I Want To Breed Snails, Maybe

[Sara0229]

I'm planning out a brackish 55gal set up and considering getting some puffers. I know they need live foods especially snails to wear down teeth. So I live too far from the pet store to get snails on a regulasr basis and I'm thinking of breeding them (yes as strange as it may seem ). I was wondering, could I use my sons 10gal community tank as a breeder tank or would I become quickly over run? And what type would be good breeders? I've never had pest snails so I don't know what conditions favor snail breeding. Suggestions?

 

[CTGoldfish]

Trapdoor snails will have live babies easily but only a few a year
I have heard apple snails,trumpet snails,and mystery snails are easy breeding

 

[Sara0229]

thanks for the info!

 

[Katty]

I would NOT put them in your display/community tanks unless you really want snails in there forever. You'd be fighting between not being overrun with snails and having enough to feed your puffers. It might be better to find a tank or "critter keeper" at the thrift-store or get a big plastic bin to keep them in (since they're just snails, you're not putting them on display). You can pick up a cheap filter or pull one out of storage to put in the container and use some filter media from your current tanks to get a cycle going so you don't poison your snails and they have aeration.

I have "pond snails" in my tank that hitchhiked in on some live plants. I have NO clue if they lay eggs or not or what the eggs may look like, but I often see new little baby snails. I imagine any "pest" snail you pick up from the pet store will breed prolifically if you feed them lots of fresh food and keep the water quality good. Live-bearing snails might be easier though since you won't have to wait for eggs to hatch and stuff.

I heard rams-horn snails are the "worst" out there because they can overpopulate tanks fast. But I guess that could be the "best" if you want to breed them. So I think those guys might be a good place to start looking.