Hi all! So, Sometimes I hate myself for being so sensitive. I think I'm going to keep this little ###### pond snail... So I saw a one gallon tank with a UGF for 10 bucks at KMart. Alright, I'm broke and I wouldn't go so cheap for my goldies... My question is- the slits are small in the UGF, can the snail get stuck in them? Or will rocks prevent that? Can Only one reproduce, b/c there seems to be conflicting thoughts on this... Why am I such a sucker to keep it & not return it to the store? I feel like it'll end up as fish food... ANy advice?

what sort of pond snail??? Malaysian Trumpet Snail or Physa Acuta??? if you have gravel over the UGF there should be no problem (the snails wont be able to move through that gravel. unless its a malaysian trumpet snail whihc likes to dig thrugh gravel lool

i think they can reproduce with themselves being asexual... they usually will mate with another snail.. but if there isnt any other snails i guess they'll just have to mate with themselves lool

do you kknow the diff between a physa and a malaysian?? malaysians have really long and cone shaped shells while physa are like lil round ball shaped shells.. usually light brown

Ramy

Hey Ramy
Thanks so much for the reponse. I though I had read that they can't use their own sperm to fertilize their own eggs.... but what do I know. I'll check out if I think it's Malaysian or physa, though I think Physa sounds more probable, after I had looked...I don't know why I'm so crazy as to want to keep it! Thanks again

this link will help.. just look for the section Other Species.. http://www.applesnail.net

i dont think its weird:D lool personally i loooove all snail whether they be apple snails, pond snails or pest snails or anything else thats a snail..

if you end up having a physa.. they do differ from other snails.. i can help with what you need to know... just post back

Ramy

Hey Ramy
Thanks for the info and reassurance... ANyway, I'm pretty sure he's a physa, he's so little. I got that cheap tank, but it's too junky, i saw another one I'm going to get. He's cute. I'm scared if I put him in my gf tank he'll get up the filter or get eaten, so i have to find his own place, the tupperware he's been living in probably isn't the best. Any info would be appreciated and happy turkey day!

I'll tell you what i know from my experience...

Diet: Love algae.. and decomposed veggie matter.. I think that is all they eat.. wel thats al they ate in my tank lol

Behaviour: they are really cute.. cuz they will float themselves up to the top of the tank and sorta do a lil dance and sink back down.. its really fun to watch

They breath through gills... so there needs to be oxygen in the water...either an air pump or filter to put air in the water

You can decorate the tank anyway you'd like... they seem to like to climb everything and like hiding in things (sleeping underneath a leaf of a plastic plant lol)

Basically they are easy to care for.. need no heater and are just really fun haha... it may mate with itself so expect babies.. but if you see little jelly sacks on the edge of the glass those are their eggs.. you can remove them and feed it to ur fish or throw them out.. or you can keep them your choice

Remember tho.. they want their room (they oly grow 12mm long usually) but if things get over crowded they will fight with each other to the death (isnt to pleasant)

Any more q's?

Ramy

Thanks Ramy! Hmm, the only other question is- how many could I end up with? All of a sudden I have 2. You were right about that! I wouldn't mind keeping them but I don't want a thousand. If I would, maybe I should give them to a friend who has a pond? Or would they just be fish food? Think I'll get an applesnail for my goldie tank too. I was eyeing a little 1.77 gallon with a filter. Could I put a betta in there too? I do like my snails but I just don't want to end with heaps of them. Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.

they will multiply according to how much food there is... but wen you see eggs... just throw them out by scraping them off or feeding them to u fish..

yes you could put a betta in there with ur snail.. though 2.5 gallons is more desirable for bettas..

Thanks Ramy, now I'm kind of excited about snails and bettas!

As a was reading thru this, I was thinking..."get a 2.5 gallon and get a betta to keep your snails company."

But you thought of that on your own before I got to the end!

You can scrape the eggs off when you see them on the glass, but if you don't pay a lot of attention, you won't realize that they're laying them in better hiding places! A betta might actually help to keep the population of snails down though.

Good luck on what ever you decide!