Mystery snail laying too many clutches

I got a mystery snail back in December to keep my betta company. My betta died in June and within 2 weeks my snail laid her first clutch. After they hatched, she laid a few more clutches. One of those were fertilized and hatched about a month ago. I moved her to a 10 gallon tank with a 4 guppies and no other snails a couple weeks ago. She's laid probably 5 or more clutches since I moved her. All of them were unfertilized, until the last one she laid maybe a week ago. I moved it to a fish bowl so I could keep track of it and it hatched today. Could one of the snails from the first clutch fertilized this last clutch? They are only about 2 months old. Or is she still hanging on to sperm from when she was at the pet store?

 

They can hold on to sperm for a few months at least, though don't know how much. A way to prevent the eggs would be to fill your tank.

 

Fill your tank to the top or remove the egg sacks to prevent babies. She couple possibly still be holding sperm.

 

They can hold on to sperm for a few months at least, though don't know how much. A way to prevent the eggs would be to fill your tank.

She lays them on the lid of the aquarium LOL. The 1 and 2 month old babies do like to eat the clutches that have fallen, so I guess I could just knock all of them down.

 

She lays them on the lid of the aquarium LOL. The 1 and 2 month old babies do like to eat the clutches that have fallen, so I guess I could just knock all of them down.

Or throw them away. Just because it is laid, doesn't mean they have to be hatched. So glad my fish tend to eat their eggs....so if i don't do anything, i don't get overrun!

 

UGH she laid another fertilized clutch. I know I should knock it down, but I kind of feel bad about doing that. I need encouragement to tell me that's the right thing to do. I've only been able to rehome 6 of her older babies. I have about 10 more from her first 2 clutches and 50 from her last clutch.

 

When I first started I got 5 Mystery snails. Excited when they started laying clutches. Then they hatched, laid hatched, laid hatched. I had Mystery snails everywhere. I was able to sell some to the LFSs or trade for store credit, even giving them away. But eventually got to be too much. Thought about selling the clutches but decided against. Anyway still have about a dozen or so scattered in multiply tanks on occasion they lay clutches but now I knock them down and the other inhabitants take care of them or just toss the them into the garden.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks. I did the deed and gave the clutch to the youngest babies. It'll be good nutrition for them at least. I'm going to have to find a LFS, I only have a PetSmart and they didn't seem interested.

 

UGH she laid another fertilized clutch. I know I should knock it down, but I kind of feel bad about doing that. I need encouragement to tell me that's the right thing to do. I've only been able to rehome 6 of her older babies. I have about 10 more from her first 2 clutches and 50 from her last clutch.

in my totally beginner mentality, i find snails are good for the tank community.

 

in my totally beginner mentality, i find snails are good for the tank community.

Mystery snails are great cleaners, but also produce a lot of waste of their own. Too many aren't good for the tank. I will definitely keep a few, just not let them over populate again.