Snail aquarium pets have become the choice of many aquarium hobbyists due to their unique appearance, variety of colours and relative ease of keeping. The following is a detailed introduction about snails aquarium pets:
I. Common snail aquarium pet species
- Apple snail
- Appearance characteristics: Apple snails are small, flat and round, mostly red, pink or brown in colour. They have spiral lines on their shells and look very cute. Apple snails have slender tentacles that can be retracted for sensing the surrounding environment.
- Keeping Requirements:
- Water Requirements: Apple snails do not require much water quality and can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. However, for their healthy growth, it is best to keep the water clean and stable. The suitable water temperature is between 20-30℃ and the pH value is around 7.0-8.0.
- Food source: Apple snails are omnivores, mainly feeding on algae, water plants and food residues. In the process of feeding, you can feed some vegetable leaves and pieces of water plants to meet their nutritional needs.
- Reproductive ability: Apple snails have very strong reproductive ability, hermaphrodite and heterozygote mating. They can reproduce rapidly under suitable environment and their number grows very fast. Therefore, when keeping apple snails, care should be taken to control the number to avoid over-breeding which will affect the water quality.
- Mystery Snail
- Appearance Characteristics: Mystery snails are slightly larger than apple snails, with a variety of shell shapes, such as conical and spiral. They are also very colourful, with purple, yellow, blue and white. Mystery snails have shorter antennae and larger shell openings, making them look more imposing.
- Keeping Requirements:
- Water conditions: Mystery snails have relatively high requirements for water quality, which needs to be kept clean and rich in oxygen. The suitable water temperature is between 22 – 28℃, and the acidity (pH value) is around 7.0 – 8.5.
- Food Requirements: Mystery snails are omnivores, mainly feeding on algae, water plants and humus. You can feed some special snail food, vegetable leaves, fruit slices, etc. to ensure their nutritional balance.
- Breeding environment: Mystery snails need a large space to move around, so you can place some stones, sunken wood, etc. in the aquarium to provide them with hiding places and places to climb. Meanwhile, be careful to avoid mixing with ferocious fishes to avoid being attacked.
- Killer Snail
- Appearance Characteristics: Killer snails have an elongated body with a spiral shell and are mostly black or brown in colour. They have a long snout on their head that extends out of the shell to prey on other snails. Killer snails have small eyes located on either side of the muzzle.
- Keeping Requirements:
- WATER ENVIRONMENT: Killer snails have similar water quality requirements as other snails and need to be kept clean and stable. The suitable water temperature is between 20 – 28℃, and the acidity (pH value) is around 7.0 – 8.0.
- Food selection: Killer snails mainly feed on other snails, so care should be taken to control their numbers to avoid over-predation of other snails that may lead to ecological imbalance. You can also feed some algae and water plants to supplement the nutrition.
- Note on mixing: Because the killer snail is predatory, it is not suitable for mixing with other small snails. Can be mixed with some larger fish or shrimp, but be careful to observe, to avoid them being attacked.
**Two, snails aquarium pets breeding points **
- The choice of aquariums
- Size: Choose the right size of aquarium according to the species and number of snails to be kept. Generally speaking, each snail needs about 1 – 2 litres of water capacity. If you are keeping a large number of snails, you can choose a larger tank.
- Material: The material of the fish tank can be glass or acrylic. Glass aquariums are highly transparent and not easily scratched, but they are heavy and easily broken. Acrylic fish tank lightweight, not easy to break, but easy to scratch, transparency is not as good as glass fish tank.
- Filter system: snails on the water quality requirements are relatively low, but also need a good filtration system to keep the water clean. You can choose a filter suitable for the size of the fish tank, such as waterfall filters and external filters. Also, you can place some biochemical filter materials in the fish tank, such as ceramic rings and bacterial houses, in order to cultivate beneficial bacteria and decompose harmful substances in the water.
- Water quality management.
- Water Temperature Control: Different species of snails have different requirements for water temperature and need to adjust the water temperature according to the specific species. Generally speaking, the suitable water temperature for snails is between 20 – 30℃. A heating rod can be used to keep the water temperature stable to avoid excessive fluctuations in water temperature that may cause harm to the snails.
- Adjustment of pH: Snails have a wide range of acidity and alkalinity (pH), but it is best to keep it around 7.0 – 8.0. A pH tester can be used to check the water’s acidity and alkalinity, and the pH value can be adjusted by adding the appropriate regulator.
- Hardness Control: The hardness of the water can also affect the survival of snails. Generally speaking, the appropriate hardness (GH value) for snails is between 4 – 12. Water hardness can be tested with a hardness tester and adjusted by adding a water softener or hard water conditioner.
- Frequency of Water Changes: Regular water changes are important to keep the water clean. Generally speaking, it is more appropriate to change the water about 1/4 – 1/3 per week. When changing water, be careful to use treated water and avoid using tap water directly, as tap water contains chlorine and other disinfectants that can harm snails.
- Feed selection
- Type: Snails are omnivores and can consume algae, water plants, food scraps, special snail food, etc. Suitable feeds can be selected according to the species and taste of the snails.
- Feeding quantity: Snails are small eaters and need to control the feeding quantity to avoid overfeeding leading to deterioration of water quality. Generally speaking, feed 1 – 2 times a day, and the amount of food each time is suitable for snails to finish eating within 5 – 10 minutes.
- Feeding Methods: You can spread the feed evenly in the tank and let the snails feed on their own. You can also use a feeder and place the feed in the feeder to avoid the feed being washed away by the water flow. At the same time, pay attention to observe the feeding situation of the snails, and if you find any leftover feed, clean it up in time to avoid polluting the water quality.
- Farming environment arrangement
- Water plants planting: Planting some water plants in the fish tank can provide food sources and hiding places for snails, and at the same time, it can also beautify the environment of the fish tank. You can choose some water plants that are suitable for snails to survive, such as Moss water grass, water ficus, centipede grass and so on.
- Stone and Sunken Wood Placement: You can place some stones and sunken wood in the aquarium to provide snails with a place to climb and hide. Stones and sunken wood can also regulate the water quality and make it more stable.
- Hiding Houses: You can set up some hiding houses in the aquarium to provide a safe place for snails to hide. Hiding house can choose ceramic or plastic material, avoid the use of metal material, so as not to cause harm to the snails.
Third, the charm and value of snails aquarium pets.
- Ornamental value: Snail aquarium pets bring visual enjoyment to people with their unique appearance, diverse colours and elegant movements. They crawl slowly in the aquarium, reflecting each other with water plants and stones, constituting a beautiful underwater painting.
- Cleaning effect: Snails can eat algae, food residues, etc. in the aquarium and play a role in cleaning the water. They can help keep the fish tank clean, reduce the frequency of water changes, and lower feeding costs.
- Educational significance: Keeping snails aquarium pets can help people understand the ecological habits and living environment of aquatic organisms, and enhance their awareness of nature and protection. At the same time, it can also cultivate people’s sense of responsibility and patience, so that people can learn to take care of small animals.
- Social interaction: Snail aquarium pet enthusiasts can make like-minded friends and share breeding experience and insights by participating in snail exhibitions and exchange activities. This not only enriches people’s social life, but also promotes the dissemination and development of snail aquarium pet culture.
In conclusion, snails are very interesting and valuable pets. They have become the choice of many aquarium hobbyists for their unique appearance, diverse colours and relative ease of keeping. If you are also interested in snail aquarium pets, why not choose a snail species that suits you and start your breeding journey?
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