The Apple Snail

The apple snail (Pomacea bridgesii)isn't necessarily one of my favorite aquatic animals, but I find them interesting nonetheless. Maybe it's the spiral in their shell, maybe it's because they give me the creeps, maybe it's because they won't eat the live shrimp in my shrimp tanks. Whatever the case maybe, I have four of these in my 30 gallon aquarium. The apple snails that I have are the gold (or yellow) color morph and were given to me by a friend who's female had nearly two hundred babies. More on population control to come.

Apple snails are a sometimes found in the stores as "mystery snails". I'm not sure why someone chose this common name--it's a mystery to me. They are also often listed with the incorrect Latin name which can make research on them difficult to most people. It's important that you correctly identify what species you add into your tank because each has their own diet and needs. Some species will absolutely eat live plants, some will eat plants if their dietary needs aren't met, and some will not munch on your plants. Snail identification methods look at the shape of the shell, the spiral of the shell and in which direction it grows, what body parts are there, the size and shape of the foot, and sometimes the coloration of the shell.

Most of us who purchase an apple snail from the store will most likely bring home Pomacea bridgesii, so we will focus on those.

General care of the apple snail is quite easy. First, we must talk about the myth that surrounds snails: Snails eat algae and fish poop. This is not completely true. I can't tell you how many even highly experienced fish keepers believe this. Yes, some snails will eat some algae. Snails will not thrive on algae alone. Algae cannot provide nearly enough calcium and nutrition to sustain a healthy shell. A healthy shell means a healthy snail. If fed properly, apple snails will not eat live vegetation in the aquarium. Remember I mentioned that I have four in my aquarium? My aquarium is heavily planted, and I have only observed them eating the dead and dying leaves of my Sagittaria subulata (this was not long after planting it in my aquarium). The only live plants that I have seen them eat were very fine-leaved plants, and at the time, I was slacking in feeding them. Once I was feeding them properly, they stopped eating the fine-leaved plants. Apple snails will also scavenge dead animals (even other snails) in the aquarium. I've seen them eat dead mollies, guppies, shrimp, other snails (including their own species), and other various aquatic life. All that is a nice addition to their regular diet, but they cannot thrive on those things. My four are doing very well on sinking shrimp pellets, TetraMin Tropical Crisps, spirulina flakes, sinking algae wafers, frozen bloodworms, and a sinking food called "snail jello". Here is the recipe from www.applesnail.net:

Ingredients:

*1 jar baby food (any; can be substituted with canned or par boiled fresh or frozen vegetables)
*1 packet unflavored, no sugar-added gelatin (for example: Knox)
*Calcium powder (I use Jurassi-Cal, which can be found in the reptile section of most pet stores; calcium powder and tablets for human consumption can also be used)
*Fish Food (optional; flake or anything you are trying to get rid of)

Instructions:

*Super heat baby food (or what you have chosen for vegetables) in microwave (about one minute) in a bowl
*Add calcium, fish food, etc. Stir.
* Stir in gelatin. Spoon in mixture into a plastic container, deep plate, or a mold. (Something flat and about 1-inch deep will work
*Allow to set for about 10 to 20 minutes.
*Cut into pieces. Freeze in a single layer.
* After frozen, put into a plastic bag for storage.
*Can be re-hydrated with a bit of tank water.

This is an excellent recipe and is very versatile. The vegetable ingredients can be switched each time you make. This recipe is VERY easy to make and is easy on the budget. My shrimp and crayfish love this recipe, too--which is great because they also benefit from it. Bottom-dwelling fish love this recipe as well. There is no set rule to how much you should feed them. Apple snails do have slowed to no activity in the fall and winter months. During the spring and fall, you should feed them as much as they want. Do keep a check on the water parameters!
More food = more poo = more ammonia!
Apple snails will eat most par-boiled vegetables, micro-organisms in the aquarium, algae, dead things, and anything they may find tasty.

To give you apple snail a happy home, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

~Each snail requires a minimum of 2.5 gallons. It's a very good idea to keep the aquarium very well covered because these guys are very good at walking out of the aquarium, especially the females because these snails lay their eggs outside of the water. It's also a good idea to leave an air space of a few inches from the surface of the water and the aquarium lid because they breathe atmospheric air.

~They can live in water with a pH of 6.5 to 8, but will do much better in a higher pH to sustain a healthy shell. The shell has a tendency to corrode and weaken in a low pH.

~ They should be housed in temperatures from 65*F - 82*F, but never keep them at temperatures lower than 65*F. These temperatures make them good for keeping in garden ponds, but please check your local laws on keeping these snails. They are illegal in some states due to their destructive nature to rice fields and non-native waterways.

~Apple snails have separate sexes, which means you need two to tango. The peak time for reproduction is in the spring. Mated females or females who have stored semen (females have the ability to store semen for several months) will look for a way to leave the water. Females lay eggs in cluthces above the water line. If they do this, you can make the decision to leave the egg clutch so the babies can hatch, or you can simply remove the egg cluster and discard it. Easy population control. If you leave the eggs to hatch, they will hatch in 2 to 3 weeks, depending on humidity and temperature. Once the eggs hatch, they will head for the water. Same care for the babies as for the adults. Babies will need to be protected from fish that will eat them.

This information can be used as a guideline for most snail species.