Scientific Name: Pomacea insularum
Common Names:
Care Level: easy
Adult Size: 4 inches
pH Range: 7.0-8.0
Temperature Range: 18-28 degrees Celsius (68-84 degrees Fahrenheit)
Origin: Islands of Parana, La Plata, Bolivia
Temperament: peaceful to aggressive
Compatible Tankmates:
They can be kept in most community setups but do not attempt to keep them with fish that have a voracious appetite for invertebrates, particularly loaches of the
botiine genus and puffers. Be very careful when selecting their tankmates. Most fish are tempted to nip their eyes and antennae. While the snails have the ability to regenerate their lost body parts, it is not advisable to push through your plans to risk them with possibly nippy fish. They will only be stressed out severely from constant harassments.
If the fish can tolerate hard alkaline water aside from being passive over the snails, they may be your best options as most specimens from soft acidic waters become more prone to finrot once the water chemistry is altered.
Diet:
These snails are voracious consumers devouring almost all types of plants including duckweeds (
Lemna minor) hence they are not suitable for planted community setups. Juveniles in particular tend to be more avid plant consumers. Any food will be consumed quite enthusiastically as these are not the least bit fussy about their foods at all.
Meaty foods have been known to increase their cannibalistic tendencies especially when fed with a weakened or dead snail. They have also been recorded thus far to even eat live fish when a prey least expects it although this is a very rare and unusual case but be particularly selective when choosing their fish tankmates. Bottom dwellers with fleshy bodies such as serpentine loaches are best avoided to prevent any possible predation from happening.
Tank Size For Adult: A 10g per adult.
Narrative:
Pomacea insularum are snails that are part of the
Pomacea genus (formerly
Ampullaridae). These snails originated from South America ranging from Southeast Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. These are now also widespread across Asia due to their ability to survive various environmental conditions. They have established populations in Hawaii and Florida.
It can be distinguished similar to the
Pomacea haustrum by the deeply indented sutures with a sharp shoulder with the exception of egg color which in the case of
Pomacea haustrum, they lay green eggs whereas the snail in question lays bubblegum pink eggs.
These snails are sexual and therefore need a partner in order to breed. They are not sexually matured until they reach 2.5 cm in size. It is not easy to distinguish their sexes however if you can remove the snail out of the water and observe closely the right side of its body, you may find the penis sheath in there. This will tell you the snail is a male. Another way is when they copulate. Males are often found clinging at the right side of their fellow snails. You will know by then the one clinging is a male. Males will attempt to copulate with anyone so the snail they may be clinging could be a male or a female. On the other hand, based on Donya Quick's researches, males tend to be more powerful. They will attack other males especially when they round on a female in order to mate. They are by far one of the most aggressive species in the canaliculata complex.
Pomacea insularum is capable of crossbreeding with the
Pomacea canaliculata however the resulting babies are not fertile and a majority based on the researches by Donya Quick have genetic deformities.
They lay clutches of bubblegum pink eggs above the waterline containing 200 to 1000 eggs. In comparison to the
P. canaliculata, the eggs are smaller in diameter and are laid in a larger clutch. The eggs must be kept in warm humid conditions. Removing them from their location involves using a razor blade without crushing them. Wait for 24 hours for the eggs to harden before removing them. Place the clutch in damp paper towel or filter floss afterwards. The eggs will become lighter as time progresses. You can tell when the eggs are about to hatch when they break easily as you touch or attempt to move them. The hatchlings may need a little assistance in this case. You can gently swish the eggs in the water so they fall off to the bottom although most hatchlings are able to find their way to the water. The hatchlings will remain hidden from view most of the time so be patient. They will eventually show up. They can be identified by the pink dot coloring their sutures which eventually disappears as they grow. They will grow rapidly at this point.
Feeding them is not a problem as they are not at all fussy with foods. They eat all types of plant matter and are banned from interstate shipping and distribution. This species is more resistant to lower temperatures than most apple snails. They are most active during the night. Use calcium enriched foods to ensure their shells will not erode. The use of calcium pills, liquid calcium, cuttlefish bones and eggshells is widely encouraged for healthy shell conditions. The pH must be maintained no lower than 7.0 as acidic water tends to erode the shells thus leaving the snail more susceptible to health issues, predatory attacks and even death.
They can be kept in most community setups but do not attempt to keep them with fish that have a voracious appetite for invertebrates, particularly loaches of the
botiine genus and puffers. Be very careful when selecting their tankmates. Most fish are tempted to nip their eyes and antennae. While the snails have the ability to regenerate their lost body parts, it is not advisable to push through your plans to risk them with possibly nippy fish. They will only be stressed out severely from constant harassments.
If the fish can tolerate hard alkaline water aside from being passive over the snails, they may be your best options as most specimens from soft acidic waters become more prone to finrot once the water chemistry is altered.
References:
www.applesnail.net
Quick, Donya, 2006 [online]
http://lyle.smu.edu/~dquick/snails/insularum.htm
