Allie
- #1
Our golden apple snails laid eggs in the 120g. Geesh! something is in the air in our apartment. Krib fry and snail eggs.
I know our lfs will take both if we have to many kribs or snails.Yeah, Allie, isnt' that a mixed blessing?
Oh, I have some questions, actually (as usual, ).
Was the apple snail in on its own?
How many snails do you expect to get out of that batch?
Have you planned on how to get rid of them (i.e. give them away, I presume)?
How long before they are, say, 1cm long and can be given away.
Pleaaaase tell me it was no immaculate conception as I REALLY don't want my A.S. to start laying eggs.
Ok...I'll see what I can find.Yes, thanks for that. But as it's a big chunk of text, best to fully credit it.
Here's part of an article on snails
Breeding
Successful breeding apple snails depends on many factors.
First of all, a male and a female snail are needed and with this the first problem arises: How do you know if you have both? Unfortunately it's not easy to see the difference without exercise. To play safe, it's best to keep several apple snails together to enhance the chance of having both.
Secondly, the snails should start mating and producing eggs. High temperatures and plenty of food should trigger them to do so. Note that this can take a while and some patient is needed. Seasonal conditions could influence their reproductional activity.
Once the eggs are ready, the female leaves the water at night in search for a good place to deposit the eggs. In an aquarium this will be the on the walls or on the coverplate, while in pond this can be on any object near the water surface. It's quite obvious that the snails need enough space to deposit the eggs above the water.
Eggs
The eggs itself are laid one by one and attached to each other in a solid clutch. They are soft and have a milky colour when laid, but harden within hours. Their definitive colour (white, green, pinkish to bright orange, depending on the species) appears after 1 to 2 days.
The eggs should stay moist, but not wet and never be covered with water, as this will drown the baby snails. In general this should not be a problem in an aquarium with coverplate.
Note that not all apple snail species have aerial eggs. The common Giant Ramshorn (Marisa cornuarietis) for example has aquatic eggs in gelatinous clutches.
Baby snails
After 2 to 4 weeks (depending of the temperature) the little snails are about to hatch. The egg clutch becomes darker and finally the little snails eat their way out and let they drop in the water.
As many fish eat those little snails, it's a good idea to transfer the little snails to a separate tank. While it's quite difficult to catch the little snails without causing damage, it fairly easy to transfer the egg clutch before they hatch: wet the eggs and the surface it's attached to and wait a little time. Then try to move the clutch over the surface until it looses and put it somewhere on a floating object in the new tank. Another way is to wait until the snails are about to hatch and then remove the clutch without bothering about breaking it and put it on a floating object or even wash the little snails out of the clutch by keeping it in the water and rolling it between your fingers. This method delivers high numbers of healthy little snails if done carefully.
During the first days after hatching the little snails feed on soft algae, waste and food leftovers. This is always available in a stable tank, but can be absent in a new tank, so prepare the snail tank at least 2 weeks before the snails hatch or feed them with fine fish food. After one to two weeks, the little snails are able to eat the same as their parents.
From the Author of applesnail.net, Stijn A. I. Ghesquiere