Mystery Snails

[bettatester]

First batch of Mystery Snails hatched today! Any tips on raising the hatchlings? I put them in a breeder box and fed then what I would normally feed the adults (algae wafers and sinking pellets). Should I go for something else? Also, how can I check for calcium levels in the tank to make sure they are adequate?

[AnimalNerd98]

My advice is to raise them away from anything that would make a short meal of them. I would also suggest to keep the water clean and not stagnant.

The thing with algae wafers is that if they don’t consume all of it, it will start to turn to mush, spoil, and foul the water. Especially since there isn’t a lot of water flow going into the breeder box. So I would just keep an eye on the wafer and suck it out if there is too much leftover. You can also offer slices of Zucchini or green bean since they tend to stay together and don’t fall apart like algae wafers do. 

As a rule, you tend to just watch their shells and see if they are looking too thin or if they develop holes in them. Unless the water out of your tap is quite acidic (say below 7), I would focus more on providing dietary calcium rather than remineralizing the water (which you can do with WonderShell or crushed coral). For dietary calcium, I provide ZooMed Nano Banquet Blocks or straight up Tums for humans, any flavor will work.

If you want to be more precise, you can use test strips or liquid test kits to measure the GH or general hardness of the aquarium (measures calcium and magnesium). Since I’ve always been in a hard water state, I don’t know exactly what levels of GH you should be aiming for. Maybe someone else can chime in for that part. Good luck!

Edited July 20, 2021 by AnimalNerd98

[KATE]

@bettatester I agree with advice above from @AnimalNerd98, it's really contingent on providing an environment where they cannot be predated and have ample nutrition! You'll then be able to identify shell deformities accordingly as they grow larger. Once they look substantial you can re home them. My definition there is the size of my thumbnail 🙂 just big enough to stay out of anyone's mouth and be able to compete for food (or not be out competed)... With that said, I pamper my mystery snails! ❤️ 

[Guppysnail]

Steamed or blanches veggies every day.  Baby snail love them. You can start them on no salt added French cut green beans they devour them. I use plant weights to keep them in place. Remove after 12 hours. Fresh veggies grow them quick with thick shells and just like humans provide the necessary vitamins and minerals. They can only utilize the calcium if they get some magnesium and actually ingest it.  Their digestive system is extremely poor so they must consume constantly except when sleeping to grow at any age but most critical when young and doing the fastest growth. Share pics as they grow please. Love me some snail babies 🐌💕