Breeding Mystery Snails

[Sombat]

Greetings everyone, I’m finally at the stage of hatching the clutches that were created on May 10th. I pulled the clutches from the incubator and carefully crumbled it into a specimen container using tank water. I’m concerned that perhaps I crumbled the clutches too soon. Looking at the results I am not seeing any snails. This is my first attempt to breed mystery snails, I’m concerned that this may a failure. Looking at the photo is it still possible there are viable snail babies?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hi Sombat. To answer your ultimate question I'm going to say no. I think if you didn't see any movement since your post there weren't any survivors. My understanding with Mystery Snails is that if they aren't ready to be released from the egg sack and are released underwater, they essentially drown. It's one of the methods people use to NOT have snail babies, knocking the sack underwater so the eggs lose their viability. I've found a few good youtube videos from Rachel O'Leary about breeding Mystery snails, if you haven't seen them you might want to check them out. Good luck in your future breeding endeavor, be sure to post if you get some hatchlings. 

[Sombat]

Sadly, I have to agree with you about no viable snail babies. YouTube videos as well as Rachel O’Leary’s videos is where I got the idea of crumbling the clutches into the water. Fortunately, the snails laid multiple clutches weeks apart so I still have more chance. I have the remaining clutches on top of styrofoam floating within a breeder tank. 
 

Thank you for your feedback. 
 

Sombat

[laritheloud]

How many mystery snails do you have, and how long did it take them to start laying egg clutches? I would love to breed mine. I have three snails, all different colors, but I have approximately 0 signs of mating or egg laying, and I'm starting to wonder if I just have all females....

[Sombat]

I have four black, two ivory, two gold and two blue. The gold and blue I’ve had since February. So about four months. The four black and two ivory I’ve had only for about three weeks before I noticed the first clutch. The original four snails were in a 75 gallon community tank. After deciding that I wanted to breed mystery snails I purchased six more hoping that there will be so females in the mix. I placed all the snails into a 9 gallon Fluval Flex with a betta and lowered the water level a couple of inches. After a few weeks I noticed the first clutch. There was no clutches found in the 75 gallon. 
 

This is where I have the remaining clutches. I’m hoping they will hatch on their own and fall right into the breeder box. 

[Paul_Obermiller]

I left my snails egg sacks on the side of the tank, they hatched and then grew up. I don't know why people touch them, just them alone and they'll be fine. Just know that if you want to breed mystery snails you going to have to do a lot of water changes, they poop more then goldfish.

[laritheloud]

5 hours ago, Sombat said:

I have four black, two ivory, two gold and two blue. The gold and blue I’ve had since February. So about four months. The four black and two ivory I’ve had only for about three weeks before I noticed the first clutch. The original four snails were in a 75 gallon community tank. After deciding that I wanted to breed mystery snails I purchased six more hoping that there will be so females in the mix. I placed all the snails into a 9 gallon Fluval Flex with a betta and lowered the water level a couple of inches. After a few weeks I noticed the first clutch. There was no clutches found in the 75 gallon. 
 

This is where I have the remaining clutches. I’m hoping they will hatch on their own and fall right into the breeder box. 

Awesome, thank you. I have a 10 gallon tank I'm going to use for breeding Mystery Snails, I'll probably try to pick up one or two more, then drop the water level and see how they do. I know they produce a LOT of waste, and I'm prepared to do water changes! My floating water lettuce sucks up a lot of those nutrients, though, thank goodness.

[Sombat]

Floating water lettuce? Do you have the dwarf water lettuce or standard size? I have the standard size ones in my patio pond with some goldfish. I was considering ordering the dwarf water lettuce for 75 gallon. 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Sombat

[Sombat]

I had intended to leave the clutches alone and allow them to hatch naturally but I accidentally knocked one clutch off and it fell to the substrate. I am thinking that is why there were no viable snail babies. The other clutches fell off on its own. 

[Sombat]

I found brand a new clutch that had fallen into the tank in my 75 gallon. I removed from the water and placed it with the other clutches on the styrofoam. I further checked above the water line and discovered two more clutches. One was quite fresh and a little sticky. In fear of those also falling into the tank I went ahead and added to the styrofoam. I hope this increases my chances for mystery snail babies. 

[Sombat]

Observed another fresh clutch in the Fluval Flex 9 gallon where I keep a betta along with two black and two ivory mystery snails. I intend to leave it alone to hatch naturally provided it doesn’t fall into the water like the others did. 

[Guppysnail]

Try leaving them be. Mystery Snails will scout your tank for the ideal spot with correct humidity some first time layers don’t get it right but after that they will. After they scout you can see them groom that location. The closer to 79-80 the quicker they hatch. The breaking them open is a breed for profit where the select few that cannot break out hurt the profit margin. Do nothing and you will have success. Mother Nature knows best. My niece is forever forgetting to check her lid and constantly has batches hatching from the ones I gave her.

[Sombat]

On 6/11/2021 at 5:47 PM, Guppysnail said:

Try leaving them be. Mystery Snails will scout your tank for the ideal spot with correct humidity some first time layers don’t get it right but after that they will. After they scout you can see them groom that location. The closer to 79-80 the quicker they hatch. The breaking them open is a breed for profit where the select few that cannot break out hurt the profit margin. Do nothing and you will have success. Mother Nature knows best. My niece is forever forgetting to check her lid and constantly has batches hatching from the ones I gave her.

Thank you for the feedback. I have tried leaving them be in the past. Unfortunately, past clutches fell in the water. My understanding is that the eggs will drown. So, for safety reasons I had move the clutches into and incubator. In future clutches I plan to leave them be. How long underwater could a clutch remain and survive?

[Guppysnail]

I have no idea if or how long they can survive after hitting water. Removing them is fine you are ok with that I see your lid setup. Use racheal O’Leary method simply do not help the hatch. Let them hatch on their own in your container. At least let the first few hatch on their own. Watch them. After a few hatches you will know more of what they look like before they hatch so you are not prematurely opening them.  She hatches at ideal conditions so approx 8 days. Some take 2 weeks or some a bit longer. Good luck I love my snails. The babies are adorable but may like any baby/small child try to get out of your aquarium to explore.  Use aquarium sponge/algae pad etc to seal up holes. 

[Sombat]

Greetings everyone. I had an interesting discovery this morning. I was doing my normal routine of feeding my fish tanks and checked in on mystery snail clutches. After doing maintenance, I discovered some gelatinous looking eggs attached to some stem plants. At first I thought another snail egg clutch fell into the tank again but this was not solid like the previous clutches. I pulled it out of the water and almost threw it away. But I decided to place it on the styrofoam along with the existing clutches. I wish I had taken some pictures before I moved it out of the water. I decided to check out Rachael O’Leary’s YouTube videos and there it was… information on snails that lay eggs underwater. THE ZEBRA APPLE SNAIL. The last snail purchased was from PetSmart when I bought two ivory, and four black mystery snails. I’m wondering if somehow I got this zebra apple snail. I had never heard of them.  At any rate I placed these eggs under water within the breeder box hoping they are still viable. I did take a photo of the gelatinous eggs now where I intend to let them be. 
 

Let me know you thoughts. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Oh wow, didn't know about that, you have a picture of the potential egg layer? It's fun watching your little snail hatching thread, I hope you're able to get some babies!

[Sombat]

On 6/12/2021 at 4:10 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Oh wow, didn't know about that, you have a picture of the potential egg layer? It's fun watching your little snail hatching thread, I hope you're able to get some babies!

Here is a picture of the two newer mystery snails I added to the 75 gallon community tank where I found the gelatinous eggs. 

[Sombat]

Here is an updated photo of my breeder box with the added clutches. I still have a clutch in another tank that I am leaving where it was laid. 
 

In the breeder box there appears to be some black cells. I’m hoping those are viable snail babies. 

[Sombat]

Here is a screenshot of the Zebra Apple snail  from Rachael O’Leary’s video on YouTube. Looks a lot like the two I purchased from PetSmart. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Those snails are very pretty, I've not seen them in person anywhere, very cool. 

I sure do hope those black specks are viable snails for you. I don't let my Mystery snails breed so it's fun to watch others try their hand at it! 

I like your taste in aquarium decor too 🙂 My Buddha is currently taking a break from underwater activities, a couple of weeks ago it got hit with a rainbow from a window crystal. (I change things around)

Edited June 13, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Sombat]

Very cool rainbow effects with the Buddha. 
 

So far the only small snails I have seen are the pond snails which I usually remove as soon as I see them. I am a little hesitant now just in case a baby mystery snail is out and about. Here is a photo of one that I am almost certain that it’s a pond snail. What I am looking for is the point of the shell which is straight back where the mystery snail has its point off to the side. Please correct me if that is wrong. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

You know I thought you were correct, but then when I google image baby mystery snails I am doubting. Hatchling Mysteries look like they have points too! Since I've never had any babies personally I wouldn't be able to say.

Edited June 13, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Sombat]

Hopefully some experienced snail breeder will chime in and provide some insight. 

[Guppysnail]

On 6/12/2021 at 10:08 PM, Sombat said:

Very cool rainbow effects with the Buddha. 
 

So far the only small snails I have seen are the pond snails which I usually remove as soon as I see them. I am a little hesitant now just in case a baby mystery snail is out and about. Here is a photo of one that I am almost certain that it’s a pond snail. What I am looking for is the point of the shell which is straight back where the mystery snail has its point off to the side. Please correct me if that is wrong. 

These are bladder snails.  Look down on the shell with the opening at your head and point at your feet. The whorl/point will go left. Their antenna will be thin threadlike.  These are fantastic snails I keep them in all my tanks. They get every nook an crannie clean you cannot get to they also are mother nature’s perfect gardener. Here is my beauty queen honey. I will retrieve my pictures of mystery snail babies in a minute and post them for you. 

[Guppysnail]

I can’t get mine to load but here is a clutch my niece accidentally left hatch on her tank.  I don’t know everything about snails however they are what got me into this hobby. My very first tank was dedicated to different types of snails. So if I come across as know it all ish. I am not I just ADORE  snails. I included a photo of how to differentiate between bladder and pond snails. Mystery snail babie have their whorl/spire/point on the side not in back. 

I have also included a few photos of some of my chestnut mystery snails. The snails you purchased and pictured are most definitely chestnut mysteries not asolene spixie zebra snails. The striation and coloring is different.  Your gelatinous egg masses are bladder snail unless you have had other snaily hitchhikers pond/rams horn/microramshorn of those three I have no experience with. If you leave the gelatinous ones alone they will hatch on their own. If it was your beautiful bladders they come in sooooo many color variations and are fascinating to watch. I can’t wait to see pictures of your mystery snail babies and hopefully bladder snail babies. 

Please feed mystery snails steamed or poached veggies or no salt added green beans from can and algae wafers. They cannot survive on algae and leftover fish food. The bigger they get the more they eat. Your babies will demolish and entire green bean open so they can get the meat in one day.