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Mystery Snails (Pomacea Bridgessii)
Snails in the aquarium, not everyone’s cup of tea - they are a pest clogging the filters etc. but this is not always the case. Enter the world of the mystery snails and you will be amazed with the variety of different coloured shells (golds, reds, browns, blues, striped), their strange antics when they are coming up for air is fascinating to watch, keepers soon fall in love with them.
So what are mystery snails?
There is a lot of debate as to the actual classification of these creatures, they can have various different names – apple snails, ivory snails, Inca snail, day & night snails, the list goes on but the most common variety sold on the market are usually classified as being Pomacea Bridgessii and these all belong to the family of Ampullariidae (sometimes referred to as Pilidae) which contains over a hundred different members.
Far from being a pest these snails can be a bonus to your tank as they will clear up any rotting vegetation from your plants, plus any surplus food from the substrate, and they will earn their keep by clearing some algae from the glass (apart from hair algae).
There is a general rule for the amount of snails per tank usually 1 per 2.5 gallons of water (dependant on the filtration and aeration provided in the set up) but be warned, a tight fitting lid is a must as they can and will leave the water at times so any gaps where pipe work enters through the lid should be sealed and small ventilation holes provided. They can produce a lot of waste so under stocking would be better than vice versa.
Some keepers have kept these in coldwater setups but they much prefer the warmer water provided with a tropical tank. Normally they are sold in the pet shops at about 1 inch or under in size but each individual can grow to a size of 2.5 inches if kept in optimum conditions. There is one species of theses snails (Pomacea maculata sometimes referred to as Ampullarius gigas) that can grow to an astounding 6 inches.
Average lifespan if kept healthy & well fed is normally about 2 years.
Specific Needs:
pH levels need to be kept to at least 6.5 -7 as below this can cause an erosion of the shell and stunted growth, however there are also on the market several calcium supplements that will aid shell development.
The water should be well aerated with an air stone or an air driven sponge filter but this is where these snails can do their party piece! If there is insufficient oxygen in the water they have a branchial respiration system as well as possessing a gill. They will head towards the surface of the water and extend a siphon out to take in external oxygen – a truly amazing sight! It has been known for one of these tubes to extend anything up to 4 inches. This system of breathing is believed to have evolved to create a defense from predatory birds grabbing them once they leave the safety of the water. How true this is I cannot say but it seems to make sense to me.
Never fill your tank completely; with their need for plenty of oxygen at least leave a 2 inch gap from the top of the tank to the water level inside.
Last but not least keep your water healthy & stable, as they produce a lot of waste, ample filtration should be provided.
As with all invertebrates they will not tolerate any form of copper based medication so if kept in a community tank either remove before treating the tank or quarantine the infected fish to treat.
Do not keep them with tank mates likely to harass them.
Feeding:
These snails will eat algae, rotting plant matter, leftover fish food i.e. flake or pellet. I used to give mine Hikari algae wafers and the occasional treat of brine shrimp pellets. They can also be fed spinach, blanched greens. However be warned if they are kept in the community tank and food is scarce they will attack healthy plant life so keep them well fed.
Breeding:
Unlike most snails these are not hermaphroditic (asexual), you will need at least 1 male and 1 female for breeding success. The male has a penal tube similar to its breathing siphon tube that is used purely for this purpose. When they pair up the male will insert the tube under the females shell and enter her body. It is quite often that you will see the female carrying the male about on the back of her shell. Eggs are normally laid at night out of the water and in a clutch averaging anywhere from 200-600 eggs at a time.
For aeration, filtration a double sponge filter was added and a temp of 26°C was set. I placed the tank in a dimly lit place adding a watertight lid to prevent any escapees.
Eggs once laid would be expected to hatch out after 2 weeks sometimes 3 weeks but the young couldn’t be easier to feed, basically they were given the same diet as the adults.
As a matter of habit I doubled the water changes to reduce any risk of mortalities but these were normally very few, and to be honest, a newly hatched snail is not the easiest thing to find if it does not survive.
I love my blue mysteries and plan to purchase a few other colors. They do a GREAT service for my tanks!
Mystery Snails (Pomacea Bridgessii)
Snails in the aquarium, not everyone’s cup of tea - they are a pest clogging the filters etc. but this is not always the case. Enter the world of the mystery snails and you will be amazed with the variety of different coloured shells (golds, reds, browns, blues, striped), their strange antics when they are coming up for air is fascinating to watch, keepers soon fall in love with them.
So what are mystery snails?
There is a lot of debate as to the actual classification of these creatures, they can have various different names – apple snails, ivory snails, Inca snail, day & night snails, the list goes on but the most common variety sold on the market are usually classified as being Pomacea Bridgessii and these all belong to the family of Ampullariidae (sometimes referred to as Pilidae) which contains over a hundred different members.
Far from being a pest these snails can be a bonus to your tank as they will clear up any rotting vegetation from your plants, plus any surplus food from the substrate, and they will earn their keep by clearing some algae from the glass (apart from hair algae).
There is a general rule for the amount of snails per tank usually 1 per 2.5 gallons of water (dependant on the filtration and aeration provided in the set up) but be warned, a tight fitting lid is a must as they can and will leave the water at times so any gaps where pipe work enters through the lid should be sealed and small ventilation holes provided. They can produce a lot of waste so under stocking would be better than vice versa.
Some keepers have kept these in coldwater setups but they much prefer the warmer water provided with a tropical tank. Normally they are sold in the pet shops at about 1 inch or under in size but each individual can grow to a size of 2.5 inches if kept in optimum conditions. There is one species of theses snails (Pomacea maculata sometimes referred to as Ampullarius gigas) that can grow to an astounding 6 inches.
Average lifespan if kept healthy & well fed is normally about 2 years.
Specific Needs:
pH levels need to be kept to at least 6.5 -7 as below this can cause an erosion of the shell and stunted growth, however there are also on the market several calcium supplements that will aid shell development.
The water should be well aerated with an air stone or an air driven sponge filter but this is where these snails can do their party piece! If there is insufficient oxygen in the water they have a branchial respiration system as well as possessing a gill. They will head towards the surface of the water and extend a siphon out to take in external oxygen – a truly amazing sight! It has been known for one of these tubes to extend anything up to 4 inches. This system of breathing is believed to have evolved to create a defense from predatory birds grabbing them once they leave the safety of the water. How true this is I cannot say but it seems to make sense to me.
Never fill your tank completely; with their need for plenty of oxygen at least leave a 2 inch gap from the top of the tank to the water level inside.
Last but not least keep your water healthy & stable, as they produce a lot of waste, ample filtration should be provided.
As with all invertebrates they will not tolerate any form of copper based medication so if kept in a community tank either remove before treating the tank or quarantine the infected fish to treat.
Do not keep them with tank mates likely to harass them.
Feeding:
These snails will eat algae, rotting plant matter, leftover fish food i.e. flake or pellet. I used to give mine Hikari algae wafers and the occasional treat of brine shrimp pellets. They can also be fed spinach, blanched greens. However be warned if they are kept in the community tank and food is scarce they will attack healthy plant life so keep them well fed.
Breeding:
Unlike most snails these are not hermaphroditic (asexual), you will need at least 1 male and 1 female for breeding success. The male has a penal tube similar to its breathing siphon tube that is used purely for this purpose. When they pair up the male will insert the tube under the females shell and enter her body. It is quite often that you will see the female carrying the male about on the back of her shell. Eggs are normally laid at night out of the water and in a clutch averaging anywhere from 200-600 eggs at a time.
For aeration, filtration a double sponge filter was added and a temp of 26°C was set. I placed the tank in a dimly lit place adding a watertight lid to prevent any escapees.
Eggs once laid would be expected to hatch out after 2 weeks sometimes 3 weeks but the young couldn’t be easier to feed, basically they were given the same diet as the adults.
As a matter of habit I doubled the water changes to reduce any risk of mortalities but these were normally very few, and to be honest, a newly hatched snail is not the easiest thing to find if it does not survive.
I love my blue mysteries and plan to purchase a few other colors. They do a GREAT service for my tanks!
