Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 16, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2010 So today I caved and got an apple snail She is about 3cm. I have her in a fish bowl for now and fed her an algae wafer. I am keeping her in there for a while since I am salting my goldie tank (the guy at the store said that salt wasn't a problem for snails - but I am not too sure)... Then I wanted to add her to the goldie tank - he told me that sometimes goldies eat their antennas, is this true? anyone have experience with this? any other tips? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member shellbell4ever Posted July 16, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2010 Congrats They are so fun I didn't have any luck with mine my goldfish constantly harassed them so they are in my daughters guppy tank now I know you might want to supplement calcium for their shells and they love veggies 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 16, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2010 darn I saw a couple of people on this site with them in the goldie tanks so I wanted one too! not sure where I will put it if it cannot go with the goldies. maybe the eye impaired goldie tank will work. otherwise turtle tank (not a good idea), betta tanks (no filtration)... hmmmm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lizz87 Posted July 16, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2010 darn I saw a couple of people on this site with them in the goldie tanks so I wanted one too! not sure where I will put it if it cannot go with the goldies. maybe the eye impaired goldie tank will work. otherwise turtle tank (not a good idea), betta tanks (no filtration)... hmmmm Maybe you could get a few more and create an apple snail only tank! what are apple snails like anyway? Are they cute? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member whitner Posted July 16, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 16, 2010 I have an apple snail in with my goldies and they don't bother him at all. They were a little curious at first, but they leave him alone pretty much. He does blend in with the gravel so that's probably good on his part. And my tank is a 55 gallon so there is plenty of room. What size is yours? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Cynders Posted July 17, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 It really depends. I got one too and he is in Arthur's little betta tank for now until I finish up prazi in the goldie tank. I'm warning you now THEY ARE POOP MACHINES! But they're quite cute. It just depends on the personalities of your fish if they like the snail or not. Yes, they do need calcium for their shells so they don't deteriorate, cuttlebones work well for this. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted July 17, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 The most basic and important thing is you make sure your water is NOT soft and acidic which will quickly erode their shells. Be sure to supplement them with calcium enriched foods. You can try kale, collards, seaweeds and/or even Caltrate tablets (can be dosed once a day daily for those who keep dozens of apple snails). In my experience, my goldfish leave them alone. Just make sure both are adequately fed though. If you have trouble getting your snail to eat its fair share, get a breeder trap and place it there along with its own food. Make sure the trap will not be toppled by your fish that would attempt to grab the food. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 17, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 17, 2010 hi frederica, i'm with lupin on this one.. i have two snails live happily in goldie tanks for 4 years now.. they're thriving, but you must assist with their calcium needs from day one.. this will prevent their shell from deteriorating.. they are wonderful to watch as they get around the tank. some even trainable as i have learned. as tay says, they are poopers, real bad. so watch for small granule like substance on the bottom of your tank.. they're very small, but they may let go of 30-60 of them in one poop!! i find that they don't poop every day though.. depending on how much you feed them. here's some entertainment.. franky in action: helen 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member shellbell4ever Posted July 17, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 Oh yeah I forgot to say I don't think they like salt...have you ever seen what salt does to a slug...nough said 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 17, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 have you ever seen what salt does to a slug...nough said thats exactly what I thought! today Caesar is pretty much innactive, in his shell floating in the bowl... I did throw in some fish food. thanx for all the info guys! and Helen your snails are way too cute! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 17, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 17, 2010 hi frederica, they float a lot.. infact as i have the spray bars pointing down in my tank, both my snails once or twice a week will float to them and keep the water trapped in their shells.. then they will go for a wild ride, bopping like teabags in the current.. it's most amusing to watch. infact, next time they do it, i will take a video of it to show you.. then, when they've had enough, they will release the air and just sink to the bottom and just move on... in the one video you saw where franky was rising, i trained him to rise to the light.. everytime i shon a torch above the tank, i would pop a cucumber and let him smell it.. then he would rise to try to find it.. now, everytime i shine the torch above him, he thinks there's cucumber.. imo, they are quite intellegent.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 17, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 thats awesome you trained them! Franky looks too cool! he is HUGE! Yea he was floating last night when we put him in, then he sank down like a rocket! but he hasn't eaten anything so far going to try popping in a cucumber - can I give it raw? or should I blanch it? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 17, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 17, 2010 they will do that.. i find that my snails don't eat everyday.. well, as i've said on other posts, they are more active at night time.. or when there's not a lot of light in the room, so i don't know if they bottom feed of a night time.. but personally, if i don't feel they've eaten enough, or chewed on their cuttlefish bone enough, i take them outta the tank and put them in a bucket with blanched spinach, cucumber and their cuttlefish bone.. i now do this twice a week just to be sure.. i have observed that snails eat as much as they need to.. they don't often overfeed (unlike goldies), so i'm confident that i can put as much food as i think is right in there and they can have their smorgasbord twice a week.. on the other days, they just get around and eat either left over fish food from the bottom or algae off the driftwood and plants as i keep the glass pretty clean on the inside. with the veggies, yes, i blanch them too.. but no where near as much as i do for the goldfish.. pretty much in the pot for only half the time.. i read that they have really sharp teeth.. i have found that i will put an unblanched cucumber with them and they will feed quite well, but the spinach is either too hard or not appealing to them when it's not blanched, but that may be just my two little fusspots.. who knows?? the biggest reason why i feed them twice a week out from the tank is beause my fish eat their food and i am not 100% sure that the snails get enough aftet that.. also, they risk getting attacked by the fish if you're feeding the snails something that smells good to goldies. oh, and when a snail is floating, it's because they want to.. don't panic.. they will sink like a sac of potatoes when they're ready.. hope this helps.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 17, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 thanx helen! going to throw in a piece of cucumber for now he is in the kitchen, so I guess he might hav too much light. turning it off 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 17, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 17, 2010 no need to turn lights off to suit the snail frederica.. they are fine.. i leave the cucumber in there overnight and when they get to it, they get to it.. with it not blanched, the fish can't eat it.. but that doesn't mean they won't try.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 17, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2010 nobody is in the kitchen anyways for now he is alone in the bowl so I guess he will get round to munching the cucumber 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 18, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2010 hey frederica, how's it going with the snail. did he eat anything? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 18, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2010 he peeked out a few hrs ago and was surfing on the cucumber for a few mins, now he is back in his shell floating again. I added in a plant so he can cruise on it. can they carry diseases? how are they usually qtd? signs of a healthy snail? cause if he is healthy I will put him in with dr.house - he has no salt in his tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 18, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2010 to be honest, on that side of things, i don't know.. i've owned about 20 snails in the past and none have died.. i've given them away to firends whom have started aquariums and so forth.. the only thing i know to treat is the shell and their nutricious appetite. if they do, i've been really lucky thus far as i haven't had any problems at all with them.. my tank is salted 0.1, they're in there, and they're not having any problems at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 18, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2010 yea I read somewhere that they can get salt up to 0.3% quite well. and it kills any bacteria they might be carrying. hmmmmm I am so tempted just to add him to the goldie tank now! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 18, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2010 personally, with the good success rate that i have had, i would say do it.. but i know i'm going to get flogged by our fellow kokoeans.. so the choice is yours.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 18, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2010 I will then keep him in his tub for a couple more days - do you think he is inactive because the water is still? I have no bubbler etc in it - it is basically an old betta bowl 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 18, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2010 no hun.. that's just how they are.. they could be in their shells for 5-6 hours at a time... then they come out to explore for a while.. but always, when theres a new environment be it fish or snails, they take their time to become comfortable.. i dont't see anything abnormal from what you explain here. i'm just curious.. has he been for a poop? our litte friend will poop heaps.. LOL 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Captain Findus Goldfish Posted July 18, 2010 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 18, 2010 I noticed a couple of poops when we took him home - in his bag. nothing since 2 days. what I did notice is that some jelly like white stuff comes out from him when he foats/ sleeps. is this normal? it is a ball of it. I remove it this morning and now it is back 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted July 18, 2010 Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2010 yeah.. it's normal.. you know like a garden snail how they leave behind their slimy trail? well that silky stuff is their trail. sometimes i find it all over my plants, trapping oxygen bubbles in it's path.. meh.. it's harmless really, never caused a problem in my tank. going to bed now hun.. it's 3:30am here now.. talk to you tomorrow.. ciao! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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