They grow to about 1 inch in length and have alternating yellow and dark brown "bumble bee" stripes. They like to burrow in the substrate but quickly come out for food. Unlike most aquarium snails, which are largely herbivorous or at least omnivorous, Assassin snails are carnivores, feeding largely on other snails or carrion.
However, they will not eat their own kind even when other food is in short supply. A few shrimp breeders have reported seeing Assassin snails eating their valuable shrimp, but experts believe that this happens very rarely, and the victims are most likely weak or sickly. Assassin snails are known to breed in captivity. They are gonochoristic, so if you want to breed them, you should start with at least 5 or 6 to make sure you have males and females.
Reproduction is slow because females only lay 1 to 4 eggs at a time. Eggs are transparent and difficult to see, hatching out in 8 to 9 weeks, depending on temperature.
Ramshorn snails have been in the aquarium hobby longer than almost any other type of snail. Some aquarists use them to help keep fry-rearing or shrimp tanks clean, while others consider them a pest that should be eliminated at any cost. They are great at eating soft algae, dead plant matter and leftover food, but they can multiply quickly, especially in aquariums that have a lot of organic debris.
They are also known to eat soft-leafed plants when food is scarce. The two most common species in the aquarium trade are , the Red Ramshorn and Planorbarius corneus , a larger species known as the Great Ramshorn. Red Ramshorns are red, as their name suggests, while Great Ramshorns are typically olive-yellow to brown, with stripes on the shell.
Other variants, such as pink, yellow or blue are also available. Ramshorns are air-breathers, making it necessary for them to come to the surface to breathe. Great Ramshorn snails are usually introduced intentionally into aquariums to control algae and help keep the tank clean, but Red Ramshorns often appear spontaneously.
More often than not, tiny individuals or eggs sneak in on live plants, rocks, driftwood, ornaments and even gravel transferred from one aquarium to another. A sudden population explosion is often a result of detritus and organic waste building up in the aquarium. Depending on your outlook, these small, cone-shaped snails can be the best scavenger known to aquarium keeping or the most despised creature on earth.
To be sure, they are prolific. They are parthenogenetic — not hermaphroditic — meaning females can give birth to more females without requiring contact with a male. In short, one tiny hitch-hiking female is all it takes to get things going, and they are virtually impossible to get rid of once they enter your aquarium.
On the positive side, MTS forage in the substrate by day, keeping it aerated and breaking down any organic debris and waste that accumulates there, preventing anaerobic conditions which can release deadly hydrogen sulfide gas from developing. Plus, they won't eat your plants. For these reasons, they make excellent scavengers for planted aquariums, shrimp tanks and aquariums that are heavily stocked or fed generously. That is comforting if you like natural methods, but for some folks, seeing that many snails in a tank or watching your gravel actually "move" is, well…….
It is pretty much impossible to eradicate MTS entirely once they are in your aquarium but cutting back on feeding and vacuuming the substrate regularly will deprive these snails of their food source and keep their numbers down. Several species fall under the term "pond snails". To some hobbyists they are a valued scavenger, while others consider them a pest. Most grow to an inch or less and are olive-green to speckled brown in color.
They are omnivores, feeding on algae, dead plant material, detritus and uneaten fish food. They usually do not bother live plants, but they are known to reproduce rapidly when an ample food supply is present. Pond snails can be kept with peaceful community fish and make great scavengers in shrimp tanks.
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. How to differ an Apple with a Mystery snail? Which one eats plants? HI There guys. I didn't get much results from the Fishlore search engine, so I had to make a thread about this.
I just don't know if they're bringing apple or mystery snails. Now, how do I tell the difference between the two? I read on a google searh result that comparing Apple to Mystery snails is like comparing roses to flowers. So roses belong in the Flowers "group". But which of these snails includes the other? Do you have to remember all that?
From what I know, are the apple snails the yellow ones only, and the mystery snails the colored ones blue,ivory,purple etc? Is the color the only difference? Also which of these eat plants , the Apple or the Mustery snail? I've heard different opinions about this. Can I completely avoid this by feeding veggies regularly? I'm planning to put these snails in a heavily planted tank so I really need to be safe So really, what's the difference between the two?
Here's an excellent resource for information Carol. I've read conflicting information on this subject. Most people say they are the same thing, just two different names. Others say they are different. They just eat left over food on the bottom. Click to expand I'm sorry HenrI I don't know how I missed that.
Lets see what I can figure out. Personally I thought they were the same. They are easy to keep but require a calcium rich diet to ensure good shell growth either liquid calcium dosing, homemade food with calcium supplementation, or veggies with good calcium content.
My only negative comment on them is that they are poop machines. They are super fun to watch and do great with RCS and small fish. Flaringshutter Befriend a feeder! Oct 17, 1, 0 0 Southern California.
My only negative comment on them is that they are poop machines Aug 25, 0 0 web. My only negative comment on them is that they are poop machines.. Last edited: Dec 5, They adapt to their habitat so well that they learn to survive for long on their own without much external care. Now, the laws in the US for snail breeding and trading are pretty strict and have proclaimed certain species as illegal because of their large size and destructive nature.
For this very reason, there have been instances of them becoming invasive in certain states and acting as pests to crops, such as rice. They cause a lot of agricultural and ecological damage and pose a hazard to human health too. Diseases like intestinal fluke and rat ringworm are known to be spread by these little troublemakers. Mystery snails, on the other hand, are comparatively safe and do not carry any threat of diseases or damage.
Hence, you can keep them in your aquarium without any risk; just remember that they excrete a lot. Apple snails are generally gold yellow in color, with variations of brown and green. A combination of all three colors is also a common sight. On the contrary, mystery snails are generally dark-colored, ranging from black, brown, to blue. The primary difference lies in their feet color, as mystery snails typically have either pure white or a dark slate foot. At the same time, apple snails have olive green feet, which might be a hybrid of light and dark shades.
A post shared by HomeLifePlants homelifeplants.
0コメント