Pond and Ramshorn snails for puffers. The Common Pond snails breed at a smaller size and withstand more crowding, so they are likely the best choice. You will have many tiny babies to feed to the puffs. The Ramshorns actually have thinner shells, but not a lot to choose between on those two.
RENEGADE
04-11-2003, 2:21 AM
not just MTS(what MT stands for i don't know the S is for Snail right) but any snails. i'm looking for diff food for my crab.
isaac newton
04-11-2003, 3:12 AM
When puffers eat the snail they spit out the shell dont they? Arnt rotting shells bad for your aquarium?
tricksterpup
04-11-2003, 12:30 PM
Originally posted by RENEGADE
not just MTS(what MT stands for i don't know the S is for Snail right) but any snails. i'm looking for diff food for my crab.
MTS= Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They love to borrow into sand and the substrate of your tank. They are one of the best substrate cleaners for any tank.
jim
Faramir
04-11-2003, 12:45 PM
Originally posted by isaac newton
When puffers eat the snail they spit out the shell dont they? Arnt rotting shells bad for your aquarium?
Shells are not living tissue. They don't rot.
They are mostly calcium carbonate and will contribute to raise GH and KH.
Dangerdoll
04-11-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by isaac newton
When puffers eat the snail they spit out the shell dont they? Arnt rotting shells bad for your aquarium?
the snails are important mostly for their shells, the puffers crack them with their teeth, thus keeping their teeth (beaks) trimmed and in good shape. Without the snails (or something with a shell, such as ghost shrimp), the puffers teeth would continue to grow. If they are not provided with something to keep their teeth trimmed, they risk losing the ability to feed at all and shortly thereafter succumb to starvation.
I'm not sure about shells rotting badly in the tank, though I'm sure I've got plenty in the tank as my puffers have a nice continuous supply of their own snails to pick at. My parameters never seem to be off going haywired in one direction or the next.
ChilDawg
04-11-2003, 12:52 PM
If the shells aren't completely cleaned by the predator, though, that material will rot. It depends on how proficient your puffer is at cleaning the shells...take a sample shell every so often to see if the proficiency has improved, gotten lower, or stayed the same.
isaac newton
04-11-2003, 4:55 PM
U Take out the shells that the puffer spits out or do u leave it in there?
ChilDawg
04-11-2003, 5:08 PM
Okay, I do not personally have a puffer, but I would take out sample shell pieces every now and again to make sure that rotting flesh is not left on them. If it is, I would take them out, but, if not, I would leave them in.
PCDawg
04-11-2003, 5:08 PM
I believe just vacuuming ur tank will remove those broken shells .......???
Dangerdoll
04-11-2003, 5:13 PM
judging from ChilDawg's response, I'd think you should do a weekly check of empty shells either floating or on the floor of the tank, checking for debris that might be left within the shell. It is the debris (the left behind snail flesh) that would cause the "potential rot problem".
With my tank, the gravel is natural so it is a bit difficult to decipher between the gravel and shell but like I said earlier, I've never had any problems with them messing with my tank' chemistry........ unless by chance it's keeping things pristine......
ChilDawg
04-11-2003, 5:18 PM
Originally posted by PCDawg
I believe just vacuuming ur tank will remove those broken shells .......???
Depends on how small they are. If they are still larger than the gravel, gravel vacs obviously won't work so well.
Dangerdoll, that was a good clarification of my earlier posts. You hit it right on the head. Thanks! :)
Dangerdoll
04-11-2003, 5:21 PM
Originally posted by ChilDawg
Dangerdoll, that was a good clarification of my earlier posts. You hit it right on the head. Thanks! :)
;) :D ;)
The real qustion is how finely the puffer grinds the shell. Sometimes chunks are left behind, sometimes the shell is finely crushed. When I vacumm the puffer tanks that have been in use many years, the gravel vac sorts the gravel and shell debris (gravel on bottom, shell fragments on top) while it is in the vacuum cylinder. It mixes back together as it drops back into the substrate. Looks very strange while vacuuming, but it has never presented any problem. You would be amazed at the mass of crushed shells after 10-15 years.
finfreak
04-17-2003, 8:46 PM
I was trying to get rid of my snails so I ran hot hot water over my rocks until my hot water tank went cold and those stupid thing were still there. We also scurbbed the tank. Eventually I went and bought new everything for that tank. THAT took care of'em. They breed like crazy. Just get a separate tank and stick one in it and in a very short time you'll have a ton. Just throw some foor in there every so often.
You need no luck with'em so have fun!:D