The Apple Snail

K

KlayerD

Registered Member
Aug 2, 2010
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(first of all i dont know if this is the right section to ask)

I got an apple snail yesterday, he seems to be settling in fine, hes in the tank with my Betta who is very friendly and tame (so far).
BUT i notice the snail keeps seeming to drop off the side of the tank and hit the stones and then go back up the wall.
IS this normal? The shell lookes like it has little cracks on it, but i dont know if they were there before i got him.

So thats question one: Is falling off the side of the tank normal?
And if not how do i help it? Can i help it?

When im at it, would the snail eat baby brine shrimp? And for flake food is it just tropical or normal goldie food he would eat? (the tank is planted)


Thanks for reading :)
 
I'm guessing your Apple snail is a brig? (Pomacea Bridgesii Diffusa) Commonly and mistakenly called "mystery snail".

Yeah, they often use the fall off the side as a short cut to reach the bottom.

If he's constantly going to the surface I would question if he is getting enough oxygen. Is there much surface agitation in the tank (facilitates gas exchange)? Is the tank overstocked? I'd expect a Betta and Brig would need at least 5 gallons to be comfortable.

He'll eat any fish food- although he's unlikely to catch live food- they'd have to die first (the food that is- I'm not suggesting Brigs catch live food after THEY die... )

The only live food I've heard them eating is other snails; on very rare occassions people say their briggs'll eat other live snails (I've never witnessed this)- a brigg eating other live healthy snails though would probably be a sign of a) malnutrition b) starvation c) misidentification of snail- there are several species of snail, including other apple snails that do eat other snails.


What you want to make sure is he gets plenty of Calcium- feeding him his own food would be great- look for "Snail Jello" recipes.


Zucchini, Green Beans, Brocolli, Squash... all good food for briggs. Try freezing it and then zapping it in the microwave- breaks the cell walls open and makes it more mushy without losing all the nutrients like boiling would do.

Zucchini will float... you can try weighing it down with a stainless steel fork, clipping it to the side of a tank- or I often just let it float... eventually the snail will find it at the surface- grab hold and sink with it to the bottom.
 
Well first, yes, it is totally normal for the snail to fall off the glass....a lot fo people call it parasnailing. Its something apples snails do. Is your snail actually a Brigg or a mystery snail? They will eat a little fish food and brine shrimp type things, but its better to feed them fresh veggies and calcium rich foods. They will also eat algea wafers. Here are some recipes people use to feed them on AC: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135871&highlight=snello+recipe
If the snail came from a pet store or from poor water conditions, or even the best water conditions but bad genetics then it might have already had cracks or fissures on its shell before you got it. The best way to get it more healthy looking is to feed it some calcium rich foods. If you have hard water that is also a big plus. Also on a side note, keep an eye ont he snail with your betta....sometimes bettas will nip at their antenna. Hope this info helps. :) There are some REALLY knowledgable people on AC that know a LOT about snails and inverts in general. you can check out the invertebrates section and get a LOT of info on your snai. http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=74
 
He was just sold to me as an Black Apple snail, thats all i know about him.

Will get into making the recipies for him :)

Thanks for your help.
 
Most likely is a wild-type colouration brigg then.

It could be anything with that name though- could even be a Japanese Trapdoor snail (not really an Apple Snail but sometimes called one). Vendors usually just slap any name on they think will sell the product.
 
Do you have a picture of him so we could maybe figure out what type of apple snail, if it is indeed an apple snail? I believe there are black mystery/briggs that are not wild, but the wild types are usually black or brown with stripes. I've not seen a wild one up close, but thats what I was told.
 
ha...well you beat me to it...yes, a pic would help.
 
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