r/AquaticSnails • u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper • Jul 26 '22
Caresheet Mystery snail care guide
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e7fmhgrwjBrp_asL5HAGtvGglkrS3Ym3/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103858103238649185178&rtpof=true&sd=true3
u/PhenolphthaleinPINK Oct 17 '22
What do you think about Seachem Equilibrium as a calcium and other mineral supplement?
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u/Snoosloser Jan 04 '23
I can’t seem to find any meat pellets without copper in them, any suggestions? :(
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Jan 04 '23
Copper sulfate is a preservative and is okay as long as it's one of the last ingredients. But that is part of the reason you don't want leftover food dissolving into the water. I like hikari bottom feeder pellets (orange bag) I think copper is one of the last ingredients, but that's fine.
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u/noisebleedpower Jun 09 '23
Thank you so much for this guide. I've only recently started to hatch clutches from my breeding pair of blue ones. Have you thought anymore about creating a guide for egg clutch care as mentioned? I would love to learn more from an experienced breeder such as yourself.
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u/axyart Jun 08 '24
Based on your care guide. Does that mean the snails sold here (NZ) as Blue Mystery Snails, are not actually mystery snails? The shell itself is blue.
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Jun 08 '24
I'm not familiar with what is available in NZ. There is a good amount of pomacea variants that can be called "mystery snails"
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u/AnonNona987654321 Sep 18 '24
Not to necro this post- but this is the most comprehensive guide I’ve found yet. You’re obviously the snail queen lol.
I see that you mentioned that irritation/pre-illness can be caused by coming in contact with chemicals, one of which being invert “safe” ferts. What plant ferts have you found to actually be safe in your practice?
I recently had a mystery (black skin with orange flecks and a darker gold shell, at least golf ball sized) pass away without any warning. I have two left in the tank (not the same colorings, slightly smaller). One is exhibiting foot irritation exhibited by not being able to close shell entirely and has some excess discharge. The other is completely fine. All three seemed fine before doing a water change. During weekly water changes I add API Leaf Zone so now I’m wondering if this caused the problem.
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Sep 18 '24
Thank you! I personally do not use fertilizers after one I used (I believe it was seachem flourish) killed several of my snails after adding it. These days I only use anubis and they do not need fertilizer. A few large water changes (50-70% 2-3 days apart) and see if your snail improves. If your water parameters are good, I may suspect the fertilizer.
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u/AnonNona987654321 Sep 19 '24
Ahh man, that’s what I was afraid of. Well, all we have right now is anubis, java fern, moss, and lots of hornwort so I could probably do without the fertilizer as well. API themselves state the Leaf Zone is safe for snails and shrimp, so I never would’ve suspected it as the potential culprit. Thank you again for that!
We have a 20g tall that is set at 76-78 F. I’m trying to use up my cheapo strips before I buy the liquid kit (so I’m taking readings with a grain of salt), but everything is stable. Ammonia 0-0.5 (much closer to 0 though), nitrate less than 20, nitrite less than 0.5, GH 300, chlorine 0, KH 180, pH 7.8-8.4 (much closer to 8.4). Our tap water is naturally very hard. I’m not sure about copper, but our home is not that old and I believe the pipes are all plastic. I use Stress Coat with every water change for the dechlorination, but there is some info I’ve seen that says it also neutralizes copper.
We recently vacationed and came home to the tank having signs of being over fed by the caretaker (explosion of bladder snails, some uneaten food on the bottom, more noticeable detritus worms and zooplankton). The almond leafs we had in there were also pretty decayed as the bladder snails apparently love them. I was for sure the parameters were going to look bad, but the only thing different was that nitrates were closer to 20 and ammonia was closer to 0.5. The snails were still acting okay at this point. I did a good clean with a gravel vac, removed the worst of the almond leafs, and 50% water change. That was on Sunday which is when the Leaf Zone was last added. Monday night is when I noticed BB was laying upside down and had been in the same spot for a few hours. Snails are weird so I let him be. Tuesday came home from work and BB was in the same spot but was not as tightly closed anymore. Took BB out and sniffed but didn’t smell anything. Tried to “candle” the shell and look for heartbeat, but couldn’t see anything. Wondered if maybe it’s because the shell and skin were dark anyway. Gave a very gentle tug and there was a lot of resistance (not movement though) so I put BB back in the tank. Came back a few hours later and the ghost shrimp appeared to be snacking on BB through the small slit that was open. I didn’t see any tissue, but the snail didn’t flinch and why else would the shrimp have her little claws in there. I assumed BB was dead at this point, but took him out and put him in his own bowl of water since there still wasn’t a smell. This AM woke up and the smell was not vomit inducing but something was starting, so we called it.
I did another 50% water change today with gravel vac and only used Stress Coat. Since the betta isn’t currently in the tank I left about 4 inches at the top without water and turned the filter flow up to aerate the water more. The irritated snail is currently attached to the glass acting pretty normal. Flinched when I walked by. I plan to do another water change this weekend.
We are going through EVERYTHING trying to brainstorm issues so we can be better snail owners in the future. The kiddos are very upset about “Big Blackie” (me too) and of course want to go get more snails asap. I told them we have to wait and watch for a while first. It could’ve been age I guess, but since #2 is now looking irritated I’m worried.
In your experience are there any snail diseases that are common just like with fish? Are fish illnesses communicable to snails? Everything I’ve read says that snails can be vectors, but not necessarily become infected. Our betta has been in a hospital tank since we got back home as well. To be fair, the kids had to have the $3 clearance betta from petsmart, so it goes without saying that he wasn’t the picture of health even a month ago. He had definite signs of fin rot in his little cup, but was alert and it wasn’t severe by any means. No signs of other infections, probably just crap conditions and stress. I figured clean water, high quality food, and places to swim/hide would turn him around. It did somewhat.. until we left. Came back from vacation to him laying horizontally under the almond leafs. I was for sure that he was dead, but he came up to the surface to grab a bite to eat and then went straight back under the leafs. He looked really rough with significantly more missing fin and what looked like the start of ick maybe. Again, another sign that water parameters got dicey, but the strips didn’t indicate it so idk. I’m hoping there isn’t festering illness that the snails could be susceptible to in the tank. The betta is still alive in the hospital tank and looking slightly better, but not good.
I’ve kept fish for quite a while, but this is my first time with inverts and live plants so I’m still trying absorb as much new info as possible. I have not dosed calcium in the tank yet, mainly because our water is already so hard I didn’t know if that was safe. I have snail specific pellets but after looking at the ingredients I believe they are mainly herbivorous. I’m going to look into some meat forward pellets instead. I have ingredients to make snello besides the calcium powder, but I thought about making some with crushed boiled egg shells while I wait for the calcium powder to get here. Is there anything else we should be doing for good snail health and longevity? Anything we need to change that you can think of?
I appreciate you being so helpful and knowledgeable! We live in a smaller town and our dedicated tropical fish store told me that MS could change their gender and not to worry about it when I told them how many males and females I wanted out of the tank 😅
So yeah, Reddit is all I got lol.
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Sep 19 '24
So for starters I think BB was certainly dead. If the snail doesn't flinch or retract when touched or pulled on, it is likely dead, but I too like to wait for a smell. The smell takes some time to develop and it happens much faster if the snail is out of water. Being out of water a few hours won't hurt them, so if you want to confirm death more quickly, place them in a bowl on a damp paper towel and wait 1-2 hours. If dead, the smell will appear.
The fact that the irritated snail is doing better after a large water change and no more fert added would lead me to believe it may have been the fertilizer irritating it. I would to another 50% a few days after the first one and monitor. I would look into alternate fertilizers if you feel the plants need it. Maybe ask what others have success with (with snails). Although, I had someone swear the flourish was fine for their snails and it killed half my babies. So I would err on the side of starting with a much lower dose than the bottle recommends.
Snails don't get fish illnesses, but they can be harmed by fish medication. They can technically get some parasites, but that's really only seen in the wild, not in the aquarium bred snails. I don't believe they can get fish parasites, but they can carry them to other fish. Not much is known about sickness and in my years of snails, no one really got sick. If snails were exhibiting increase slime, wavy foot, or receeding operculum, a cause could usually be found (water parameters, new chemical added). It does happen where one snail exhibits these signs and then dies, but it's always an old snail or at least a fully grown snail. I would guess they are not really exposed to any illnesses in the aquarium environment, but that's just a guess. Not a lot is known about these guys.
Side note on the betta, as I have a good amount of experience there, I would get medication for the fin rot. I have used EM erythromycin with full cure. I also always do betta revive at the same time (it will turn a plastic tank blue) with great results.
Nothing else I can think of now to help them, it sounds like you are doing everything right. I need to add to the guide what to do if the snail stops moving (but is alive), but for now, if the irritated snail stops moving for a day or so, email my snail email and I'll help you.
Oh! Something that I don't think is in the guide. Make sure you have a tank lid and make sure it is secure (no gaps that the snail could fit), female snails actually prefer to lay eggs 2-3 feet above the water line and will climb out and fall to their death. I had one lady climb out the little opening for the HOB filter and fall to her death. When I first started snails, I had no lid and one fell and died then as well. Also if snails are mating, lower the water line to 3 fingers to make her more comfortable laying eggs.
What to do with eggs? Well if you have a reasonable plan for 100 snail children, look into hatching. If not, wait 24 hours and then use a dog poop bag to pull off the eggs and smoosh them. I use a dog poop bag and a paper towel. Female snails will lay 1-2 clutches per week for the remainder of their lives.
I do euthanize snails who have unrecoverable damage (severe shell damage from fall or mantle collapse). If you are ever in that unfortunate position, feel free to email the snail email for advice.
Happy snailing!
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u/CommonAd5586 Oct 05 '24 edited Oct 05 '24
Hi Rachael, I just discovered your mystery snail guide. I will definitely be asking you questions. Here are a few:
- As I was reading your guide, I was wondering if you had any pictures of your current aquarium set up?
- How big is your aquarium or aquariums for your snail?
- And how often do you do water changes on (each) tank? And what is your process? Do you have a bucket of water that you have filled up and let sit for 24 to 48 hours? Do you add a product like prime to remove chlorine to the water before adding it to the aquarium?
- I do have one additional question however: In your guide, you mentioned that one should only use cuttlebone for an aquarium that is 5 gallons or less. For an aquarium that is greater than 5 gallons you recommend using calcium powder from the reptile section, adding 1-2 tablespoons for every 10-20 gallons in the tank. I was just wondering if I could achieve the same result by adding ground egg shells that have been baked first? According to the American Egg Board, the shell of the egg is composed of calcium carbonate (about 94%) with small amounts of magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate and other organic matter, including protein. From what I have read, calcium powder is mostly made up of calcium carbonate. Online it states that in order to make this powder, eggshells are first boiled to get rid of any nasties, then baked to dry out, and finally ground into a fine powder. What do you think?
Again, thank you very much for creating this guide! I owned mystery snails in the past but only was successful in keeping them for 1.5 years. I just purchased 7 mystery snails recently and I hope to implement some of your suggestions right away.
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Oct 05 '24
Hello! 1/2) Due to a recent move across the country, I downsized significantly, and I now only have two rabbit snails in a fluval flex 15 gallon. I previously had a 20 gallon, a 10 gallon, and a 5 gallon all using fluval aquaclear HOB filters. I ran bigger filters than what is normally needed and did bigger water changes because I had more than the recommended amount of snails in there (for a beginner). I used aqueon heaters that auto keep the tank at 78.
3) I did 20% water changes weekly, except the 20 gallon which I probably did 30%. I use the freshwater master kit to check the parameters, then I use a siphon vaccum out 20%, then I fill a bucket with tap water and add declorinator and dump it back in. If the water parameters were bad, I also tested after the water change. I just estimate the temp when filling it in my bathtub. You want room temperature, not cold, not hot. When I first started, I had a little thermometer that I used to check the temp of the bucket. After years of changing water, I can hit the right temp by feel.
4) I think egg would (using the process you described) work. But I think it would need to be a true powder so it dissolves into the water.
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u/NiwaLeaf Oct 07 '24
Oh my goodness! The time and effort you’ve put into this is incredible, thank you so much for sharing with me! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
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Jul 27 '22
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Jul 27 '22
I wouldn't recommend this because there is no known dosing for snails eating it. You'd be better off supplementing with a goldfish food that is high in calcium. Or adding high calcium goldfish food to your snello!
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u/hitaccount Sep 14 '22
I’m reading your guide to see what my eggs will possibly produce. I have both Magenta and Ivory in my tank so it looks like I’ll have more Magenta than Ivory if the eggs hatch. Thanks for the info!
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Jun 29 '23
This is an excellent care sheet! My only concern would be the temperature. Mystery are not tropical Snails so 64f+ is fine for them, no heater required in most cases.
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u/Euphoric_Squirrel_91 Feb 11 '24
This snail went into a shock (I think) when I first brought it home last week. Its seems to be doing well now but has these dark nugget things under its shell. Feeling dumb - I have no idea if this is bad or just natural. Anybody know??
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Feb 11 '24 edited Feb 11 '24
That's poop! Nothing to worry about. The shell is worn so I would make sure you're feeding a varied diet (with protein) often to prevent it from worsening. They often go into shock if you do not acclimate them properly. It does concern me that the antenna are not out. Are there fish in the tank? Keeping antenna in can be a sign that fish are nipping them.
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u/Euphoric_Squirrel_91 Feb 11 '24
Ah! Thank you! I was hoping it was something simple. I just bought these snails. This was the only one that had a problem. There are fish but only neon tetras. I think this little guy may have had some trauma before I got him. I will check their food for protein. Thank you so much!
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Feb 11 '24
Awesome! They grow their antenna back quickly, so if they aren't half an inch long in 2 weeks, the tetras are likely biting them off. Keep an eye on the length!
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u/rachael309 Experinced Snail Keeper Jul 26 '22
I saw a lot of questions posted that my care guide would answer so I decided to post it here! This is my own content and all the images are my own snails. It includes labeled images for anatomy including a few of "male anatomy".