hey guys, i wanted to add something to my 15 gallon betta tank so i bought some mystery snails! they will be here on Monday, very excited. i have a few questions and i just wanted some advice on their needs from someone with experience. i’ve read that they’re great escape artists so i ordered a screen lid, i needed it anyways for the betta but it will be here a week or so after they arrive, will i need to make a temporary cover or do you guys think they’d be fine? aside from algae would they eat the typical sinking carnivore/shrimp pellets? or will i need to get them something else? also, i have a good amount of grass in my tank, are they going to roll theirselves over it like bulls and break the strands? if so i want to relocate it.
While I have had escapees at work on one or two occasions, in my home tanks my mystery snails stay put despite not having lids on any of my tanks. As long as the water conditions are good, filtration is adequate and food is plentiful they are quite content. My mystery snails aren't picky at all and will eat anything, but really enjoy snacking on fresh veggies alongside my pleco. Things that have worked are squash, zucchini, cucumber, watermelon rind, pumpkin, and cantelope. I also leave dried magnolia leaves in each of my tanks. Shrimp and snails love grazing on the biofilm and leaf matter, and eventually all that's left is the "skeleton" of the leaf. The top isn't a bad idea, there is a risk to going topless (lol). I have had a few casualties to having no lid on my tanks. However, I like for my tanks to get maximum light exposure for plant growth and it makes working on my tanks easier as well.
awesome! that makes me feel a lot better about the lid. will the veggies be their primary source of nutrients? or do they need a pellet food as well?
Algae and biofilm are their primary diet and they will scavenge for it almost all the time. Vegetables and pellets aren't necessary, unless there isn't enough of this available for them. If you want to supplement something other than veggies I would use a bottom feeder pellet that is mostly vegetable based.
No, algae is not their primary diet. Mystery Snails HAVE to have protein as their primary diet. They are scavengers in the wild and will eat on anything they can find which is mostly dead fish. Hence protein protein protein. You can supplement veggies or algae wafers high in calcium for good shell growth but protein has to be the main source that they receive at least once a day. There is a great Mystery Snail Care/Sickness guide stickied to the top of this particular forum. It has all the things you need to know to care for your snails properly. Enjoy your snails. And Happy Snailing!
From the pictures:: Depth could be a little off: But they seem to be about nickel size and if so that means they are about middle age(anywhere from 3-6 months IME). Mystery Snails live very short lives. Year to year and half if you are lucky. And the higher your tank temp the faster they grow which in turn means shorter lifespan. But if you keep your tank lower temp to keep them alive longer that is ok too(lower than 74 isn't ideal for these snails) they just won't be near as active or personable as they would be in a tank with a higher temp(say 76 or higher). My first snail was about this size when I first got her and she lived another 5 months before she passed from old age. My tank temp is about 78.
