How many gallons

[RandomWiktor]

I have two empty 5 gallon, filtered, heated tanks. I am thinking of getting two golden apple snails, one for each tank (there will be no fish in the tanks). Is 5 gallons adequate for this species at adulthood? I will probably clean 2-3X's a week in addition to the filtration since they produce so much waste. Also, is there a reccomended water temperature for the species? The LFS didn't have anything to say other than that it "should be fine in a tropical community tank." Somewhere in the 70's then? Any information would be great as I want to make sure I've covered all my bases before I get the snails.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Um... not trying to be an annoying double-poster but

::bump::

Anyone?

 

[morgan]

Hi, I am not an expert which is why I didn't answer before. I have had a Golden Apple Snail since last May. It started off in a coldwater hexagonal tank with 5 Neon Tetras and a Hillstream Loach. In August I upgraded to a 6 UK gallon tropical tank. I moved them all in to the new tank (without cycling properly as I was told the tank was fine after a few days!). The Apple Snail is happy and thriving. In the tank now are 14 Mollies, 5 Guppies and the Apple Snail. All the Mollies are fry at various stages of growth. Hope this helps. Sometimes the Mollies bother the snail but I think they are just looking for food. When that happens the snail just goes into it's shell. If they were doing it all the time I would move the snail to a tank on it's own.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Thanks for the advice Sounds like you have a very pampered, loved snail ^^

However, I may have neglected to state clearly in my origional post (bad me) that each snail would be the only inhabitant of the tank (no other fish, no other anything). Shall I assume, then, that this amount of gallonage would be sufficient, seeing as they can be kept with other fish in the same amount of water?

 

[morgan]

I don't know the actual amount of water it would need but I mentioned my other fish and amount of gallons in tank because the Apple Snail is happy in there and it would give you some idea. So I would think a 5 gallon tank would be fine. I also have some real plants in case the snail or fish want some veg. I don't actually know what the snail eats. I put flake food and some sinking pellets in twice a day and every 2 or 3 days I put some freeze-dried brine shrimp, blood worms, daphnia or some tubliflex worms as well. The Mollies are very greedy fish so the snail must eat what is left.

 

[Matchu]

2.5 gallons for a medium sized snail, 5 gallons sounds fine.

You should leave an airspace above the water as large as the snails shell, so eggs can be laid.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Oooh, I'm hoping for no eggs; thats why they'll be in separate tanks ::Laughs:: However, does the snail still produce and expell eggs without a male (presuming I get a female)? If so, would this space above the water still be required?

 

[Matchu]

Its only for the eggs, if its not there the eggs just drown, and if you dont want them then thats ok. So no the space isnt needed.

 

[morgan]

Apple Snails need male and female to reproduce. I thought they were hermaphrodites until someone told me different.

 

[guppler]

I bought one golden apple snail last summer to live in my 20 gallon tank with 5 golfish. She turned out to be female and already pregnant. she waited months to produce her first egg mass, and then produced severay more, She finanlly died, but some of her kids are still about pea size. others are as big as she was when I bought her. Some of the biggest ones are in my 1-2 gallon betta tanks with 1 fish and 2-3 snails. they seem happy enough to me. i just usually drop a little more food than I expect the beta to finish and sometimes supplement with broken bits of algae wafer. i clean tanks and change water about like I would for a fish alone.