Apple Snails

PunkRock050 · Jan 4, 2003

How big do these get, and how long does it take them to reach full size? Anybody here keep them? I saw some on ebay one time that were 3-4" in diamter. Thats a big snail!

Thomas A. Anderson · Jan 4, 2003

I have four apple snails in my tank, the smallest being about 3/4 inch the largest about 2.5 inches.

They are in my community tank and have never had any problems with them.

William I believe keeps his in a snail only tank so he is the expert on them.

Also try this link:

www.applesnail.net

William · Jan 4, 2003

Depends what type you get.

P.Bridgesi = smaller, useful for hoovering doesn't eat plants grows max size about 1 1/2inch diameter. Indentifying features, usually golden

P. Cannulicata, usually striped, grows to the size of a small apple! or the palm of your hand! Will eat any plants in your aquarium, fun to have but best kept in a special snail tank

The ebay auction should say what species they are but if you've got a picture we can probably identify. Quite a few people here keep applesnails... they are far more interesting than many people first think

Incedently the other day I fed my applesnails some apple!! they seem to like it

main foods are fish flake, lettuce/cucumber/courgette.

cryosi · Jan 4, 2003

and how are your baby snails william lol not heard of them in ages!

William · Jan 4, 2003

pm me your address no charge - they're still tiny!!!

I'll send some on monday, hope they fair better than the ones i sent to stickle! The first lot got lost in the post and the second lot arrived one week late all dead!! :-(

slt · Jan 5, 2003

william can i have a few of you please

William · Jan 5, 2003

You can have as many of me as you want

I'm guessing you meant the snails though pm me your address, they are tiny though... if you want ramshorns though I've got hundreds of them and they are big too

Minxnfella · Jan 9, 2003

Right Mr. William
Since you're the resident expert on snails, I have a few questions for you.
1) Are apple snails just supposed to FALL OFF things? Mine seems to do this quite often, he just lets go.
2) Can snails turn themselves the right way up again if they fall over? My goldfish (bullies) knocked him over and he seemed a bit stuck to say the least. So I put him back on his foot. I was right to wasn't I??? It was funny to watch though, but my sister pointed out it was somewhat cruel to leave him at the mercy of the goldfish.
3) I want to breed snails because I seem useless at breeding anything else and I'm broody for fish. Help.
4) I have just put a load of plants in the tropical tank. Brian the snail is currently in the not so coldwater tank. Will he eat my plants if I transfer him?? Or should I just leave him b.
5) I think he's the little type you described. What snails grow huge. Big is good.

I think that will do for now. Should keep you busy anyway!!! If you want to offload any more snails there's a waiting tank!

Ta and Tata
xx

Thomas A. Anderson · Jan 9, 2003

Im not the expert but I have 4 apple snails, anyway

1) My apple snails are always falling off things, its never done them any harm.

2) Quite the opposite of cats, they dont always land on their feet, but unlike tortoises they are able to right themselves.

3) Can't help you with breeding, mine are 'at it' for hours every day sometimes 3 of them at the same time, but I've not seen any of the eggs yet which are laid above the waterline.

4) The orange ones will only eat dead leaves whilst the striped ones can demolish a new plant in 4 - 5 days (in my tank anyway

)

5) The orange ones stay relatively small, but the striped ones can grow to the size of an apple (one of mine is about golf ball size)

Hope this helps, but when William gets home from school and has finished his homework

I'm sure he will be able to contribute more.

William · Jan 9, 2003

creamcheeseandlox said:
1) Are apple snails just supposed to FALL OFF things? Mine seems to do this quite often, he just lets go.
2) Can snails turn themselves the right way up again if they fall over? My goldfish (bullies) knocked him over and he seemed a bit stuck to say the least. So I put him back on his foot. I was right to wasn't I??? It was funny to watch though, but my sister pointed out it was somewhat cruel to leave him at the mercy of the goldfish.
3) I want to breed snails because I seem useless at breeding anything else and I'm broody for fish. Help.
4) I have just put a load of plants in the tropical tank. Brian the snail is currently in the not so coldwater tank. Will he eat my plants if I transfer him?? Or should I just leave him b.
5) I think he's the little type you described. What snails grow huge. Big is good.

Well I'm flattered you call me an expert wouldn't call myself that but I'll pitch in my knowledge.

1) Yes they fall off things all the time. They glide with their foot, and can almost direct themselves to where they want to go!

2) Yes they can self right themselves, I would tend not to keep them in a goldfish tank as they'll bite of the snails antennae and after time the snails may become more and more reclusive, rarely venturing out during the day and almost nocturnal.

3) Breeding, you need a male and a female, I was unable to work out the gender of my snails however, by buying 6 I made the odds almost guarentee I had some of both sex. For breeding you need to have a space about the water line like CCL says, as thats where they will lay their eggs. With mine, I had them for six months and no eggs however this all changed 2 months ago when I fed them some blanched brocolli the next morning the tank had an egg clutch on the roof. In the next week I got 3 more egg clutches.

4) Depends what snail type you have if you could describe him or give us a picture we can ID him.
5) ditto 4. For big snails you want P. Cannulicata which looks like this

Minxnfella · Jan 9, 2003

Ta for all that.
Brian is just a ball of yellow, he's not very big and he isn't stripey, just boring old yellow. If he won't eat my plants he can go back in the big tank, the goldfish don't actually pay him any attention, they're not interested. It was just when he fell over he kept putting his tentacles out so he could feel his way and they kept swimming into them so he took them back again. Quite amusing to watch but somewhat cruel me thinks. Especially if snails are self aware....
Anyway, I won't get into that. Thanks for all your help. I think I may well get some more snails next week.
Ta and Tata.
xxx

Toxic_jake · Feb 8, 2010

I Have two apple snails in my community tank Love 'em.,

Chomp..

Gary..

fishyfeet · Feb 8, 2010

PunkRock050 said:
How big do these get, and how long does it take them to reach full size? Anybody here keep them? I saw some on ebay one time that were 3-4" in diamter. Thats a big snail!

They are cana, big plant eaters, i was sold several by mistake, someone didnt know what they were so they sent me some, man do they eat, i wondered why some of plants had only half a leaf left with bite marks taken out of it. I sold them on pretty quick. di

Doohiky · Feb 16, 2010

Im quite interested in acquiring some of the smaller, non-plant devouring type of Apple snail now. Is there any fish that you should definitely not house them with?
And William, are you just giving them away? Do you live in the UK?

Cheers