# Need Snail Help



## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

I know I'm off topic but you guys in the Betta forum are my friends and I only want to ask you this question. So, my snail keeps on having babies, but something is wrong. None of them ever hatch. The hollow out like honey combs and get really hard...I kept some for about a 3 weeks and they still didnt hatch...I dont know what to do. They show no signs of getting bigger or having life or anything. The first time I did it, I let them stay on the side of the tank. Then the second time I removed them and put them in a tupperware with a little bit of water and plastic wrap over the top so that the moisture would stay in. They were warm too, beside the lamp. And of course, elevated on a rock, not in the water. So now I have new babies and I havent touched them. What should I do?


----------



## stargate_geek (Dec 1, 2006)

What kind of snails?


----------



## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

Mystery snails


----------



## T4987 (Nov 25, 2006)

how long have they been alive?


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

Get them into a small tank or bowl. Make sure that you keep the water chemistry decent and that the water is filtered or changed daily. Make sure the ph is either neutral or slightly basic as snail shells dissolve in acidic water.

You can feed them algae tablets, fish food, romaine lettuce, cucumber, or zucchini. They pretty much eat it all.

I started a thread with pretty much the same questions a little while back if you would like to reference it.
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/invertebrates/13448-incubating-snail-eggs.html#post122256


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

Get them into a small tank or bowl. Make sure that you keep the water chemistry decent and that the water is filtered or changed daily. Make sure the ph is either neutral or slightly basic as snail shells dissolve in acidic water.

You can feed them algae tablets, fish food, romaine lettuce, cucumber, or zucchini. They pretty much eat it all.

I started a thread with pretty much the same questions a little while back if you would like to reference it.
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/invertebrates/13448-incubating-snail-eggs.html#post122256


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

Stupid double post. Grrr...


----------



## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Don't remove the eggs from the tank. Mystery snails lay their eggs above the water line and the eggs need to stay there in order to hatch IME. Alkaline water is fine, too. They need calcium to harden the shells, though, and calcium crap in the water doesn't do anything, they have to eat it. Many of us use a cuttlebone from the bird section of the pet store. Throw it into the tank and they'll munch on it. If they are in a tank with fish, watch your water parameters. I'm not sure what the cuttlebone will do to the water params, as I use a separate snail tank to breed my snails in.


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

boxermom, have you known baby mystery snails to cause a ph drop? My water for some reason has dropped from a ph of 7.8 to 6.8, and the only significant change I know of is the brood of snails.


----------



## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Nope, they shouldn't. Have you tested your tap water? There's been no change of decor or anything else?


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

No change of decor, tap water is stable at 7.6-7.8.


----------



## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Have you got driftwood in the tank?


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

Nope, gravel, aponogetons, a large male mysery snail ( the female just died), 2 cherry barbs, 6 neon tetras, an oto cat and a batch of snails.


----------



## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Very odd. No idea why it would drop by a whole point, that's a significant change.


----------



## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

Oh ok I get it...well the whole thing here is that I don't really want to have any baby snails, they just decide to lay their eggs and I dont appose the idea, but I also dont encourage it. I want them to hatch, that would be nice, but I dont want anymore tanks or special water conditions to have to adhear to. Wow...can I get any worse at spelling? But umm, if any of you remember me I just wanted to also say that I decided to take everyones advice and am going to invest in a larger tank...35-40g actually. I'm really excited and cant wait to set it up, my neon tetra and catfish are very unhappy in their small groups. They need the schoolin! I was planning on puttin my betta back in a 5g with no bubbler cuz I think he dislikes it. So when I do this, what other fish can he live with that dont need bubblers? I know catfish dont...but do they like having to come up for air? And...what about snails? Do they need one? And....what would be good fish to put in the 35-40g? I'm going to add 12 neon tetra, 8 large corycatfish (can i mix breeds like spotted and albino etc?)....4 snails....any other ideas?


----------



## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

Kageshi17 said:


> I was planning on puttin my betta back in a 5g with no bubbler cuz I think he dislikes it.


Bettas do not need bubblers. They just go to the surface to the surface to gulp for air which is one reason why they can survive oxygen-deficient waters.


> So when I do this, what other fish can he live with that dont need bubblers? I know catfish dont...but do they like having to come up for air?


Bubblers practially do nothing other than producing bubbles to make surface movements which dissipates carbon dioxide and allow the oxygen level to increase. They are still useful though when your tank is depleted in oxygen and for emergencies like the power outages. However, they can have dire consequences in planted tanks.

Not all catfish practically gulp for air. Cories go to the surface from time to time which I think has something to do with easing digestion(so others may have claimed) though I cannot prove what it is exactly.


> And...what about snails? Do they need one? And....what would be good fish to put in the 35-40g? I'm going to add 12 neon tetra, 8 large corycatfish (can i mix breeds like spotted and albino etc?)....4 snails....any other ideas?


Snails are not really necessary. What snails were you thinking of getting? Most snails are a nuisance once they reproduce too much.

For cories, you can mix any species. They do not get aggressive at all. There are other tetras for you to choose aside from neons. Diamond tetras, emperor tetras, Kerri tetras, Rosy tetras, cardinals, etc.
Avoid the serpae tetras. They are far too vicious and are well-known fin nippers.
For surface, hatchets and danios are good options. If not, you may give honey gouramis a try.


----------



## CyberSpike (Mar 25, 2006)

Can I use a flavoured cuttlebone? Im guessing since its meant for birds its safe for animal consumption, lol. All I can get is berry flavor.


----------



## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

CyberSpike said:


> Can I use a flavoured cuttlebone? Im guessing since its meant for birds its safe for animal consumption, lol. All I can get is berry flavor.


To be safe, I wouldn't. Just the plain cuttlebone.


----------



## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

I wouldn't use a flavored one myself. 

Serpae tetras are fine as long as they are in a big enough group, at least 6.


----------

