TrapDoor Snails

[MegTheFish]

I just brought home two trapdoor snails from the petshop. The smaller one has a white shell and an orange body, and the larger one (he was the largest one in the tank) is brown/black. They came from a goldfish tank. They are so cool! And fast, too (well, as fast as a snail can be... ). I put the smaller one in my 5.5 gallon and the larger one in my 50 gallon goldfish tank. I read that they don't like the temp to be higher then 75 degrees, so I turned the temp down in the 5.5 (as it was at 78 degrees, the guppies won't mind). The goldfish tank doesn't have a heater so it'll be fine. I had a black trapdoor snail once before, but I think it died, it didn't move for weeks, so I flushed it. Now I've learned that if they die then they stink really badly, and my snail didn't, so I hope he was really dead Oops...
ANYWAYS...I would like to add a second one to either tank, because I would love it if they bred. I read that they don't breed crazy like pond snails so I don't think I'd be overun, I could just remove the ones I don't want. But does one have to be a female and the other male? I know that sounds like a stupid question, but I heard that with some snails it doesn't matter? They were $2.99 so if I could breed them instead of buying a bunch that would be great. I have a 3 gallon that is empty...maybe I could breed them in there?

Oh, and BTW, the reasen I bought them was because I have a lot of algea in both my 5.5 gallon and my 50 gallon. They eat algea, right? They sure gobbled down the pieces of aglea wafer I gave them! LoL.

 

[MegTheFish]

...???....

 

[abstract]

Oh, and BTW, the reasen I bought them was because I have a lot of algea in both my 5.5 gallon and my 50 gallon. They eat algea, right? They sure gobbled down the pieces of aglea wafer I gave them! LoL.

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they eat algae somewhat, but not as well as your algae scrubber...they are more for deocration than anything else - as they get bigger they produce a ton of waste

 

[MegTheFish]

Oh I see. I still want to breed them though, maybe. I guess I'll go look up on it if I can't get an answer here.

 

[MegTheFish]

I read that they breed very slowly, only like 2 times a year, and they are livebearers. But I also didn't see any mention of a white color variety? It says they only come in black and brown...hmmm...
So do you think I should try it? Or is it a waste of my time?

 

[abstract]

in all honesty TRYING to breed snails is useless...if they are going to breed, they will do it...if not, they won't...and if they do you won't just have a couple you will have hundreds...a few too many for a 3 gallon tank

 

[MegTheFish]

Well, I thought it would be kinda boring because they only breed twice a year...if they breed more often I probably would do it. I don't know what to do. I was thinking of putting ADF's and snails in that tank (the 3 gallon), and when the snails have babies I can put them in my other tanks, give them to friends, or just dispose of them. Would this work?

 

[abstract]

sure it would work, but how big are the snails? i couldn't imagine my 2" apple snails in a 3 gallon tank - they are way too active..i just couldn't see successful breeding of larger snails happening in such a small tank...it would become SO infested that it would be unmanagable

 

[MegTheFish]

Yah, your right, they would be too big.
Do you have any other suggestions on what I should put in the 3 gallon? I was thinking ADF's...thats probably all that would work, since I don't have a filter, but I might buy a sponge filter if I have too.

 

[abstract]

an adf and a betta...or a betta and a couple ghost shrimp

those are pretty much it IMO