Wild Animals

The apple snail in the spotlight & the top 5 species

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What is Apple Snail ?

Apple snail also referred to as mystery snails, are a well-liked addition to the freshwater tank. Learn more about common species and how to care for them by reading on.

One of your most critical duties as an aquarium hobbyist is to maintain the water quality in your aquarium. Detritus must be removed from the tank before it can harm the water quality since your fish need clean, clear water. Consider adding a cleanup staff to your tank, like as apple snails, to do the work for you rather of conducting daily water changes.

We’ll examine the apple snail and its function in the home aquarium in more detail in this article. We’ll look at some of the more well-known species and offer advice on how to take care of them.

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The Fundamentals

The apple snail, the largest species of freshwater snail, is a well-liked addition to the aquarium in the house. It’s which are welcomed by aquarium hobbyists for their scavenging habits, are not bothersome like pond snails. This breed consume algae and other aquarium debris, contributing to the tank’s cleanliness and frequently being included in an aquarium cleanup crew.

Although mystery snail is another name for these freshwater snails, apple snail is the most typical. They are gastropods and members of the family Ampullariidae.

Because they have both a lung and a gill, the snails in this family are unusual in that their mantle cavity is separated to separate these two respiratory organs. Simply put, apple snails have special anatomical characteristics that allow them to live both on land and in water, making them amphibious.

Apple snails have the capacity to reach a size of at least an inch. As a result, they thrive in big aquariums with lots of space for grazing. Remember that these snails will consume living plants, so avoid using them in planted aquariums (unless the tank is extensively planted) or be sure to give your snails extra food.

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The top 5 species with the most fans

Pomacea bridgesii, sometimes referred to as Pomacea diffusa or the spike-topped apple snail, is the most likely species when you see apple snails in the aquarium area of the pet store. Never purchase a snail with a cracked or damaged shell; instead, choose specimens that are either moving or connected to a surface while looking for aquarium snails.

Here is a brief description of some of the most well-known apple snail species:

  • Pomacea diffusa: also referred to as the spike-topped apple snail, is the most popular species of apple snail kept in aquariums at home. It is native to South America. These snails can reach a height of 3 inches and are a calm, omnivorous species. Although they come in a variety of colors, the brilliant gold shade is the most popular. Although they are one of the worst invasive species in other parts of the world, Pomacea canaliculata, often known as the golden apple snail or the channeled apple snail, is a native of South America. This species features globular-shaped shells with brown, black, and yellowish-tan colored stripes. They can also be seen in albino and gold color forms.
  • Pomacea maculata: sometimes referred to as the island apple snail, is a very invasive species in Europe. The hue of these snails ranges from light olive green to dark green, and their shells are striped with dark bars. The shell is extremely thin compared to those of other apple snails, and the interior is speckled with dark dots. There are further varieties of this species that are gold and albino.
  • Pomacea paludosa: is a species of native North American snail that is sometimes known as the Florida apple snail. It features a globose shell with wide whorls and a depressed spiral. They often have a brown tint with stripes, and the length and width of their shell are usually equal.
  • Pomacea haustrum: also referred to as the titan apple snail, was once mistakenly identified as a subspecies of Pomacea canaliculata but has subsequently been given its own name. These snails are typically dark in color and have big, spherical shells with a grooved suture.

It’s important to remember that it can be challenging to differentiate between the several kinds of apple snails. Similar colors and patterning may be found in many snail species, and many also occur in gold and albino varieties in addition to their regular coloration. To distinguish between the two, look for hints in the snail’s size, shape, and striped or banded pattern.

You must make sure your tank is big enough if you intend to have more than one apple snail in it. Although the majority of this breed species are calm, they do need a lot of grazing area in order to survive and develop.

Advice for Maintaining

Apple snails have unique care needs, much like any other aquarium resident. We’ve already discussed how crucial it is to give your snail plenty of room to graze, but there are other factors to take into account as well:

  • Apple snails like a temperature of 75°F, with a range of 70°F to 80°F; higher temperatures will cause them to spawn more frequently.
  • Ideally, water hardness should range from 6 to 12 dH, however apple snails are quite tolerant.
  • Apple snails prefer a pH between 6.5 and 8, with 7.0 being optimum.
  • For the majority of aquarium occupants, lower nitrite and ammonia levels are preferable; nitrate levels should be as low as 0 ppm but no more than 40 ppm.

Your apple snails should flourish if the tank’s conditions are ideal and there is enough food available. These snails normally eat decaying and dead plants in the nature, but in a home aquarium, they are more likely to eat algae and other waste. Keeping a few live plants in the tank will be beneficial to your snails, but you should be aware that they will become a food source.

Live plants drop their leaves as they develop, and apple snails may easily eat these leaves. Growing a wide range of plants is the best approach to create a tank for this snail. Because they spread quickly and are quite resilient, java moss, java fern, and hornwort are great choices.

Additionally, you might want to put some driftwood in your tank for the snails to eat from. Just make sure the water level is kept low enough so that some of the driftwood is exposed. However, bear in mind that these snails can and will live outside of the water, so make sure your tank has a tight lid.

Consider breeding

You might consider breeding your apple snails if you have a big enough aquarium for them (or numerous tanks). You’ll need both a man and a female to accomplish this. These two apple snails should mate naturally when housed in the same tank.

The female will lay her eggs at or above the water’s surface when the time is right. Apple snails lay their eggs in a cocoon that makes them simple to see; if you don’t want an infestation of apple snails in your tank, just remove the eggs.

If you decide to hatch them, keep the area around them moist (if eggs are placed above water) and give them roughly a month to do so. The young snails will then start feeding when they reach the tank’s bottom.

You might try reducing the water level a few inches to give your snails space to lay their eggs and entice them to reproduce. Providing them abundance of food and hotter water may also be helpful. Also bear in mind that if given adequate food, it can grow extremely quickly, so keep a watch on your snails to prevent overcrowding.

Should You Keep Apple Snail in Your Tank?

If you want a resident that will maintain the environment clean, apple snails are a perfect addition to the freshwater tank. Simply make sure your tank has enough room and greenery to feed your snail population while maintaining hygienic and balanced tank conditions.

Good fortune!

Creator: PetsCareTip

Lý Tiểu Long

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