Apple Snails

[Akasha72]

Hi,

I've just got my first apple snail and it's busy cleaning the tank of all algae (yey) but what I wondered was is there any other food they especially like?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Not in particular..... just keep feeding your fish, and the (unseen) scrap bits will be consumed by your snail..... There will always be enough to keep it going.

 

[Akasha72]

okay, thanks. I was a bit concerned whether it would have enough food once it's eaten all the algae. Not worried now

 

[zuulan]

Don't just rely on algae to feed them. Unless your sure it's getting some of the fish food, I would add food that's more targeted to the snail.

I didn't used to realise they need their own food & lost 4 small ones pretty quickly. I now have a large one, probably 3-4 cm and I drop in a slice of cucumber or croquette every other day, 10 mins after I've switched the lights out so that hopefully the fish won't eat them all. Ive had this snail for over 2 years now. Which is think is quite long for a snail.

Blanch the slices first of coarse.

 

[Akasha72]

thanks Zuulan, I'll do that. I also put a bit too much flake in now as my platies tend to run off with the catfish pellets and I know my cories arn't getting much to eat.

 

[phoenix2081]

I found some celery worked well. It loved that or cucumber as previously stated......... Or expensive Anubis mother plants or any plants you like as a matter of fact.

 

[Akasha72]

you mean it will eat my plants ...? if so ... who wants to take an apple snail off my hands lol

 

[phoenix2081]

Eat the plants is an understatement. I took mine back to the LFS happily today. Mine not only ate leaves which grow back and I couldnt care about. It devoured a small plant completely down to the lead weight (which was buried). It then at through all the storks on another plant so it was too small to replant and worked its way down 1/4 of the plant at a time so they would just float to the top. They ruined some of my plants.

But they are back in the shop and I am back with plants.

Maybe your snails will be good?

 

[FishFanatic04]

Mine leaves my plants alone. I give it algae wafers, & various veggies. I haven't seen it on my plants and it has double in size since I got him.

 

[Akasha72]

I have seen it on the plants but it's mostly cleaning the substrate. It had better be good and leave my plants alone or it will be going back too!

My plants are looking really nice and they mean more than a pretty purple snail!

 

[riffraff]

Bleach the slices first of coarse

bleach think that should have said blanch lol dont bleach the food

riffraff

 

[Akasha72]

Bleach the slices first of coarse

bleach think that should have said blanch lol dont bleach the food

riffraff

Hahaha I hadn't noticed that lol. Don't worry I know not to introduce bleach to the tank

 

[CezzaXV]

I've never heard of apple snails eating plants before. Mine will eat any dead or dying leaves that are going but they've never touched any of my healthy plants. They enjoy climbing over them, but they don't eat them.

 

[phoenix2081]

I must of had a horrible one lol

 

[Akasha72]

It's been in there 3 days now and hasn't eaten a single leaf so I'm hoping it's not going to start