Natural color or deficiency?

[rainbowsprinkles]

Year and A half ago I had a single wild caught rams horn snail. He has since died but all the subsequent offspring look like this. Very little color almost blue. Is this natural genetic bottleneck? Am I missing something in the water or in their diets? Do they need a different light? My water parameters are 0/0/0 a/n/n. Hard - high calcium water.

 

[jkkgron2]

Year and A half ago I had a single wild caught rams horn snail. He has since died but all the subsequent offspring look like this. Very little color almost blue. Is this natural genetic bottleneck? Am I missing something in the water or in their diets? Do they need a different light? My water parameters are 0/0/0 a/n/n. Hard -View attachment 654732high calcium water.

Seems normal BUT if the parameters are 0 0 0 that’s bad.....the tank is not cycled

 

[MissNoodle]

Seems normal BUT if the parameters are 0 0 0 that’s bad.....the tank is not cycled

In some cases, unless they are super heavy planted or use chemicals to reduce nitrates. It can read zero, but first suspect is usually an uncycled tank too.

But tank sounds like its been running for a year and a half (as per having the original snail that long), so chances are it should be cycled.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Seems normal BUT if the parameters are 0 0 0 that’s bad.....the tank is not cycled

It’s a 2 year old tank that I grow denitrifying bacteria (nitrates to n gas) and hornwort (n sucker)- all fish super healthy.0/0/0 for age of tank. yes my nitrate test works! You can do it too!

 

[jkkgron2]

It’s a 2 year old tank that I grow denitrifying bacteria (nitrates to n gas) and hornwort (n sucker)- all fish super healthy.0/0/0 for age of tank. yes my nitrate test works! You can do it too!View attachment 654801

Hmm now I’m interested , what plant sucks up the most?

 

[FinalFins]

It looks like you have a "blue" strain of ramshorns that getting popular.

 

[FinalFins]

Hmm now I’m interested , what plant sucks up the most?

Fast growing ones such as elodea, hornwort, duck weed,(duckweeds a good one) and vals are proficient for me.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

But snails- shouldn’t they be brown?

 

[jkkgron2]

Fast growing ones such as elodea, hornwort, duck weed,(duckweeds a good one) and vals are proficient for me.

is Hornwort low light? I really like the look of it!

 

[FinalFins]

But 222] snails- shouldn’t they be brown?

Some people breed the snails to have bluer shells.

is Hornwort low light? I really like the look of it!

Hornwort is low ligh

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

It’s the bacteria- I have non planted tanks also with 000. But hornwort helps when its in grow mode. It’s not always in grow mode. I think sometimes it thinks it’s winter and drops to the bottom and just sits there.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Same line of snails in another tank are brown. Is it genetics then and not the minerals?

 

[jkkgron2]

Same line of snails in another tank are brown. Is it genetics then and not the minerals?

Yep