apple snails

[slt]

got three apple snails today, they are really cute about half an inch babys.
there shells were covered in algea so william, i got a tooth brush and
gentely brushed it of. i read your post on cleaning them . also i got 2
tropical frogs they only grow to the size of a ten pence piece. they are
well cool. oh william i put a piece of cuttle fish in the tank. i put
some lettice in and they must of been starving they went straight to it
looke'd so funny .lettice floating around with snails attached,

 

[StiX]

he he very nice slt , i take it u got dwarf clawed frogs?

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

Could someone please paste a piccy of these dwarf frogs if possible. My lfs has some "aquatic frogs" that grow to about 2 cms but I forgot to ask him the species.

Also, my lfs advised me against snails as they are hermaphrodites and I don't want them to take over my tank.

Any comments please would be appreciated.

 

[Great Lakes]

Y'all gonna have me getting Apple snails before long....

 

[Alien Anna]

Also, my lfs advised me against snails as they are hermaphrodites and I don't want them to take over my tank.

The egg masses are huge and highly visible (usually at the surface of the water, although my stupid snails laid them on the light unit!). If you don't want a pile of baby snails (given that many fish will eat the shellless youngsters when they hatch), simple remove the egg mass and dispose of it.

 

[cryosi]

so these tropical frogs! keep in any tank, i mean with fish or on thier own?

 

[gadazobe]

Congrats on the snails. Apple snails are gonochoristic, not hermaphrodites so unless you have a male and female you won't have the problem of babies

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

gonochoristic???

That's a new word but I presume it means something like it needs male and female to reproduce???

Is this only applicable to apple snails or to all snails

 

[gadazobe]

Not to all snails, but Apple snails definitely need male and female to reproduce

 

[slt]

sorry i did'nt explain properley, these and the 2 frogs are in alittle tank
of there own i would'nt keep snails in my fish tank as its nicey planted
like it to stay this way lol phew . cryosi my lfs said not to keep frogs
with fish as fish would most likely eat them,don't no if there dwarf clawed
frogs they were just named under tropical frogs. shall look into this'
alian anna if one is female & male i will get another tank set up for any
young i want to keep yes any i don't i'll feed to the fish.

thank's all

 

[William]

I have had 5 applesnails for 9 months and have not had any eggs yet . They are pretty cool creatures. Anyone considering buying applesnails should check out this website www.applesnail.net

Its very useful, and presents the facts with applesnails . It also has a page which helps you to identify if your snails are male or female although, I wasn't able to tell the difference.. oh well . Apparently female applesnails can store the sperm for up to 3 months, and there is also a rumour that in some conditions they will change their sex so as to balance the population

On the lettuce front, make sure you always wash it well and if possible boil it for them, makes it easier for them to digest, and in addition - you wouldn't want your snails dying from insectiside

 

[slt]

thanks william. thats loaded with good info. i washed the lettice then
i blanched it to soften it up like i do when i feed it to the fish.
greedy little blitters not much left of it now. i was amazed at how quick
they can get around. there great i love them

 

[William]

its fabulous, the way they make their "foot" into a funnel and suck it in

 

[slt]

have'nt seen that yet. i just see them well looking stuck to the lettice
but there body and the long stalks they have fasinate me.

 

[William]

The long "stalks" you refer to, they are either their tenticles or their air tube which they breath from You probably already knew that but just to clarify for the other members B)