Apple Snail

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:10 am

I'm thinking about getting an apple snail for my goldfish tank. (2 small goldfish, 1 larger fish, in a 29 gallon tank) Occasionally I get a little bit of algae every now and then, and I've heard snails can be good at cleaning that. I've done a little bit of research, and know they need a pretty varied diet, but since I give my goldfish various bits to eat, I don't think that should be a huge problem. I know some people here have kept them, and I have some questions for ya. Like, do they do alright by themselves? Meaning, would they be happy enough if I kept just one in the fishtank or are they more community animals? Second, could you recommend a species? I know a few of them get very large, but I'd be happier with one of the smaller species, I think. I know snails can be a bit messy, and since I have the goldfishies, the less mess the better. I'm happy to do the research, but advice from other owners is really about the best way I can think of to learn what I need to know, and I'd appreciate any and all advice. Thank ya!

TheGreyRonin · Post by **TheGreyRonin** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:55 am

One snail alone is fine; two will breed. ....And although some don't have this problem, I myself and several dozen other aquarium fanciers have had problems with snails overrunning the tanks. Since most snails are hermaphroditic, when they mate, BOTH go away pregnant. Once I learned my lesson (and lost a breeding pair of black lace angelfish to them) I learned to isolate one snail in a goldfish bowl for a while, and if not eggs were laid, then moved it by itself into a tank. Once I started doing that, no problems.

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 12:14 pm

Thankfully I've learned apple snails are not hermaphroditic, and only one or two species can change from male to female and vice versa. While I'm sure baby snails are cute, I don't think I want a whole tank of them. I think just one snail will do the trick in the tank, but I wanted to make sure that he or she wouldn't get lonely if I did. Thank ya!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:34 am

It's http://www.applesnail.netYour best bet are the brigs (bridgsii? i forget how to spell it). Most LFS label them gold inca snails or mystery snails. They are supposed to be the least likely to eat your plants, however, that is not always the case. If you really want the algae to get eaten, a plecostomus or other algae eating fish may be a better alternative. Snails are interesting creatures though, and it's hard to stop with just one. I'm going to be transfering my crabs into a 90g so that the snails can move from a 20g to a 40g. lol.My brig has been laying eggs for the last couple of weeks. My colombian ramshorn babies hatched on Feb 2. I have pics of my snails in my yahoo album. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/babycakes2272/my_photos

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:06 am

My mom has a couple of plecos in her tank downstairs, but because I have goldfish who may get pretty large, I really wanted something different. A snail sounded pretty good. I've been soaking up the info on the applesnail.net site as best I can. I'm still trying to get a hang of the species and differences there, but I've been learning as much about the care and such. Oh, and I don't have any live plants in the tank, just plastic, so hopefully nothing there to worry about. I will provide some spinich and lettuce and such if they need it and I heard that they like pond fish food, so I can certainly get some of that as well. I doubt my piggie goldfishies would mind any of that. Thank you for the help and advice!!

CrystalStone · Post by **CrystalStone** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 12:08 pm

Bridgesii's are great for eating algae. Unfortunately they look just like Canaliculata's, which prefer live plants and veggies. It's very hard to tell the difference in a pet store unless it's on the front glass so you can see the shape of the opening of it's shell. There are pics on applesnail.net that show the difference on the species pages.The cold water will be fine and your snail will live longer for it. Warmth speeds up their life cycle. A lot of times you will bring home one that will lay eggs. They lay them above the waterline either on the tank lid or side glass. If you do not want 200 babies, take the eggs out and throw them away. It makes you feel a little guilty, but it saves a lot of trouble. Bridgesii's prefer dead plant matter so if you give them veggies make sure you boil them first to make them nice and soft and dead-like. Green beans are usually a big hit as are algae tablets. They are big on green stuff.Canalicuata's are not good algae eaters. Try to stay away from them if that's what you're going for. (Marisa's aren't good algae eaters either...those are the giant ramshorn snails).