apple snails australia

emberjelly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6
hello,
i love snails and i am thinking about getting an apple snail.
does anyone know a place in australia where i can get a baby apple snail?
thanks,
Jerry
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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Jul 31, 2006
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838
When you say "Apple" snail, do you mean P. bridgesii? They're pretty much totally aquatic except to lay their clutches? If so, I can check with some of my Aussie friends. Where are you in AU?

~Aminah
 

emberjelly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6
Yes! i believe that is it.
i live on the central coast near sydney.
thanks again!
Jerry
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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Well.. I checked while I was waiting and one person got back to me so far. They only know of "land snail" variety, but I don't believe they live in or near Sydney... is Kimberley near it? (I'm so bad at geography) I'll report back once others have let me know more. :)
 

emberjelly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6
ok,
thanks for going to all this trouble.
i didn't know there were land varieties. i have a fish tank so i think an aquatic one is best. i read on the net that they have lungs and gills so does that mean that i can pick my snail up? :)
do you know what they eat and what i need to do to look after it?
thanky you, :)
Jerry
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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If you have Apples, they will eat algae wafers and shrimp wafers... bloodworms, brine shrimp, seaweed medley... zucchini and cucumber slices... and so on. They aren't picky! :)

Keep the water clean... change a quarter of it at least biweekly, if not weekly... and aerated. To keep their shells healthy, I add old oyster shells from my own snacks ...after I boil or bake them (the shells) of course. (I eat the oysters raw) There are other ways to add calcium to the water also... just takes some looking into.

Make sure they have some floating driftwood or enough space at water level to surface and lay their clutches. They won't lay them submerged at all... and females WILL climb out and wander around your house, looking for the ideal place to lay her precious cargo. I used to have to follow the trail for Bella at least once a week... but he was just an adventurous BOY {D

You can allow the eggs to hatch wherever she lays them on the tank, or you can carefully remove the clutches and incubate them in a deli cup over plastic canvas. I would rig up an air stone in the bottom of a deli cup.. place a piece of plastic canvas tightly fitted inside about midway... put the clutches on that... lightly cover the cup... and sit the cups on a heating mat set LOW. It may sound complicated, but it really isn't. This way, I could monitor the hatch rate and actually see the babies to maturity... whereas letting them hatch into the tank leaves them at risk of being eaten by any fish.

I hope this helps! There's a great site... www.applesnails.net ...that has everything and much more that you could ever want to know about these funny snails.

Oh yeah... yes, you can pick them up. Actually, they can survive outside water for up to a week. ;)
 

emberjelly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6
GREAT!
i can't wait to get my apple snail!
even my sisters are thinking about getting one too. (and one of them has snail phobia) :D

found anywhere in aus yet?

:)
Jerry

p.s. how much should i feed an apple snail each day?
 

AneesasMuse

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No one else has repsonded yet... but it's a holiday weekend and they may be away for it. Have you tried the LFS? ...err, local fish store? I get my Apple Snails from my Aquarium Supply or pet store.
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
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try the apple snail link I gave previously... also, your local pet store that may sell fish and aquarium supply... and this link was given.. thegreenscorpion.com.au
 

emberjelly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6
whats the difference between apple snails and mystery snails cos they sell mystery snails at my local pet store
 

RoachGirlRen

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Jul 8, 2007
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Apple Snail and Mystery Snail (as well as a few other names) are synonymous for the same animal. It is most likely P. bridgesii, but every once in a while a similar species finds its way in. I definately suggest checking out applesnail.net for husbandry info. They are the best.

If you want a quick and messy care sheet, here it is:

Common Name: Apple Snail
Scientific Name: Ampullariidae family, including the genera Asolene, Felipponea, Marisa, Pomacea, Afropomus, Lanistes, Saulea, and Pila. For the sake of ease, this care sheet focuses on Pomacea bridgesii, the most common species of Apple Snail found in pet stores.
Also Known As: Mystery Snail, Inca Snail, often preceded by a color morph name.
Often Confused With: Pomacea bridgesii is sometimes confused with other species of apple snail, however the color of the eggs and shape of the shell are highly distinctive.
Description: Apple snails are among the largest aquatic snail species available in the pet trade, sometimes reaching a size similar to that of a golf ball with proper care. Most available in pet stores are under 1” in diameter. The shell is globeose as opposed to cone-like. Pomacea bridgesii will have flat shoulders and 90 degree sutures, with a slightly less pointed spine than some of the other species. The angle of the sutures decreases with the whorls closest to the peak of the shell. Coloration is highly variable, ranging from leucistic varieties such as the ivory and golden variations, to darker color morphs such as blue. The traditional, natural shell color is brown with banding.
Maximum Adult Size: Varies with species; most will only grow to 2-3” in diameter. One variety, Pomacea maculata, may reach 6” in diameter.
Area of Origin: Pomacea genus snails yield from South, Central, and southern North America. Other species come from areas such as Asia and Africa. They are found in freshwater only, typically in tropical or sub-tropical climates.
Lifespan: Lifespan is dependant on temperature; lower temps can yield lifespans in the area of 2+ years old; high tropical temperatures may result in lifespans of as little as one six months. Roughly one year is common.
Suggested Care Level: Easy, providing water conditions are suitable for the species.
Min/Max Tank Size: Use the inch per gallon rule based on the individual species, but be warned that these are high-waste species so under stocking may be best. P. bridgesii are good candidates for smaller community tanks, and a single specimen would likely survive in a well filtered 2.5g aquarium.
Temperature: Tropical and sub-tropical temperatures are best; 65-75 degrees is the ideal range, though survival is possible in temps of up to 85 degrees. Be forewarned that warmer temperatures will shorten lifespan.
pH: pH should be neutral to slightly base; acid corrodes the shell.
Hardness: Harder water is needed for these species; if there is insufficient calcium in the water, calcium must be supplemented via a powder or a cuttlebone/oyster shell. Water with a high copper content is deadly to snails, so if you are known to have water with a great deal of metals, use a water conditioner that will detoxify these compounds.
Salinity: Salinity should be kept to a bare minimum and only very slowly added in low concentrations in an already dissolved form. If you need to salt to treat a disease in the tank, snails should be removed first.
Current: Although apple snails can survive in stagnant, low-oxygen water, streaming, well-oxygenated water is preferable. In poorly filtered tank, they will likely degrade water quality rapidly due to waste output.
Diet: Though primarily herbivorous, apple snails are active scavengers. Their diet should thus consist primarily of vegetation, but may also include higher protein foods such as blood worms. A sinking herbivore or omnivore pellet may be used as the staple, and boiled leafy green vegetables are a great source of calcium. Cucumbers make a suitable treat. It is important to not to force the snails to rely on algae as a primary food source; most are actually poor algae consumers and will starve or eat aquarium plants with insufficient food sources. A flat surface or gravel-lacking area should be provided for feeding as food that sinks between the gravel cracks may be inaccessible to snails.
Temperament: Community. Apple Snails are peaceful and non-threatening. They may scavenge sick and dying fish, however, so keep out of hospital tanks.
Suggested tank mates: Apple snails are compatible with most aquarium species that share their temperature, hardness, and pH needs. However, many scavenging loach species are known to eat apple snails out of their shells. Common goldfish also have a propensity for consuming this species, so use caution when housing with larger fish. Watch for nipping; the antennae are attractive to many carnivorous species. Cichlids and apple snails do not mix; cichlids can crack and destroy the shell with ease.
Sexing:
The best way to sex an apple snail is to roll the snail onto its back out of water. It will eventually emerge from its shell, at which point the male should have a visible penile sheath near the upper right portion of mantle cavity. The male should also have a more rounded shell aperture, but unless you have several snails for comparison, this is a poor method.
Breeding:
Apple snails produce sexually and are oviparous. If you have both genders residing in your tank, breeding is inevitable, as apple snails are prolific breeders. Thankfully, the eggs are very visible and easy to recognize, and are laid above the water level, which makes removal simple. However, if you wish to breed, you should leave at least two-six inches of space between the water line and the lid. A humid environment should be maintained above water through a glass lid. Breeding is encouraged by higher temperatures and plenty of quality foods, so an abundance of pellet and fresh foods should be offered to a breeding colony.
Eggs are laid in clutches that range in color from a very pale pink or green to a deep raspberry hue. P. bridgesii lays pale pink eggs, another easy way of identifying the species of your snail. Most are pale and gelatinous upon laying, then harden and develop color. Individual eggs are tiny (only a couple of mm in diameter), but the length of the egg case may be several inches long. Unless optimal humidity is maintained, only the eggs in the core are likely to hatch.
Hatching should occur in 2-4 weeks, influenced heavily by temperature. If humidity is insufficient, assistance in hatching may be required. If no hatching occurs after four weeks, the eggs are likely infertile (females will lay eggs regardless of if they have been fertilized). It is normal to see a high death rate in the first few weeks; feed the same diet as you would adults and consider confinement in an algae-rich container as small snails have trouble breaching differences between feeding sites. If you do move the snails to a separate container, however, be sure to use at least 1/3 water from the original tank, and allow the water to age for a minimum of 2 weeks.
Helpful Links:
http://www.applesnail.net
 
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RoachGirlRen

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
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Jul 8, 2007
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994
I keep planorbid giant rams; they're a nice species, a little lower waste than apples, and very attractive.
 
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