Mystery snails, sys. water quality  – 11/10/09
Hello,
<Hi,>
Got one quick question, am i supposed to have a few extra empty shells in my tank for the mystery snails when they start to grow?
<No, though if you live in a soft water area, adding a few seashells is a good idea. They'll buffer the water a bit, and the snails will chew them to extract the calcium carbonate they need.>
or does the shell grow with the snail?
<Yes, indeed, this is what happens.>
Thanks
John
<Cheers, Neale.>

Ivory Mystery Snail, beh.   9/14/09
To the Crew,
I have a small 1/2 inch Ivory Mystery Snail. We have a large snail shell, in the tank for decoration. Our little snail has climbed in and hasn't come out for a day. Can it be stuck?
<Yes.>
It's been in there before, but never that far. We can see the end of it's shell way in there but don't know what to do. Any thoughts?
<Try and get the Mystery Snail out. Animals can suffocate inside shells, and I've even lost a Corydoras that way.>
Thanks,
Heidi
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Ivory Mystery Snail 09/15/09
Thanks Neale,
It was finally able to get out on it's own. We'll be sure to remove the large shell from our tank.
<Sounds wise.>
Thank you for your quick reply.
<Happy to help.>
-Heidi
<Cheers, Neale.>

Saving Snaily  6/20/09
Hello!
<Hi there Tamara>
I have read through a great deal on your sight about what could be wrong with my Ivory mystery snail and what to do to treat him, but cannot find a similar description to what is happening to my snail.
Yesterday morning I found him lying on the bottom of the aquarium half hanging out of his shell.
<Bad>
I have a 41 gallon aquarium with 2 ivory mystery snails, 1 Ryukin, and 1 Oranda. All have lived together in harmony for the last 6 months. I do 30% water changes once a week and the current temp is 74 degrees. Anyway, I thought he was dead so I scooped him out right away. Not being completely sure if he was dead I put him in a 1.5 gallon quarantine tank.
Long and behold his little antennas were slowly moving and he stuck his syphon up. I noticed he had some gravel substrate stuck to his flesh so I gently removed that with my finger. 5 minutes later I noticed more gravel on him that was not there earlier (I have no gravel in the quarantine tank). So I removed the gravel again and while doing that noticed him pushing out another pc from inside his shell so I removed that as well.
Then I noticed a small amount of white 'goo' for lack of a better term come out of his syphon. The goo had some very tiny clear bubbles in it. This is the one and only time he has had this goo. He has been in the quarantine tank for about a day and half and he is just so sick. I have been trying to keep the water in the quarantine tank clean since it is so small, but he still in not improving. He is very very weak. He is moving sooooooooo slow and is just stuck to the side of the tank at the top. When I remove some of the water to add more clean water (treated with Aqua Plus tap water conditioner and Cycle) he falls half out of his shell or completely falls off the side of the glass when the water level goes below his shell. Once the water level is up again he painstakingly slowly climbs back up to the top of the water line and just sits there. I put in a small piece of lettuce for a couple of hours just in case he felt hungry, but he just ignored it so I removed it. Do you please have any remedies I can try to help him feel better. I am not certain it is a water quality issue since the other (larger) ivory mystery snail is doing terrific. I have no ammonia or nitrites registering on the tests I am doing and PH is just about 8. Please help me figure out how to make this little guy feel better! Much thanks, Tamara
<I wish I knew what specifically was wrong here, but I don't... perhaps your one snail has an internal issue, some genetic predisposition. You did the right thing by removing it to the small, quarantine system... and I would continue to leave it there, and change a good deal of the water every few days... with water from the main system... and offer foods per your reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnailfdgfaqs.htm
and do take solace from reading the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Snail Questions, Mystery, sys., sel.  04/21/09
Hello:
Great site! Now I just have to find the time to ready through it all. So far I think it's the best one out there.
<Thank you.>
Background:
I am setting up a 10 gallon tank for the first time. I have a Mystery Snail that I rescued from a Betta Bowl where he was being harassed. So the snail will be part of my 10 gallon community. A friend gave me an old
10 gallon tank, but nothing else. Researching what I need I thought the "Eclipse 1" would be good, however I'm concerned about how it works.
Tank Question:
I have not seen the eclipse 1 yet, but if the filters work from the top, doesn't the water have to be topped off for it to work?
<Don't know this filter myself, but you should see a "minimum" waterline somewhere on the filter. Usually, the water is about keeping the motor from overheating more than anything else. Anyway, if the water is below this line, it's unsafe.>
Don't snail need at least 1" of air space for their respiration?
<Yes.>
Reference From: www.peteducation.com
Respiration: Snails of the Ampullariidae family have both gills and a lung.
They use a siphon, much like a snorkel, which the snail can extend out to the water surface allowing the snail to breathe while submerged. Therefore, in an aquarium setting, there should be two to four inches of open air space above the waterline to provide the snail with open air to breathe.
The siphon of the Pomacea genus is typically longer than the length of the snail's body.
<Contrary to what people imagine, Apple Snails actually aren't good additions to fish tanks. There are multiple reasons, two of which are the need for air and the tendency many fish have of nipping at the Apple
Snails. But Apple Snails are also seasonal creatures that spend part of the year in "hibernation", usually during summer when the water level is low.
Without a resting phase, they simply burn out, which is why so few Apple Snails ever get as big in captivity as they do in the wild.>
Snail Health Questions:
The snail has not been looking good since he was being harassed. Now he has a lot of white cloudy stuff all over his shell and a lot of gooey stuff coming out of him all the time. He also is very inactive. Is he dying?
<Quite possibly. Once damaged, Apple Snails are prone to dying, which is why I recommend people keep them in their own quarters, away from fish.
That way, you can control all the variables. Prevention is definitely better than cure.>
Will it be safe to add him to the tank or is he too sick?
<I wouldn't; a lump of rotting snail meat wouldn't help water quality one bit. Much better to leave it in a reasonably large bucket (say, 3-5 gallons) with an airstone, and see what happens. Assuming it's not too cold where you live, you might not even need a heater.>
Any idea what is wrong with him and how I can help him recovery.
<Snail medicine is very much in its infancy! So far as we can tell, Apple Snails are either in rude health or dying; there isn't much in between.>
I've tried searching for the answers, but wasn't having any luck and I want to get the tank setup this week if possible.
Thank you for your time & knowledge,
Phyllis
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Snail Questions
Hi Neale,
Your answers were very helpful - thank you for your time.
Phyllis
<My pleasure. Good luck! Neale.>

Mystery Snail Mating... beh., sys.  - 03/06/09 I bought two gold mystery snails the other day and tossed them in my 10 gallon tank with some zebra Danio. A few days later I noticed they were mating. After a few hours I returned to find that one snail had buried itself under the gravel almost completely (see attached photo) (you have to zoom in on the center under the bridge). Is this normal? What is going on? I thought they laid their eggs above the water line. Should I dig the snail up? Thanks for you help! Coleman My info: 10 gallon tank, over the back filter, water temp at 74 degrees, live Micro Sword Grass (Liaeopsis novae-zelandiae), pH 6.8 - 7.4, lighting on timer for day and night modes. <Greetings. Your Pomacea is likely attempting to aestivate, i.e., to enter its normal resting phase. In the wild, Apple snails live a life that involves a few months of dormancy each year. The reason they don't survive in tropical aquaria for more than a year is because aquarists deny them this. Kept active for more than 12 months they usually "burn out". So what should you do? Ideally, you'd remove the snail, place it in a container with some wet mud, and let it snooze for at least a month somewhere, taking care that it (and the mud) stayed damp. You could then try and wake the snail up by placing the snail in a bucket and partially covering it with water from the aquarium. Don't cover it with water or throw it into the aquarium just yet, or it will drown! If the snail starts moving about (this may take some hours, because it's in "suspended animation") you're good to go, and can put the snail in the aquarium. The alternative is to leave the snail in your aquarium even though its resting. Sometimes this does no harm, but sooner or later, Apple snails do die when kept going all the time, which is why you never see the full sized (tennis ball sized!) specimens in pet shops or home aquaria. By the way, your pH variations are insanely dangerous, and need to be looked into. Remember, one "step" on the pH scale means a ten-fold increase in acidity or alkalinity. So while 6.8 to 7.4 doesn't sound much, it's actually a huge change, and quite possibly one that is stressful to your fish and snails. Review the carbonate hardness of the water, and check that you're doing sufficient water changes to dilute the nitrate and organic acids in the water. A 10-gallon tank is really too small for Danios, so I'm concerned you have an overstocked, under-filtered system. Cheers, Neale.>

Snails reproducing or fighting? 11/20/08
Hello,
<Hi Sanea>
I purchased a gold mystery snail and a black mystery snail about five days ago. They are in a 10 gallon tank with two platy fish and three mollies.
Yesterday I found the gold snail (the larger of the two), on top of the black snail, with a portion of its body on the body of the black snail. The black snail seemed to try to close itself up inside of its shell, but was unable to do so because the gold snail remained attached. The gold snail tried to twist and tended to turn the black snail onto its side. I got concerned that the twisting was going to rip the shell off of the black snail, so I separated the snails. After separating the snails, about two minutes later, the snails were on the glass of the tank and the golden snail was on the shell of the black snail again. Once again the golden snail was twisting the shell of the black snail and really looked like it was stretching the membrane that attached the shell to the snails body. I detached the snails from one another again out of fear that the weight of the larger snail would kill the black snail, by tearing the shell off. My question is, are these snails mating or trying to kill each other?
<Mating would be my guess... most animals haven't quite perfected the art as well as humans. Some "conflicts" arise... sometimes it looks like fighting. Nothing to worry about though...>
I thought snails were peaceful creatures.
<So are frogs generally... but have you seen them during mating season?
Breeding tends to make even "peaceful" animals a bit aggressive.>
If they are harming one another, do I need to separate them? If they are mating, will the fish in the tank eat the babies? These fish ate the molly babies earlier this week.
<The fish will likely eat the eggs before you ever even see them. If you're interested in breeding snails, you'll have to put them in a separate tank. Otherwise, the eggs aren't bad fish food. ;-)>
Sanea
<Best,
Sara M.
P.S. This is a nice site for Ampullariidae:
http://www.applesnail.net/content/multi_languages/english.htm>

Snail tank water quality issues... 10/23/08 Hi everyone, <Hello,> I have a 10g tank set up for 4 apple snails. I'm pretty sure they're P. bridgesi. Here's the set up. Hydro Lustar Sponge filter I hooked to a Rena Air 3 pump and an air stone so I get 40GPH. Rena Air 50W heater set to 77 degrees F Standard aquarium gravel and some fake plants and décor Limnobium Spongia floating on top <All sounds good, but do remember Apple Snails will not live more than a year if kept warm all year around. It's difficult to accommodate this in the aquarium, which is why aquarium specimens rarely last a year in captivity, compared with 3-4 years in the wild. You could try removing them to a bucket of muddy water in early summer and then slowly remove the water, encouraging the snails to become dormant. Store them thus for a few months. Some aquarists have got the snails to go dormant by cooling the tank to around 18 C or slightly less, and when the snails stop moving about leave the tank running like that for at least a couple of months. Sure, this sounds like a lot of work, but full grown (tennis ball-sized) Apple Snails are very impressive.> Everyone seems happy, but here are the numbers: NH3/4=0, NO2=0, NO3= 5.00, pH=6.8, KH=40, GH=25 <Slightly on the acidic side, but not critical.> Mainly what I'm concerned about is KH and GH. I'm concerned that these aren't high enough to support good shell growth and protection. After reading the FAQ section, I tried putting 3 small pieces of Cuddle bone in the tank, but after 24 hours the numbers are the same. <Cuttlebone isn't really what you want here. Instead try using a Malawi Salt mix to harden the water. You can make your own, very cheaply, literally pennies per water change, using marine salt mix plus two things from the shops. Here's one mix, per 5 gallons/20 litres: 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) 1 teaspoon marine salt mix (sodium chloride + trace elements) Give you don't need incredibly hard water, even 50% the dose listed here should work just fine.> I know better than to mess to much with things like pH, because stable is better, but one of the snails appears to have a small area of pitting in his shell and I don't want it to get to a level where it's harming him. Also, I'm nervous that an entire 4? cuddle bone in a 10G tank will throw the whole system out of whack. So, if you guys have any hints on what to do, or not to do for my snails, I'd appreciate it. <Take the cuttlebone out and replace with the mix listed above. Note that sea salt alone isn't the thing, but the combination of mostly Epsom salt, a bit of baking powder, and a bit of salt that does the hardening.> Thanks, Laura <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Snail tank water quality issues... 10/23/08 When you say, slowly remove the water, do you mean until there's no water in the bucket? <Pretty much. There's really no sure fire way to keep Apple Snails alive for their full lifespan in captivity. As I say, almost all die within the first year or so. So I'd recommend reading up on Apple Snails (there are numerous web sites as well as an excellent book by Perera & Walls) and experimenting. Breeding Apple Snails (if you want to) is easy, so you'll soon get dozens of youngsters to play around with. Bear in mind what the aim is -- getting the snails to "aestivate" -- and work from there. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Snail tank water quality issues... 10/23/08 Sorry for the trouble but I was re-reading your answer and want to be sure. In one place you say baking soda and in another you say baking powder. Baking powder has (usually) crème of tartar in it. Which did you mean? <Ah, my mistake. Baking soda: sodium bicarbonate.> Thanks. Laura <Sorry for the confusion. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Snail tank water quality issues... 10/23/08 One last thing, I promise. Do you think I should use this solution in my other two tanks as well? One is a 10g with a Crowntail Betta, and the other is a 55g with 5 African Clawed Frogs. <Shouldn't be necessary for these fish. Neither Bettas nor Frogs particularly need hard water conditions. So if they're happy now, leave 'em be. The "magic potion" you're making is all about making water harder and more alkaline. Snails like that sort of water, as do certain types of fish: livebearers, goldfish, Rift Valley cichlids, Central American cichlids and so on.> Thanks again! Laura <Cheers, Neale.> Follow up on Snail tank water quality issues...  10/25/08 Hi again, So, I changed the water yesterday and replaced it with the Malawi Salt Mix you recommended. The water certainly got harder and I thought everything was ok. Then, this afternoon all of the snails were racing about with their siphons out. I tested the water. The numbers were: NH3/4=0 NO2=0 NO3=5 pH=8.4 KH=180 GH=300 And no chlorine. Thinking GH of 300 might be too high, I did a water change and used the Salt Mix at 50% the dose per 5g, then tested again. pH came down to 7.8 but GH and KH remained largely unchanged. The snails stopped racing about but they all are stretching their siphons farther than I've seen before. They're not going to the surface, mind you. Just stretching them out. I don't know what else to test. Do they not like the salt? Am I worried for nothing? Thanks in advance. Laura <Hello Laura, It's unwise to completely change all the water at once. Forgive me if I didn't make that clear. What one normally does when changing water chemistry is to stick with your normal water change routine (e.g., 25% per week) but with each new batch of water that goes in, add the salt mix. So over the weeks the water will steadily become harder and more alkaline. In any case, if the snails aren't at the surface "gasping", and are otherwise active and feeding normally, I wouldn't be too concerned. Going by your numbers, a 50% dose should be ample. Cheers, Neale.> Ok, thanks. <Most welcome. Cheers, Neale.>

Mystery snail babies...but no mate  4/6/08 Hi guys, it's been awhile! (Our clowns, Maria and Carlos, are doing great!) I have two beta fish in separate 5 gallon tanks, with one plastic decoration in each tank. About four months ago I got what was labeled as golden mystery/apple snails, and placed one in each tank. I figured mystery snails would be a good choice because I didn't want a ton of baby snails going around. <Ah, I see where this is going...> Anyway, these snails have not been with another snail for these past four months, and while the snail in The Professor's tank is still solitary, suddenly I'm seeing A TON of baby snails in Xavier's tank. I was under the impression these snails were sexual and needed a mate to reproduce. <Correct; they are not parthenogenic, though like most snails they are hermaphrodites.> Will you take a look at these photos and tell me if these are in fact a breed different from the mystery/apple snail? Thank you! <Yes, this are indeed baby Pomacea. The snail you had must have stored a packet of sperm since it was last with another snail. Squish the babies if you don't want them, but otherwise they're easy to rear, and pet shops happily take them.> ~Ashlin <Cheers, Neale.>

Black Mystery Snail, hlth.   7/5/07
Hello to the operators of WWM,
<Hello.>
I found your site using Google because I was searching for information on injuries to black mystery snails. I tried to do as you requested and search the listings, but I couldn't find an answer to my specific issue. I found my snail this afternoon leaning back with his door wide open.
His body was exposed and I thought that perhaps he had been eaten by my shark. However, when I removed him from the water and touched his exposed body he attempted to close the door, so I suspect that he is still alive. This is when I noticed what the problem was. Although his muscle (body?) is still attached to the door, the hinge part where it attaches to the shell is broken. I set him back inside the tank upright, but I am concerned that he will not be able to open the door and crawl around to get air or to eat. Is this injury fatal and if not, what can I do to assist him in his recovery?
<To start with, apple snails are only very rarely good additions to a tank with fish. Small fish peck at them, bigger fish bite them. Either way, the snail gets damaged. When a snail "gapes" as you're describing, it is usually very sick. A healthy snail will either be moving about or closed up tightly -- there's nothing in between. Just like buying clams or mussels from the fishmongers, really. But there are some other factors to consider. For one thing, apple snails naturally aestivate for part of the year, and one reason they don't last long in aquaria is they don't get this resting period. The common species are also subtropical rather than tropical, so if the tank is too warm, that will stress them. It's important it has ample breathing space above the tank, to the degree that it can crawl out of the water if it wants. Water chemistry is very important, as these snails (like most others) prefer water that is hard and alkaline. Snails cannot really repair damage to their shells or operculum because of the way these structures are laid down by the mantle (the shell secreting tissue). At best, they can patch up the area near the growing margin. So I doubt your snail will "repair" its operculum (the trapdoor) if the damage is severe. I'd highly recommend moving your apple snail to a hospital tank. A dead snail rapidly pollutes the aquarium, and you don't want that. In the meantime, try and get hold of Perera & Walls (1996) 'Apple Snails in the Aquarium' by TFH -- possibly the single best book for the science and husbandry of these (and other) aquarium snails.>
Thank you for your assistance,
<You're welcome.>
Caleb
<Cheers, Neale>

Dead Snail  4/22/07
Hi,
<Hi Jen, Pufferpunk here (my name's Jeni too!)>
I got home tonight and went to feed the fish in my 10 gal and saw my Ivory Mystery Snail's shell on the floor of the tank. He is up in the corner...not moving at all. I think he might be dead but I don't want to give up on him. He has only been in there a month or so and was doing fine. The only thing I did differently today then any other day was clean the tank...I am hoping the stress of that did not make him come out of his shell and if he is still alive, for how long and will his shell grow back?
<I'd take him out ASAP!  There is nothing that will foul your tank & kill everything in it, faster then a dead snail!  You can tell, because they have the worst odor you'll ever smell in your life.  Snails do not crawl out of their shell & then make another one.  How did you "clean" the tank exactly?  (Please be sure to use proper capitalization in your letters.  I corrected this one for you, so we can post it in our FAQs.)  ~PP>
Thank you so much!!  Jen

Re: Ivory Mystery Snail  - 04/22/07
Hi Pufferpunk,
<Hi Jen>
I used a sponge & cleaned all the green algae off the sides. We had an infestation of "the little snails that won't die." Not sure what they are called, they showed up when I put the plants in. I totally cleaned the tank and got the Ivory Mystery Snail. That's when the green algae showed up. I think the little snails kept it in check. I am not sure what to do, he is still moving...kinda...
<The snail  cannot live without a shell.  He will only pollute the tank.  I deleted your message with the pictures.  They were overloading our bandwidth --way too large.  ~PP>
Thank you SOOO much, Jen

Re: Ivory Mystery Snail. Euthanizing a Snail  4/22/07
So, Should I just take him out of the tank? What is the most humane way to take care of him? I re-sized the pics, I hope they work. Jen
<I did see the earlier picks, just couldn't leave them here or post them in our FAQs.  You could freeze the snail body in a Baggie with tank water.  ~PP>

Re: Ivory Mystery Snail. Getting Rid of Pond Snails  4/22/07
Thank you for all your help. I opened the tank tonight and he was right at the opening and MAN did he smell bad. He was no longer moving and when I touched him with the fish net he just fell off. So I flushed him.
<I'd do a 50% water change now.  That dead snail has been polluting your tank.>
I think I am done with snails for now. Now if I could just get the "snails that won't die" to go away I would be a lot happier. Any ideas on that?
<Now begins the tedious job of picking them out 1 by 1.  As soon as you see any eggs, scrape them off.  ~PP>
Jen

Black Mystery snail in trouble   4/9/07
Hi,
  I have had a 5 gallon tank with a cherry barb, a zebra Danio, and a black mystery snail for over a year.  The snail has grown to almost the size of the palm of my hand
<Is not a "Mystery" snail then... maybe a "Baseball", "Apple"... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm>
and is usually very healthy.  This weekend, my husband and I went out of town and left a weekend feeder in the tank.
<Most of these are white, chunky masses of dubious food value, not-so-doubtful sources of outright pollution...>
We've had warm weather for the past few weeks and were not aware of the cold front that was moving in over the weekend.  The central air was on, instead of the heat, and I am not sure how cold it got in the house. When we returned, the temperature of the water in the tank was reading below 64 degrees,
<The tank itself should have a heater...>
and our little pets did not appear to be doing so well.  The zebra Danio was fine, the cherry barb was stuck in an overturned decoration at the bottom of the tank, and the black mystery snail was curled up, half in and half out of his shell at the bottom of the tank.  We rescued the cherry barb, and he seems to be returning to normal, but the snail is not looking very good.  For several hours he remained in the same position (the only thing moving were his antennae and I could not tell whether he was alive or the water current was just moving them around).
<You'll know if this animal perishes... They have a signature stench... plus the poor behavior of its tankmates>
He began to unfold very slowly, but seemed to be caught in the same position with his shell resting on the bottom of the tank and his foot facing the wall of the tank, unable to turn himself right side up. The next time I saw him, he was further out of his shell, but there was a large (about the size of a quarter) air bubble under part of his skin.
<Bad sign... decomposition>
  It seems that the air bubble is keeping him trapped in that position, but I think he is too heavy to float to the top.  The skin around the air bubble seems to be thinning, and he looks like he's about to pop.  We brought him to the surface of the water, to see if he would let the air bubble out, but he folded himself over and the air was trapped in.  He is obviously alive for now, but I am worried he might not be for long.  Is there anything we can do?  Thank you so much for this site, and for your help,
   Amber
<May be for naught... but I might try "popping" this bubble area (with a straight pin)... to release the gas. Bob Fenner>

A sick freshwater tank (Betta and unknown snail)    1/14/07 Hi WWM, <Hey Lucy, JustinN with you today.> I have read your FAQs on snails and Bettas and searched for information generally on the web and could still use some guidance on my sick tank if someone please has any time! <Of course, Lucy. Is what we're here for.> I have one Betta who I've had for nearly a year now. I've just got him back from a friend who kept him for me while I was away for 6 weeks, and had to clean out a lot of moldy food from the bottom of the bowl. Now he has a spot on his forehead that looks like it's lost it's scale and there's even a bit of blood showing. There are also two opaque scales on one side (not visible in the photo, but could possibly be related to the spot on his head). This does not look like fin rot to me, nor Ich, and, as it's a round bowl with a live plant, I can't think of how he could have cut himself to invite a fungal infection. <Mmm, is none of the above. The symptoms you describe are likely completely environmental. Bowls are not really appropriate for the keeping of Bettas, they really need a space more in the range of 2 to 3 gallons minimum, with some sort of adequate filtration and heating provided. Stability is the key here, and a bowl simply does not provide that. Please read through here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm and the files linked in blue above.> I use an anti-bacterial already in the bowl (have tried both 'Betta Fix' and 'Broad Spectrum Medication for Fish' - the latter includes mafenide HCl, Aminacrine HCl and malachite green), and I keep a lamp over the top to keep him warm. <When you say that you already use an anti-bacterial agent in the bowl, do you mean that you are always prophylactically treating your Betta? This is not a good idea, it will weaken the immune system of your Betta when being used unnecessarily, and when coupled with the small, unstable environment, this leads me to believe that your Betta is living in a very uncycled system. See here for more on tank cycling: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and the files linked in blue above.> Should I give him a salt bath and, if so, won't it hurt the open wound he seems to have? I'd hate to try it for the first time with fatal consequences! <Your problem is not a disease, Lucy. You need to get your Betta into appropriate quarters, and he will perk right back up in no time!> Secondly, a few days ago I purchased a snail (not sure what type, possibly a smooth turban snail, judging from the pictures in Google?). <Looks like a common 'Apple snail' to me.> He lies inert all day, either closed or partly open, like in the attached picture, with lots of mucous coming off him. <Not good.> Usually in the mornings, I find him floating at the surface of the tank, like his shell has filled with air. <Also not good.> I read that it hurts snails to be on their backs, so have been pulling him out so the air comes out and dropping him back in the tank, right-way up. I've changed the water once in a few days and am happy to do it again, but if there's something that's upsetting both snail and Betta, I'd like to fix them both (especially if the tank/conditions is the problem). Would adding salt help them both, for instance, or would that help the Betta but not the snail? <Adding salt to the bowl would completely kill your snail, which is likely on its way out anyway. By adding the snail to this already unstable environment, which is complete with medications in the water, you have poisoned it and likely doomed it. Most, if not all, effective medications will harm or kill invertebrate life. I recommend you remove the snail before it gets any worse, chances are its already losing the battle. Next, at least in the interim, perform 25 to 50% water changes in your bowl every couple of days until you can equip yourself with an aquarium with proper filtration and heating, and begin its cycling process. Fix your environment, and you'll fix your Betta right up!> Any help would be most appreciated! Lucy <I apologize if I've been a bit of a downer here, Lucy, but knowledge is crucial. Aquarium salt may help your Betta in small amounts, but I would be wary of trying to balance salt content in a bowl, as small and unstable as it would be. I certainly hope this helps you out! -JustinN>

Re: A sick freshwater tank (Betta and unknown snail)  1/14/07 Hi Justin - <Lucy> Not a downer at all! An answer is just what I needed. Thanks so much for getting back to me, will work on the environment! <Excellent, glad to hear it.> Many thanks, Lucy <Do keep in touch, Lucy! Good luck! -JustinN>

Re: Tom: Snail update and hang-on filter trick  - 12/04/06
Hello Tom,
<<Hello again, Rachel.>>
I wanted to update you on the cuttlefish bone addition for my mystery snail.
<<Updates are always welcome, Rachel.>>
The bone seems to be very slowly dissolving into the water, and his shell has stopped deteriorating. The tank's pH has not changed. Once in a while I notice the snail munching while on the bone, but I couldn't say whether he's munching the bone or a bit of algae off the surface. I don't see any tell-tale teeth marks. Worth noting, though, is the fact that he did chew with gusto on one of those terrible plaster "vacation feeders." The pet store had run out of automatic feeders... thankfully I got my family to bring me an automatic feeder just in time for break, and I pulled the awful plaster thing out of my tank! But anyway, the bone seems to have served its purpose.
<<I’ve never used a vacation feeder but, since plaster is largely composed of calcium sulfate, perhaps yours wasn’t so “terrible” after all or, at the least, your snail knows something we don’t. :) >>
I also wanted to pass on a trick I discovered for my Whisper Micro in-tank filter. My tank is a MiniBow kit and I've written in before about a few modifications that can be made to these kits to make them quieter and healthier. One more! I had some leftover filter sponge from covering the intake of the filter, so I slipped a piece behind the filter body. It helps keep the filter from resting on the tank wall (which it's not supposed to do anyway; the suction cup is supposed to prop it up but it's too flat) so the vibrations and noise are greatly reduced. I also padded the hook that hangs the filter from the tank's lip with a bit of sponge. Sounds much better! And it feels better too now that the tank isn't vibrating, for me since this tank sits on my desk, and hopefully for Terrence the Betta inside too.
<<I like your thinking, Rachel. Thanks for passing this along to us and the rest of our readers.>>
Thanks for your help, Tom!
Rachel
<<Happy to have been of assistance, Rachel, and thanks for the nice update and tip. My best to you. Tom>>

Oranda Goldfish and Mystery Snails   8/24/06
Hello WetWebMedia Crew!
<Me Bob, you Jane>
First of all, I am very impressed by your website. I am new to the aqua world, and I found so much useful information here.
<Ah, good>
Here is my story. Four months ago, I got a ten gallon tank, cycled it for about a week with filter, water conditioner and then got a small Oranda.
<Mmmm, likely needed to cycle longer...>
Everything was going well, he was eating well and growing fast. I was feeding him flakes, sinking pellets and peas or spinach. I was also fascinated with mystery snails, so I got five
of them from my LFS.
<Yikes...>
For a while, everybody looked good and healthy. Then, one of the snails stopped moving around. I separated him from the rest but he died few days later.
<Stinky!>
One by one, three more snails died. I think that one of them was in the tank for a while before I noticed that it has died. I should mention that I was changing water more or less every day, about 2 gallons each time. But when the snails got sick, the water turned smelly and greenish and I had to do water changes twice a day.
<Oh, yes>
Ammonia levels were good according to the color chart. Then one morning I found my Oranda on the bottom of the tank, not moving much and not interested in food which was
unusual for him. I continued to do water changes, then went to my LFS and they suggested Maracyn 2 medication.
<... for?>
Got that, took the filter out and started medicating. By then, Oranda was gulping for air all the time, and the water was slimy. Yesterday I found my Oranda dead. He was beautiful. Do you think he got sick because of the snails?
<To a large extent, yes... their deaths likely poisoned the water, increased stress levels too high, too fast>
Is it a bad idea to have mystery snails with goldfish?
<Mmmm, no... "like" about the same water quality, not predaceous with each other... But both need to be healthy, fed...>
Is it possible to have both and keep them healthy? I appreciate your advice. Thank you!
Jane
<Yep... please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Oranda Goldfish and Mystery Snails  8/25/06
Thank you, Bob.
<Welcome Jane>
LPS
<LFS... the other applies to stony corals...>
guy recommended Maracyn 2 for dropsy after I described my situation to him just as I did it to you.
<... okay>
I have to confess, I got four more snails right before my Oranda died (again from the LPS). Now I am somewhat afraid to get another goldfish. At least for a month or so, until the water is clean again and assuming the snails are alive and well.
<A good idea to wait at this time... Cheers, BobF>

Snails Don't Like Ammonia - 03/18/2006
Hi folks, In my 45 g tank I have a large Ramshorn snail. It is active for most of the day.
However, for the past 4 days it had not moved out of its shell, everything else in the tank looked okay. On a hunch, I checked ammonia and it was about .5 ppm.
I immediately changed 20% of water and again tested ammonia to be zero.
To my surprise, the snail started moving after an hour or so and is now active like it was before. Does this mean that snails are more sensitive to ammonia than fishes as none of the fish was showing any signs of discomfort? Thanks Sandeep R
< Snails are very sensitive to chemicals in the water like copper and ammonia. You should investigate why you are experiencing elevated ammonia levels.-Chuck>

FW Snail reproduction
Ok, I bought a gold and a black mystery snail a couple weeks ago. If they laid eggs, would they have been at the water line?
<Yes>
And if the eggs hatched, what do the new born snails look like?
<Like small versions of adults, light tan/brown>
I'm seeing 5 or 6 very small, mostly clear snails with good sized antennae, with shells that curl off to one side instead of just being very vertical like the nuisance snails that take over your tank. They might not be mysteries, as I have Frogbit that I put in there when I got the big snails, so they could've come with that (after all I found a dragon fly larvae in it too). Or they could be from the big mysteries. I just need to know what new born mysteries look like. Thanks! Get more from the Web.
<I suspect these are Mystery young. Bob Fenner>

Snails Don't Move at all!
My children decided that they wanted two snails. So off to the pet store we go and we purchase two black mystery snails. I thought for sure they were dead before we ever got them home so we put them in our 10 gallon aquarium anyways just to be sure. This was on Sunday. On Monday they were just lying with their little openings in the air still and had not moved at all. Well the kids were upset and we were sure they were dead. So out we go to return them to the pet store. The pet store assured me they are fine since they don't stink and they still have their feet. So back home we go and plop them back in the tank. The larger one now is just floating around and the little one is just lying at the bottom with his opening in the air. Neither one has come out or moved at all. We have 2 Mollies, 3 Gouramis, and 13 Molly babies about a week old. The fish swim by them but never pick at them and I am just at a loss on what to do. Are they okay? Thanks, Christy
<Did you acclimate them to your tank when you got them? Inverts need to be acclimated just as fish do to prevent shock. Make sure they are in a position so that if they do decide to move, they can grab onto something and leave them for a day or two longer to see if they begin to move around. Ronni>

Clown loaches and snails
Hi gang,
<Greetings!>
I have a planted tank with several medium (3") clown loaches...initially stocked to control snail stowaways on plants, which they do well.  In fact, not only have the loaches become one of my favorite fishes in all my tanks, I actually breed and raise Ramshorn snails just so I can give them a treat a few times a month!  =)
<I’m sure they love this, I do it myself with my clowns.>
My question:  I have a couple LARGE (2" or so) Gold Inca (not exactly sure of the species) snails in need of a home.  They've been housed in my quarantine tank for nearly a year, so I doubt introducing pathogens would pose a risk to the tank, however, would the clown loaches pose a risk to these big guys?
<Very possibly. I know I’ve seen clowns eat snails that were over an inch in size so I’d be afraid to try it even with snails as large as yours.>
Also... now that I have your attention, hehe.  What are some species of plants (if any) that would do OK in a moderately aerated tank?   I'm not looking to win any awards in these tanks, just to add some "live" decorations.
<A lot would depend on your lighting. Some of my favorites for moderately lit, moderately aerated tanks are Anacharis (this one is rumored to be touchy but I’ve always had good luck with it), Elodea, and Anubias.>
Thanks a bunch, and keep up the good work on WWM! Cheers, Michael
<Thank you and you’re welcome! Ronni>

Snail Stocking
Hello again,
Sorry to bother you with what's probably a simple question, but I can't seem to find a set answer on it anywhere else. I was wondering, is there any set rule as to stocking mystery snails in a tank? I know the '1" of fish per gallon' rule (and the surface area rule, and...) but how should mystery snails of this species be counted in regards to the tank's bio load/stocking levels?
<Well, honestly, I was not to sure either so I checked with Bob for both of our benefits. "I think about one per five gallons of any of the common species is "about right"."  You could also try starting with 1 per 5 gal, then slowly adding more and testing your water quality.>
So far the only advice I've been able to find is one individual who doesn't think they add much bio load since their nitrate levels haven't changed since adding two to their 10g Betta tank, and another who has about 40 small ones in a 1 gallon container with a 60gph filter and air stone.  
<I am willing to be 40 snails in a 1 gallon container will be hard to maintain in the long run.>
I know the snails produce a lot of waste, but they (at least the ones I currently have) also seem to do a good job of roaming the tank cleaning up leftover food and dead leaves (and have left my various live plants completely alone, other than occasionally using them as ladders) that might otherwise pollute the water. Also given they get some of their oxygen from the surface. (It's
weird watching one of them crawling up a wall, air siphon extended :) )
<CHARGE!!>
Thanks for your time and any advice you're able to offer, I'll likely pass it on to the two forums I posted this question on (Aquamaniacs and Applesnail.net) for the folks there as well.
<Hope it helps, keep a record of your trials and tribs for others benefit as well. Best Regards, Gage>

Snail Stocking Part Two
Hello again,
Thanks for the response, I've got two in the 10 gallon right now (I had a regular brown one in there, what I've seen called the 'wild-type' shell pattern, then saw a little blue one shoved into one of the 'Betta cups' at Wal-Mart the other day and decided it needed a home). The only other one I'm possibly planning to add in the future is maybe the one from my 6g African dwarf frog tank
if any water problems develop there.
So far no problems with the 10g since adding the second mystery snail, other than slightly elevated nitrates (25 rather than 20), but I think that's likely due to overfeeding of the bottom feeders, or my trimming back a lot of the Anacharis that's in there. I'm going to try adding a little duckweed (I know, it
takes over tanks. I read somewhere about someone making a 'corral' with airline and airline clips to keep it within an area of their tank. So I'll see if that works.) to pick up the extra nitrates. Plus I heard there's a chance the mystery snails might like to nibble on it.
<Duckweed is an excellent way to suck up excess nutrients.>
I'll let you know if there's any problems with either level of snails in the future.
On a different topic, since WWM's amphibian area is a bit sparse right now, I thought I'd offer the following feeding idea, if you'd like to post it:  One of the biggest problems I had with African dwarf frogs was trying to get them to eat before their food (frozen bloodworms) fell between the gravel, resulting in hungry frogs and food polluting the water. So as a solution, I got a plastic water bowl from the reptile section of PetSmart and half buried it under the gravel. The plastic's a single piece of unpainted molded plastic, so I figure it should be safe to use. Now I just squirt the defrosted bloodworms (mixed with water from the tank) into the bowl with a turkey baster. The frogs swim
right over and start feasting, they've also taken to trying to nip at the turkey baster if it's in the tank since they've figured out that's where food comes from. Posted this idea on a few forums and the regulars seemed to like it, so figured I'd pass it on incase it's of use to any of WWM's regular readers.
<Great idea, I have heard of something similar for feeding Corydoras live worms that dig into the substrate before the fish get a chance to eat them.  Thanks for the info, best of luck, Gage>
Thanks again,
       -Chris

Breeding Mystery Snails
I have a five gallon aquarium with a Betta, 2 ghost shrimp, and 1 black mystery snail. Now I want to add one or two more mystery snails because i heard they breed very quickly and that Betta's like to eat young snail is this true? Also I really want to add a pair of angelfish but I worried about weather or not the Betta will get along with the angel fish will he? He is fairly docile spending most of the time hiding behind a plant in the corner of the tank, and the rest of his time slowly swimming in circles. Any way what do you think? Thank you, Aren M. Dowden
<<Dear Aren; Here is some info I took from a snail link: "Black Mystery Snails usually breed with little encouragement as long as their environmental conditions are optimized by the time they are more than four months old. Black Mystery Snails lay their eggs underwater. You should provide some plant or rock to which they can attach these eggs, which are usually deposited in the form of a slimy material. Some of these snails have also been observed to lay eggs in tan egg cases on land areas. Clutches usually consist of more than one hundred eggs that will hatch in 10 to 14 days. It should be noted that it is very difficult to distinguish males from females, and many people often believe, erroneously, that they are hermaphrodites for this reason." You can read the rest of the page here: http://www.centralpets.com/pages/critterpages/fish/freshwater_inverts/FWI4995.shtml
I find your 5 gallon tank is a bit fully stocked. I hope you will do weekly water changes on this tank to keep the nitrates low, since snails that size eat quite a lot. That means they produce a lot of both solid and liquid waste...also, you will need to supplement their feeding. You can feed them sinking foods (sold for bottom feeding fish like Plecos), fresh spinach leaves, and frozen beef heart every now and then (found at your LFS). If you find your snails a bit too big for a 5 gallon, you can always try pond snails, the little snails that you usually find attached on live plants. They will reproduce quickly, and stay much smaller than the mystery snails, but pond snails will eat live plants. Do NOT add angelfish to this tank. You are already at your stocking limit, and angelfish need room to grow, a twenty gallon tank is the minimum tank size to grow out angels properly. For angels, taller tanks are better, by the way. A nice tall tank will give you adult angels with nice, long finnage. I've seen too many adult angels with stunted fins to advise otherwise.. Good luck. -Gwen>>

Snail Questions - 06/19/2004
Hi,
<Hello.  My apologies for any lateness in reply....>
I have a pretty large happy seeming apple snail, not P. bridgesii but one of the canaliculata group (plant eaters as opposed to decaying matter eaters.... she ate a little rotunda plant almost to death before I moved it to the other tank, and nearly killed my wisteria as well :/ but now she has plastic plants).   
<Heh, learnin' the hard way!  At least the snail enjoyed the snacks, I'm sure.  And after you replant, you can give the snail cuttings from the planted tank when you prune.  Yum!>
She's currently living in a 10 gallon tank with varying numbers of her offspring and 3 zebra Danios. (The Danios must eat the eggs & young snails as my tank has not been overrun, but I have seen eggs and baby snails at various times and even a few as big as peas)  
<Mmmm, peas....  Whups, wrong topic, sorry!  It would not surprise me that the Danios might dine on the eggs of these snails.>
This tank was originally home to a Betta,
<Ah, now *he* would dine on very small snails, too.  Another boon to your snails' population control.>
5 Danios, 3 scissortail Rasboras, and a Cory.  (The Cory and the Rasboras have been moved to the bigger tank that has also, 6 harlequins and an Oto).   
<Corys will eat smaller snails, as well.  Well, not in a separate tank, but if you get overrun, you could consider reintroducing the Cory.>
Two of the Danios and the Betta sadly succumbed to hex, which I treated for multiple times but could not seem to cure in such small fish :(  
<So sad to hear that.  My apologies for your loss.>
I have two questions about this snail (Jaws is her name... it seemed appropriate).  
<HAH!  Appropriate, indeed!  I love it.>
How do I know if she is eating enough?   I feed the Danios every day or two, sometimes three, and about every other time I feed the Danios I throw in an algae pellet or two.  (oh yea, the snail when we got her was about as big around as a quarter, and now is more like a golf ball - she's almost completely grown a new round on her shell since Jan/Feb when we got her!).  
<Sounds like she's eating plenty.  If you have any concerns, you might get her some elodea/Anacharis/Egeria and let her munch at leisure, and just replace these inexpensive plants as they are devoured - many folks use this plant as an excellent food source for goldfish; it would taste quite good to Jaws, I'm sure.>
Her newest shell growth seems pretty thick and is a very nice rich golden color,
<A wonderful sign.>
although when my brother fed her an algae pellet every day for a couple weeks she grew a quarter of an inch of pretty thin looking shell :/ that was shortly after we got her though.  
<As you seem to be well aware, it might be best not to use that feeding scheme ;)  Sounds like she's doing great now, though, eh?>
My other question, which I didn't even think about until I was browsing your forums... Should I be concerned if she is getting some flaking on the middle few rounds of her shell?
<I would be concerned, yes.>
She was completely algae covered when we got her (the new shell has been growing in a beautiful gold color and the algae hasn't spread)
<Excellent.>
and now about a pea sized area of her center spirals on the outside is flaking to a creamy white.  
<Possibly a lack of calcium, perhaps even iodine....  the few large-ish snails in my shrimp tanks have very obviously benefited from adding Kent Tech Marine iodine, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons each week (*not* the normal marine dose).>
Also how do I test water hardness, and other nutrient levels necessary for the snail?
<You can test total hardness (GH) and carbonate hardness (KH) with test kits available from most fish stores, or can purchase the kits online from online e-fish stores, like some of our sponsors.  Be sure to get kits for freshwater aquaria.>
I don't really have any money to spend on them now sadly (and the next cash I get has to go toward plant food for the bigger tank as half the plants are falling apart and dying)
<Yikes!  You might benefit from reading through our plant sub-web:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/AquariumGardenSubWebIndex.html >
but when I do have the cash I would like to be able to take care of all my animals properly.  
<A good plan, for sure.  Your snail can probably wait for you to get test kits, I imagine her problem is not imminently life-threatening.  I would, however, try the Kent iodine for sure.>
Our town water is usually pretty hard though (leaves hard water stains on all the faucets, etc). That's a good thing for snails right?
<You bet.  Hard water stains usually indicate high-ish levels of calcium and other minerals in the water - certainly good news for Jaws.>
Thanks for any help you guys can give. :)
<Any time, Anna.  Please feel free to let us know if we can help you further.  Wishing you and your inverts well,  -Sabrina>
Anna R. Dunster

Snail Questions - II - 06/22/2004
Thanks!
<You Betcha!>
So is the shell flaking off from the conditions she was raised in, or conditions in the tank now, or both?   
<Perhaps a bit o' both, but more due to the water she's in now, I'd wager.>
I'll keep an eye out for the Kent Iodine. Do they replenish the old shell as they grow, too?
<Not really.  Hopefully, though, there isn't much damage, and it will not be very obvious or apparent once you are keeping an eye on hardness and dosing with iodine - remember, just a drop per ten gallons of the Kent Tech iodine, *not* the marine dose listed on the bottle.>
Also, is garden lettuce a decent thing to feed her?  
<I don't see why not.  Most lettuces don't have a whole lot in the way of nutrition, so you might try for the little bitty baby leaves way down in the center of the lettuce head when you open it up for dinner.  Spinach would be another good one to try.  The younger leaves are probably better, again.>
We don't use chemicals on it (more from laziness than anything but they don't really need it either).  
<Sounds like a tasty treat.  Other green garden goodies, like asparagus, shelled peas, green bean innards (just open the bean), and other such yummies will be of good use, too.>
I gave her a piece a couple days ago, it's all gone now.   Can I assume as long as she's growing new healthy shell that she is eating plenty, and if she's growing too fast she's probably eating too much? :)
<Sounds like a plan.>
Thanks again for your help. :)
<Any time, Anna.  Wishing you and Jaws well,  -Sabrina>

Ivan the Terrified - 07/26/2004
I believe the last crew member I spoke with was Sabrina. This is an update email and a question about Black Mystery snails.
<Holy Mackinaw, I'm SO sorry on the delay!>
I am the proud and indulgent Momma of a spoiled Pink Kisser named Ivan the Terrified.
<I could never forget.>
I wrote back in January about a rash-type condition on his tail which is now cleared up completely.
<Ah, delightful!>
He's up to about 5 inches long and is much less hand-shy. Per your suggestion I added several plastic plants and some floating live plants to the tank (name of it escapes me just now but it is vine-like with patches of 6 leaves growing from the main stalk every 1/2 inch or so).
<Sounds like elodea/Egeria/Anacharis - a great munchin' plant.  How's he liking his new digs?>
After a few weeks I had a bad algae bloom that I couldn't get a permanent handle on (10% water changes every day for 2 weeks did almost nothing: I'm guessing a nitrate jump from the leaves dying and the change in fish poop),
<Could be.  You may have ended up with Elodea canadensis, which is a coldwater Anacharis-type plant; it tends to die instead of grow, in aquaria.  Though, I would guess Ivan at least helps with cleaning up the plant scraps?>
so off I hiked to the fish store and invested in a Black Mystery snail named Bubble. Before I knew it, I had pin-head sized baby snails crawling around on the glass which I removed to a 2 gal. "nursery" tank. The woman at the store said "they're a self-breeder" (which makes little sense in a practical application because even the hermaphroditic ones can't breed with themselves, can they?),
<Many/most snails will self-fertilize.  One turns into very, very many, much to some plant keepers' chagrin!  Though, they CAN cross-fertilize, too.  A few, like the apple snail, require a male and a female to reproduce.>
but my research said that they're opposite sexed (shell door concave= female, convex=male) or hermaphroditic (sources argued) and shouldn't breed if there's only one in a system.
<Umm, if I understand correctly (and after a brief jaunt at http://www.applesnail.net , I'm sure I don't), they do indeed have genders....  Please consult that website; there is SO much info there, it's just unbelievable.>
With a 10 gal and only 1 fish, 1 snail should be plenty to maintain the system.
<Er, until Ivan gets a foot long ;) But until he gets too big, yeah, the snail should' a been fine.>
Then, Bubble died. I'm pretty sure that was of "old age" since she was over 3", what the store said is the max for that kind of snail.
<Yeah, that's a pretty good sized hunk o' escargot!  (Which reminds me....  have you ever SMELLED a dead snail?  How can folks EAT that?!)>
I figured then that my snail population was down to the babies I had, which I found homes for except for 1 that I kept for cleaning purposes.
<Sounds appropriate.>
Now, I've researched the heck out of these things and I can't get a definitive answer about sexing and breeding and the snails keep coming.
<Again, please consult http://www.applesnail.net for more comprehensive info.  I believe there's even a forum there.>
The baby born and raised in my system, Pot Sticker, is up to about an inch across the shell doing all her normal snaily things (concave door and floating around on top of
the water munching on a leaf), but I have a pretty steady population of snails between almost-can't-see-'em pin head sized and big enough to pick up with tweezers and take out of the tank. How the heck did they get here and why don't they stop?
<Umm, it's sounding like these are NOT apple/mystery snails.  Though, it may be that you got some pond snail eggs in on your plants.>
I pick them off the glass (which I feel bad about but I'm afraid they'll clog the filter) when I see them. Supposedly my Kisser will eat them and if that's the case I really don't have a problem, only I've never seen him eat any. If I stop giving him his tropical flakes for a few days would he start going after the snails?
<He may.  Don't feed him for several days (he can take it - especially if there are plants around) and see if he starts pickin' 'em off.>
I don't want to use chemicals to get rid of them since I'd like to keep Pot Sticker healthy and it wouldn't be good for Ivan either.
<I agree.  I would just remove them manually.  One way to do so is to place a some pellet food or a slice of blanched zucchini on a small plate in the tank (shielded from Ivan, if possible) just after lights-out.  In the morning, remove the plate - it should have a bundle of snails on it.>
Am I still just being a paranoid first time fishkeeper?
<Yes.  But that's a good thing :D >
I haven't tried taking Pot Sticker
<Pot Sticker?  I bow to you, O Ye of Great Names.>
out of the tank either because I don't want my algae to get out of control again. Any suggestions?
<Just as above....  I would try fasting Ivan first - but that's just 'cause I don't like killing things except to be eaten....  I'm weird like that.>
Thanks in advance,
Becky         
<You betcha - glad to hear how Ivan's doing!!  Wishing you, Ivan, and Pot Sticker well,  -Sabrina>

Mystery snail 7/29/04
Based on my searches, it would appear the snail I had resembles the Ramshorn and/or apple/mystery snail, except for one important feature. The snail in my tank never revealed a siphon, even though it spent almost all of its time
submerged. If it had a siphon, of any size, I never saw it being used. Is there another freshwater snail, likely to be sold at pet stores such as PetSmart, that would resemble the apple, mystery, or Ramshorn snail, but would not have a siphon? It is possible this was a pond snail? < Pond snails tend to be rather small. I am sure you snail was a black mystery snail. Look for the siphon when the snail is near the surface.-Chuck>
First, I know nothing about them, other than the people at a pet store told my wife that they would be good to keep algae down. So, we bought one. I don't know how to identify it. It was brown, with the shell somewhere between a quarter and a half dollar. He had a distinct flap he could use to cover the opening of his shell, and he had long antennae looking things on his head. His mouth faced down, and you could watch it move as he slid (and date?) while sliding along the side of the tank. I've looked for pictures of various snails, but so far haven't found one that looks like him. The only thing in the tank (freshwater 10 gallon) are 7 African dwarf frogs. Last night, we noticed the snail was floating, and being tossed about by the filter. I immediately isolated him into a small storage tank, but he was already dead. Is there a way to identify him? We had him for 4 to 6 months. We had only one snail, and we never had any others show up (could the frogs have been eating the eggs or little snails if there were any?)
< Probably a black mystery snail. They lay their eggs out of the water but I suppose that the frogs could have been eating the little ones if there were any.>
I'd like to get another snail, but I'd like to make sure I get one that will be OK in the tank. We got lucky with the first one, but I am really hesitant to trust the store staff (they told us a freshwater shrimp would be ok with our frogs -- the shrimp ate 2 and killed a 3rd before we got him out of the tank and returned him to the store).
< Generally snails eat some algae but you need to get some food down to the bottom where the snails can get to it. If the algae is gone then they will eat some live plants. You snails should be fine with the frogs.-Chuck>
Thanks, Greg

Canister filter Qs + tank setups
Hey WWM Crew,
<Jamie>
A big ol' Thank You! to Gwen for answering my last email (the one below this one). It helped me picture what's happening with the canister filter. I'm sure it'll all be crystal clear once I bring one home, lol. I'm also hoping that the plants won't become snail food, hehe. The snails are Pomacea bridgesii effusa Apple snails, the ones that do not eat live plants and safe for the planted tank. They haven't eaten any of mine for the year or so I've had 'em so I think I'm in the clear, lol.
<We'll see>
Anyway, I have indeed pondered more and more about my setup with the 20Ls. Since putting them together with one canister filter is not a good idea, I've been thinking what would. Maybe two Whisper power filters, but I am afraid that the water turbulence may be too much for both inhabitants and plants, and that they wouldn't bring up much of the snail mess.
<These are actually a good choice... not too turbulent...>
Then I thought maybe sponge filters would work but wouldn't I be compromising space for my plants and the snail mess might still pose a problem. Any suggestions??? I'm open-minded and all ears :)
<I would go with hang-on, outside power filters>
Also, I've looked over more of the Eheim canister filters and found the Ecco Comfort Plus Filter 2232 and 2234. Is this a good one or should I just stick with the Filstar for either the 30 or 33L??
<I prefer the Ecco products over the Filstar>
Sorry for all the questions, figured that while you're all available I should ask the pros everything I can ;)  And, as always, thanks for help, it is greatly appreciated :)
~ Jamie
<Bob Fenner>

Snails and Planted Tanks
Hi!
I would like to add a single already grown Pomacea bridgesi (mystery) and one Melanoides (Malaysian trumpet snail) specimen to my heavily planted tank. I'm afraid that they could already be fertilized when I bring them in the aquarium.
<Me too>
How much time can it take between fertilization and time to give birth/lay eggs? In other words, how long should I quarantine them to be sure they wont lay eggs or give birth in the display tank?
Thanks!
Dominique
<I would wait a good two months here. Bob Fenner>