# Apple Snails Breeding!



## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

Well this morning I got up and went to feed my balas. Then I see this pinkish clump! I was so confused I think I should have stayed in bed, LOL. Then I realized it was apple snail eggs. The clutch of eggs is on the hood. Im wondering if they should be in water? The layed them in SUCH a bad place because when I go to take the hood off they are stuck on the top. I didn't touch them or move them, I just wish it was in a better place. :roll: 

Any advice is welcome!!!!


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## Chazwick (Aug 24, 2005)

Yes, the eggs are fine.
Unless you don't want your tank overrun with babies that is... just be prepared for them to multiply like theres no tomorrow! lol


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

They will hatch if they are fertilized in a few days to a few weeks depending on temps. Once they hatch they will go into the wter. Your bala sharks and what ever else fish you may have in there will make short work of them. If you want to keep them remove the clutch with a credit card and put it in a glass jar/rubbermaid container with tank water. Place the clutch on top of a floating device (I used a plant ring made for pond floating plants, a credit card may work, as long as it floats). Cover the jar with a lid (put holes into it so air can enter) and place the jar under a desk lamp for warmth. Once they hatch you can raise them in a rubbermaid container. With a desk lamp they don't need a filter or a heater but you have to do water changes twice a week since they produce a lot of waste. They eat veggies but mine grew the fastest in a tank where the fish got carnivore food. Those snails grew at a rate double of the other ones. So some bloodworms etc. now and then would be good.


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

> Unless you don't want your tank overrun with babies that is... just be prepared for them to multiply like theres no tomorrow! lol


That's what I want. I know it's weird, most people don't like them but I really want them all to live. LOL

garfieldnfish - Thanks for the help. It will be fun to watch them grow. I guess I will try to remove them and do what you suggested. I hope I don't squash them. LOL Actually I do have a large rubbermade container I can use.

I have lot's of frozen foods I can give them.


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

One thing I forgot, you need to have an airstone in the tank/tub for oxygen exchange.


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

Snail babies remove need lots and lots of calcium. I personally haven't raised apple snail babies (both my snails are males!) but I read of several people who didn't realize this. The baby snails removed all the calcium from the water for their shells, causing a pH crash, and the babies suffered permanent shell damage. You can buy liquid calcium from snail breeders to provide the calcium they need,


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

Im confused, but what's new. I had a longgggg night! :? 

When you take the snail eggs out they do not have to be in water, just a lot of heat and moisture right? Would I ever have to use a spray bottle on them for a bit of moisture?

The air stone that you are talking about is when the snails hatch right? 

I removed the eggs last night. They dropped in the tank for one second and I panicked and I got them out right away, Are the eggs still good. Im a cluts! I thought they would be soft but to my surprise they were hard. 

About the calcium, I have chinchilla and they get Cuttlebones and I read somewhere that will help snails but not the eggs right?

Is there any way to tell if the eggs are dead?
Sorry, I just had so many questions. I really want this to work!


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

I raise snails...lots and lots of snails...lol. This is what I do.

I do not bother to remove the clutch, I leave it where the snails have laid it. Every time I have tried to move the eggs they tend to dry out and don't hatch. So, the snail-bies will hatch in approx 2-3 weeks, keep your eye on the clutch you will be able to tell when it gets close to hatching time, the clutch goes kinda soft and squishy. At this point I scrape it off and help the hatchlings out by gently swirling the clutch in the water, this can be the tank, or another tank that you have set up for raising baby snails.

Cuttlebone will in fact help, I have used it myself. Also you can use calcium that you get for salt water tanks, Kents makes a great product. Spinach is full of calcium and believe it or not so are the weekend feeders that look like plaster. Don't be suprised if you don't see the babies for the first couple of weeks, they are pretty tiny. But it won't be long before you see them starting to climb the glass. You can use oyster shells crushed in a bag hung on the side of the tank or in the filter or you can used a crushed coral substate for them also to keep the calcium levels high. 

I hope this helps.


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## Chazwick (Aug 24, 2005)

Doodles said:


> That's what I want. I know it's weird, most people don't like them but I really want them all to live. LOL


I love snails too  I've been obsessed with the cute little critters since i can remember, i had an apple snail, but he died recently :'( So, i haven't gotten another one.. i'm tempted to get a small 3GAL tank or so, just for apple snails  lol


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

Oh boy, we have more snail eggs, LOL. I think Im going to have a lot of snail babies. Do they produce eggs like this regularly? Do any of you know how to tell if the snail eggs have gone bad? Some eggs (like cichlid) turn from a beige to white if they are infertile.



> At this point I scrape it off and help the hatchlings out by gently swirling the clutch in the water, this can be the tank, or another tank that you have set up for raising baby snails.Cuttlebone will in fact help, I have used it myself. Also you can use calcium that you get for salt water tanks, Kents makes a great product. Spinach is full of calcium and believe it or not so are the weekend feeders that look like plaster. Don't be suprised if you don't see the babies for the first couple of weeks, they are pretty tiny. But it won't be long before you see them starting to climb the glass. You can use oyster shells crushed in a bag hung on the side of the tank or in the filter or you can used a crushed coral substate for them also to keep the calcium levels high.


Thanks for the tips here! I have a wack of cuttlebones here for my chinchillas so I'll use some of those. I'll get some crushed coral, I know my cousin has salt water tanks so I get get some from him. I know around here you can only get coral in huge bags and it's pretty pricey so I'' get some off of him. You have helped a lot, thanks, I appreciate it! 



> I love snails too I've been obsessed with the cute little critters since i can remember, i had an apple snail, but he died recently :'( So, i haven't gotten another one.. i'm tempted to get a small 3GAL tank or so, just for apple snails lol


Too bad you didn't live near me I would give you free ones when my babies grow up.


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

If they haven't gotten squishy is about 3 weeks, then they are probably infertile. If they dry out, they turn white. But generally they just stay that pinkish color and get a little darker as the babies grow.


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

Thank You!


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

I would highly reocmmend that you remove all but one of the egg masses. Dealing with one mass of babies will put enough of a strain on your filtration, calcium content of your water, etc. Unless your tank is really huge...


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

> I would highly reocmmend that you remove all but one of the egg masses. Dealing with one mass of babies will put enough of a strain on your filtration, calcium content of your water, etc. Unless your tank is really huge...


I have 6 tanks so I was going to put some snails in all of my tanks. Then give some away to my family because a lot of them have tanks. I also have puffers. I can't breed the other snails for the life of me, I don't know why but it never works out.
I know I can't keep all the snails in that tank but it's a 75 gallon.

So do you think I should still get rid of some of the eggs? With the filtration do you mean some of the snails will get stuck in the filter and wreck the motor?


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

Nope but they slime, as well as are extremely bio-load heavy. (Snails are dirty critters).


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

Tiger is right: the snails poop alot. Their digestion is not very efficient, so they go through alot of food for their size, and thier poop contains much more nurtrients than your typical fish poop. That's why these snails encourage infusoria: the little micro-critters love to eat the snail poop. Sorry to be so vulgar about this, but it's best to know what you're up against!

If you've got puffers that should take care of some of new snails. I still think that for the first time, it would be best to remove all but one egg mass. Then you will know what's involved in taking care of one mass of babies, what sort of strains it puts on your filtration, how much calcium you'll need to add to make sure your pH doesn't crash, how many babies you're likely to get from one egg mass, how many your puffers will get through, etc, etc, etc. I'm just suggesting that you get a little experience in caring for the baby snails before you go into wholsale snail production!


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

Alright, thanks! 



> Tiger is right: the snails poop alot. Their digestion is not very efficient, so they go through alot of food for their size, and thier poop contains much more nurtrients than your typical fish poop. That's why these snails encourage infusoria: the little micro-critters love to eat the snail poop. Sorry to be so vulgar about this, but it's best to know what you're up against!


I didn't realize they pooped so much. I just looked and there are some more batches of eggs. There are so many batches of eggs now. :roll: Before I get rid of them I do have an empty 10 gallon tank with nothing in it, would that work out? 
Im going to take your advice though and just keep one clutch of eggs but if they can all go in the 10 gallon that would be great. Im going to hate getting rid of them but I really don't want to be over-run and have problems like you have mentioned. It's not worth the risk to my fish that's forsure!


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

I have found a 10 gal bare bottom tank will only work for just a little while, but you can get them to the size they need to be to sell them in a 10 gal tank.

Also, before you toss the eggs, you might want to see if anyone would be willing to buy them. Generally colors other than gold will sell.


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

Alright! That sounds like a plan. It will be interesting to watch them grow.


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

Yeah, bare bottom will definitely make it easier to clean. You might want to get netting material (it's called toole) and rubber band it around the bottom of the syphon so you don't accidently suck them up.


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