Show Me Your Largest Mystery Snail!

I’ve been really curious to see how large other people’s mystery snails are. Whenever someone sees my aquarium, regardless of my gorgeous betta fish, the first thing they comment on is how huge my snail is and they absolutely love him. I’ve had him for about a year and a half and he’s still growing. I wanted to rehome him for quite a while because he decimated my plants, but everyone loves him too much for me to do that. So I’ll have a barebones tank until he’s no longer with me




Please share your pictures of your largest mystery snail! I would love to see what the average size is and see how mine compares

 

I am thinking that is an apple not mystery.

Cool snail

 

I got mine last summer as a little one and he died a few days ago. He was the size of a golfball or larger.

 

I got mine last summer as a little one and he died a few days ago. He was the size of a golfball or larger.

Aww I’m sorry to hear he passed! That’s a bummer, but he sounds like he got pretty big!

I am thinking that is an apple not mystery.

Cool snail

Thank you! I’ve grown to really enjoy him. I’ve learned that mystery snails are apple snails, but there are so many subspecies that look so similar that they often label them as “mystery” snails instead of wasting time trying to find the correct scientific name, which is odd to me because certain subspecies are illegal and invasive. I’ve read that the larger species of apple snail are often labeled as “golden mystery snails” and I think that’s what I ended up with.

 

this is my buddy, I have had him since December and he's getting pretty big (click on the pic to see how giant his antennas are)
he lets me hand feed him... he stretches up for the food
his gf is kind of scared of me still tho

 

this is my buddy, I have had him since December and he's getting pretty big (click on the pic to see how giant his antennas are)
he lets me hand feed him... he stretches up for the food
his gf is kind of scared of me still tho

That’s awesome!! Impressive antennas, and I really like his color I wish I had pictures of how big my snail’s antennas are, but he doesn’t stretch them all the way out much anymore. They cover about half of my tank, it’s crazy.

 

That’s awesome!! Impressive antennas, and I really like his color I wish I had pictures of how big my snail’s antennas are, but he doesn’t stretch them all the way out much anymore. They cover about half of my tank, it’s crazy.

thanks! he's a character for sure.
Yours is a GIANT

 

thanks! he's a character for sure.
Yours is a GIANT

They’re really understated in my opinion, I think mystery snails are really great and fun to watch and thank you! He sure is. I asked the guy to get me one of the smallest ones of out the tank and I ended up with this guy. He’s over tripled in size and this picture is a few months old so he’s gotten a bit bigger. I thought this was a typical size but I haven’t seen anyone post pictures of their mystery snails at this big.

 

They’re really understated in my opinion, I think mystery snails are really great and fun to watch and thank you! He sure is. I asked the guy to get me one of the smallest ones of out the tank and I ended up with this guy. He’s over tripled in size and this picture is a few months old so he’s gotten a bit bigger. I thought this was a typical size but I haven’t seen anyone post pictures of their mystery snails at this big.

when I go home I'll post a pic of mine in the same style as yours but I haven't seen any as big as yours either. I wonder if yours is a bigger apple snail

he was NOT happy about this pic, maybe in a couple months he'll get even bigger, idk

 

he was NOT happy about this pic, maybe in a couple months he'll get even bigger, idk

Wow! He’s pretty sizable, but his coloration is amazing. He looks like a carved piece of wood.

 

Wow! He’s pretty sizable, but his coloration is amazing. He looks like a carved piece of wood.

yeah he does... I never noticed that in the water.
You win this round of the snail-off hahah

 

yeah he does... I never noticed that in the water.
You win this round of the snail-off hahah

Hahaha. Mine may be bigger, but yours is certainly prettier! Whenever he passes on (*knocks on wood*) I may have to look for one similar to yours

 

Sadly there is so much misinformation about these snails that they have been demonized in certain ways. Although mystery snails are of the family of apple snails, they are different. Anyway, this is my big guy. I don't think that poor little shrimp will clean him up anytime soon though!

 

Ignore my nasty driftwood. This is Simon..his snailmate garfunkle is about the same size.

 

Ignore my nasty driftwood. This is Simon..his snailmate garfunkle is about the same size.View attachment 529857

Just a great golden mystery snail! Very even color, unlike mine lol he was rasped on by the other snails at the store so he looks pretty rough is spots.

 

Just a great golden mystery snail! Very even color, unlike mine lol he was rasped on by the other snails at the store so he looks pretty rough is spots.

All mine where gotten very small so luckily all shells are pretty nice!

 

All mine where gotten very small so luckily all shells are pretty nice!

I never even really thought about their shells when I got mine, I’ll probably go for a small one next time then, now that I know

Sadly there is so much misinformation about these snails that they have been demonized in certain ways. Although mystery snails are of the family of apple snails, they are different. Anyway, this is my big guy. I don't think that poor little shrimp will clean him up anytime soon though! View attachment 529557

He’s huge too! That’s awesome!

 

I wish I could have snails . I loved em' when I had em'.

 

I wish I could have snails . I loved em' when I had em'.

Why can't you have them?

 

Well, I have 2 tanks. One is brackish, and therefore cannot house Nerites/Mysteries. The other has a turtle. Enough said lol.

 

Well, I have 2 tanks. One is brackish, and therefore cannot house Nerites/Mysteries. The other has a turtle. Enough said lol.

Nerites are originally from brackish waters. You can definitely have them. They actually won't even hatch unless in brackish water

 

Hmmmmmm .

do you have a puffer or something and that's the real reason?? Lol

 

I'd love to have one, but no, it's 7 fiddler crabs (not sure what species) and a fancy goldfish. I'm actually very, very, very, surprised at how well the goldfish is doing. When it went in, it had a gaping hole in its side. I'm happy to say it's made a full recovery and is thriving. It has one of the biggest tails I've ever seen on a fancy (like an inch and a half). The fish itself is about 2 inches (it's more than a year old).

 

This is an older picture from almost two years ago, from my early days in the hobby. Anyway, this was a 20 Gallon Long tank and you can see my old ivory and magenta snails all the way to the right. Also had a purple, but guess he was hiding somewhere. Unfortunately, they're all gone now.




This was my magenta's antenna.

 

That snail is amazing (R.I.P.)!