Hello Everyone,
I am new to this site, but I love it already!
Anyway, I am well aware that this is a site about goldfish, but I have a snail question. I have two very large snails in my goldfish tank, and I don't know what species they are! I can't get back to the pet store where I bought them, so I am lost. My two snailies are very happy critters and they eat algae wafers (if their fish buddies don't eat the algae first). I just can't identify these guys, though. They are very round, and the tops of their shells point the side, rather than upwards. They are a tan color, and about two inches in length. They have two pairs of anntenae. A pair of "bearded" anntenae, and a longer pair. Can anyone tell me what I have?
PenelopeFish

From what you described, I'm thinking that you have a pair of apple snails! Do they look like this:


Oh and by the way...welcome to kokos!!!

Yes! Thats what I have! Cool! I notice that in that picture the snail doesn't have the "beard" effect on its smaller anntenae. Does that mean its a female, and my buddies are males? Could you let me know where you found that site so I could learn more about them? Thanks!
PenelopeFish

I think this is a good site for snails

Ok! applesnail.net

It's a very cool site for anyone interested in apple snails. I guess they are quite a pest in many countries! No one wants to eat them! Whew, I believe that one. I had to eat a meal of snails when I was in Belize. That was an experience. And those snails weren't even close to the size of apple snails! Yuck!
-PenelopeFish

Eeew, eating snails.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "beard" effect. You definitely have the species Pomacea bridgesii, which is a type of apple snail. But the antennae aren't a very good way to tell males versus females.

Use this site instead.

http://www.tronchaser.com/~cindi/ss.html

when i was young I went to a restaurant with my parents and had snails....yuck :crp I think they were sea snails

There's just no way....... But I can tell you what, I saw snail shells in the grocery store, I'm sure now they where apple snail shells. Most likely a cana as I recall them being bigger then my brigs shells. No way, no how, uh uh!

apple snails can breath air for about a month

They can breath air all the time...they have both lung and gills but they need the functionality of the gills unless they are aestivating, which they don't do in captivity.