Want a snail but don't know much about them.

that's an awesome story, saray. i'm imaging you taking a toothbrush to a giant snail shell :)
And good lookin' tank! I'm jealous. I wish mine were that big and sparkly.
 
on a OT note, I think you should move you betta to your 10g. bettas aren't very happy in bowls, and he should get along with your fish.
 
fishcatch22 said:
he should get along with your fish.
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or he may not, especially if he's a boy. i'm done trying to put male bettas in community tanks (or with any other fish, period). it just hasn't worked for me, but for some people (I tend to think the minority) it does.
 
fishcatch22 said:
on a OT note, I think you should move you betta to your 10g. bettas aren't very happy in bowls, and he should get along with your fish.
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I'm not sure about that. I tried to introduce one of my bettas into the 75G and he spent the entire day chasing the neons down. I don't think he appreciated their colors as much as I do! :duh: So just be careful and watch them superbly close!!! I've also seen my female (who came after the male was removed) eat ghost shrimp whole... incase you ever get some of those.

And as for the toothbrushing Gary... it is quite a sight...especially if he tries to open up and slide around...sometimes I have to have my dad hold him while I brush. It's a fun time!! But the end event is always worth it because he's that gorgeous golden color again without the little algae spots :D
 
plah831 said:
or he may not, especially if he's a boy. i'm done trying to put male bettas in community tanks (or with any other fish, period). it just hasn't worked for me, but for some people (I tend to think the minority) it does.
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every male betta I ever had got along great with other fish, and beleive me, i've had, like 4 male bettas over my life. there is a chance it might not work, but please go for it. you don't know how much happier your betta will be in a 10g.
 
saray2004 said:
And as for the toothbrushing Gary... it is quite a sight...especially if he tries to open up and slide around...sometimes I have to have my dad hold him while I brush. It's a fun time!! But the end event is always worth it because he's that gorgeous golden color again without the little algae spots :D
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that's so cute. I love how he's named Gary. Does he meow?

He/she (I think mysteries have separate genders) sounds like a fun pet. He's the mascot of your tank! Plus he's probably responsible for keeping your tank so sparkling clean. Congrats!

How old is Gary, or how long have you had him? I am wondering how long it takes for a snail to get that size. It's impressive. It speaks highly of your aquarium-keeping skills.
 
Adding another facet to this thread, I want to breed ramshorn snails in a spare tank to feed to my gf's RES and to have a few to put in my tank to clean up algae on occassion. They are hermaphroditic from what I have read in the article linked earlier in this thread, but you need at least two in order to breed.

My question is, would I be able to breed them in a spare 2.5 gallon or would they overwhelm that small of a space in a hurry? I know they lay quite a few eggs, but they are small at first, no? What would I need to have in the tank aside from a filter and heater? Do they need any kind of gravel or plants (they would be fake), or can it be bare? Also, how fast do they grow? Will it be months before they make a decent snack for Cairo (the RES)?
 
My tank fish are fine and I really don't trust my betta if I put him in there, he is a badass. I wouldn't want to stress the other fish out. And I have had my betta Jack next to the tank before and he stares with his gills open. He is fine in his bowl, its not small, and we do weekly water changes and have a plant in there too.

But back to the snail, I'm going there in a couple weeks to get a friend a betta for his birthday, so i'll pick up a snail there, if i'm still interested.
 
thanks plah831...in fact he does meow! Just kidding! I started him in my 10 gallon around two years ago and he was in there for a year before I switched him to the 75 gallon after it was fully cycled and all. They grow so fast it's unbelievable! Sometimes I literally thought I could see him growing...but here in the last six months or so he's slowed down considerably and just cruises through the tank like he owns it.

And tetras_rule33... I really think that you would enjoy having an apple or mystery snail to your tank. They are such an entertaining critter! :)
 
nerdyguy83 said:
My question is, would I be able to breed them in a spare 2.5 gallon or would they overwhelm that small of a space in a hurry? I know they lay quite a few eggs, but they are small at first, no? What would I need to have in the tank aside from a filter and heater? Do they need any kind of gravel or plants (they would be fake), or can it be bare? Also, how fast do they grow? Will it be months before they make a decent snack for Cairo (the RES)?
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That should be fine. Many folks breed snails in a bucket. I don't use aeration or filtration and I had about 60 egg clutches after 2 weeks (and about 30 snails to begin with). the heat is helpful because they tend to reproduce better (and will grow faster) at higher temperatures, because ectotherm metabolism is increased wth temp.

as for rate, i haven't gotten far enough to actually get snails large enough to feed yet. but i'm feeding dwarf puffers, so as soon as they're big enough to see, they'll be eaten. the first batch hatched after 3 weeks. they're now the size of a pencil-tip (lead end), a few days after hatching.

for feeding a turtle, you'd probably want a heater to get them to get as big as possible. of course, feeding them more will help with that, too. as for aeration, i've heard people say it actually REDUCED fecundity because it probably lowered temperation. bubbles aren't really necessary for snails, either, because (if I read Dave's article correctly) they breathe from the air at the top.

i think what helped with my fertility rates was keeping the water very clean. i change out their water 100% 5 times a week. ramshorns get very dirty (don't know about other snails). i'll put in 2 bottom feeder wafers and the next morning, the water is completely thick and cloudy and nasty.

hope that helps! let me know if you guys have any more questions/comments. I've enjoyed this happy snail discussion :)
 
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