How do I only have one MTS??

[Magua]

I found one teeny MTS months ago and came here for help IDing it. When I did, I was told to prepare for MANY more to show up. The MTS has quadrupled his size…but I have yet to see another anywhere! How is that possible?? I definitely thought I’d have bunches by now (and dreaded it! Lol).

 

[StarGirl]

I think all of a sudden you will. Sometimes they take a bit for the babies to be visible.

 

[CrackerboxPalace]

How much detritus is in the tank? Colder temperature and less dead matter can prevent MTS breeding.

 

[Magua]

I think all of a sudden you will. Sometimes they take a bit for the babies to be visible.

Dangit!! I really like having only ONE.

How much detritus is in the tank? Colder temperature and less dead matter can prevent MTS breeding.

Pretty much zero detritus. But the temp is 78…

 

[StarGirl]

Dangit!! I really like having only ONE.

Pretty much zero detritus. But the temp is 78…

You need a Rabbit snail or something then.....lol

 

[GlennO]

I think they are sexually mature at about 4 months old. If starting with just one tiny juvenile it will be some time before you start noticing more of them.

 

[ProudPapa]

I could certainly be wrong, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that it takes two of them to make more. Maybe that's true, and somehow you only got one?

 

[kansas]

Do you ever check at night after the rooms been dark a while?

 

[Magua]

Do you ever check at night after the rooms been dark a while?

I have! Only the one.

I'm guessing he rode in as the tiniest baby on a plant so hadn't reached sexual maturity. Pretty sure they're hermaphroditic (?). Since we're getting close to that "4 months to sexual maturity" place, I scooped him out this morning and gifted him to a snail-only tank friend! I've seen those pictures of tanks teeming with MTSs and I'm not interested. Now I just have to hope I got to him in time and there aren't hundreds of babies under the substrate just waiting to ambush me! LOL!

 

[CrackerboxPalace]

I could certainly be wrong, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that it takes two of them to make more. Maybe that's true, and somehow you only got one?

No, they can reproduce both asexually (parthogenesis) and sexually. Even tanks with just one can and will be infested or "populated", depending on how you look at it.

 

[kansas]

I like snails, I think they keep the substrate stirred up. If it weren't for the snails, you have to wonder where all those nutrients would be going otherwise. More algae?