Mystery snail eggs & inverts journal

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Emergency water change this morning on the snail tank. There will be no more posts about Dot.

Here’s a photo of the gang in the display tank. We have on the glass Dodger chillin with C3PO and York is supervising the intake.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Heard that cucumber & zucchini do NOT have to be cooked. Tested this hypothesis.  Lab rat was Dodger. He confirms- it’s still tasty!

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Well, I hadn’t planned on this but someone that adopted snails before contacted me again for more. I had them marked as sold in Nextdoor but she private messaged me. I told her 2 left, that leaves me with 4 babies. I’m ok with that. I know how to get more snail babies if I want them!

And I could not allow her other tank to be without snails. Unacceptable!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Holy smokes!  Button went on a grand adventure! I wanted to get a good vacuum on that snail tank. Pulled 3 decorations after inspecting them. Placed them on top of qt tote. Did the vac. Replaced decorations in tank. Aged some water. 

Meanwhile time to work on qt tote next. I always do that one last so no cross contamination. Removed lid, set it upside down on the floor. Got the fishy out with one dip of the beer pitcher. Awesome! No netting today! Great for everybody! Into the specimen container goes the fishy- doing great!  Left him in specimen container and walked back to qt to begin the water change.

Looked down at the ground to watch where I was walking. And who was it on the INSIDE of the qt tote lid?  Button!  She must have camouflaged in the anubias on the spider wood I pulled, then snailed her way off and down through one of the holes in the tote lid while I was vacuuming the other tank, ending up on the other side of the lid.

Lid she was on:

She got kerplunked back into the snail tank and had a soft landing on the Christmas moss. She is immediately business as usual, tidying up the glass again. (Can’t even tell I vacuumed that sand, can you?  That’s just kinda how it goes in the snail tank. I do have a fair amount of plant melt in there, plus ya know, snail doodoo).

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Now that the temp baffle has some algae, York enjoys traveling through it.

And monkey see monkey do, here goes C-3PO. 
 

Then I fed the fish, and C-3PO was moonwalking trying to catch a flake. I helped him out. 😊
 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@Katherine said snails like sweet potato. Yep!

 

 

See the fishy in the background of 2nd pic? That’s Pippin. He looks wimpy but he’s tough and brave when he needs to be. He just got out of quarantine for the 3rd time! First time qt when he was bought. 2nd time columnaris. 3rd time columnaris relapse because he got bullied and stressed after being returned to main tank.
 

I need to increase school size before he goes back to main tank or they will bully him again, most likely. 
 

Closer look at Pippin:

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Pippin is famous! His picture was in Tuesday’s newspaper! link

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

York usually lays eggs every second or 3rd day, but she hasn’t laid eggs since the 25th. Is she tapped out? 🤔

[smm333]

Congratulations! I have 2 clutches floating in my tank now. This is my first time trying to hatch them. My snails are definately adored. They are the coolest creatures. They are so relaxing to watch! Yellow is dad and white is mom. 💖

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@smm333 That’s great! Please, let me know if you have any questions. There are some care links in my signature line below as well. What size tank do you have? 2 clutches can produce a lot of babies.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

York is so silly. Totally faceplanted. 🤣

Also she laid eggs this morning. 😊

clutch 19

 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[smm333]

On 9/2/2022 at 2:01 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

@smm333 That’s great! Please, let me know if you have any questions. There are some care links in my signature line below as well. What size tank do you have? 2 clutches can produce a lot of babies.

The tank they are in is 20 gallons. I have several other tanks- a 20 long, three 10's and a 15 that I haven't set up yet. The clutches aren't real big, so hopefully they won't turn me into a snail sanctuary, lol. I told my husband I think the snails need to be separated though. It's a bummer because I love them in the tank they're in. The babies will be distributed in my other tanks and them off to the LFS or Craigslist. It's a fun experiment,  but I don't plan to be a full time snail breeder! 

[Katherine]

On 9/2/2022 at 7:48 AM, smm333 said:

I told my husband I think the snails need to be separated though.

You don't need to separate them! Just let the eggs stay on the glass for a day or two, then take them off and freeze them for a few days, then crush them up and freeze for a few more days before throwing them away. Mystery snails can keep laying fertile eggs for months after their last encounter with a male.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@smm333 since the clutches aren’t too big, I think you’ll be fine with the 20 gallon. You can always move some after they grow a bit to peppercorn or pea sized. Besides, separating them would mean more maintenance with feeding and daily leftover food removal.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

BUSTED after lights out. Button, my olive nerite, is eating sweet potato!

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I’ve been wondering where the tiny little guys have been. They are very stealthy and often hard to find!  But here is Goliath:

and here is Nibbles! So all is well. 
 

 

 

P.S. Look at that massive limpet above Goliath! 😳

Edited September 10, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Katherine]

On 9/10/2022 at 8:39 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

P.S. Look at that massive limpet above Goliath! 😳

Haha! For a minute there I thought you had named the limpet.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Clutch 20 was laid today. York must have done that while I was on an early grocery store run. Let’s celebrate! Green beans for everyone!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Party in the Knox Snello yesterday 🎉Can you find Nibbles? The 3rd snail?

Even Button the olive nerite joined in. It must be tasty!

Featuring 🐌Goliath, 🐌Nibbles, and 🐌Button

Edited September 14, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Bev C]

Hi Chick 

I started reading your journal here  while back  and thought i subscribe but didn’t had to restart from page 1 but now I am subscribed. and got caught up lol 😂 

I always put my zucchini, carrots and cabbage and spinach  raw i never cook i usually can leave it up 24 years ,,but I do boil the fresh green bean  i will have to retry cucumber with the new babies 

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea & @Guppysnail i have really crappy  very hard water and thought i had enough calcium  but  my snail shells was turning rough one had a small chip I got the liquid calcium Guppy recommended and i put in their rephashy   plus I have been taking my eggshells  put them in a bag and take a rolling pin to make a powder

I sprinkle  1-3 small pinches  it makes a small white mess for a day or 2 but that is fine with me  i have been adding it  once a week  i do not over do and add to much calcium but it is helping 

The snails love the powder and eat it my babies shells look whiter , stronger and lots better and the one that had the chip his shell is healing I just got to stat eating more eggs ,, 😂  my plants like the extra calcium too …  i noticed 

many hugs 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/15/2022 at 9:33 AM, Bev C said:

Hi Chick 

I started reading your journal here  while back  and thought i subscribe but didn’t had to restart from page 1 but now I am subscribed. and got caught up lol 😂 

I always put my zucchini, carrots and cabbage and spinach  raw i never cook i usually can leave it up 24 years ,,but I do boil the fresh green bean  i will have to retry cucumber with the new babies 

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea & @Guppysnail i have really crappy  very hard water and thought i had enough calcium  but  my snail shells was turning rough one had a small chip I got the liquid calcium Guppy recommended and i put in their rephashy   plus I have been taking my eggshells  put them in a bag and take a rolling pin to make a powder

I sprinkle  1-3 small pinches  it makes a small white mess for a day or 2 but that is fine with me  i have been adding it  once a week  i do not over do and add to much calcium but it is helping 

The snails love the powder and eat it my babies shells look whiter , stronger and lots better and the one that had the chip his shell is healing I just got to stat eating more eggs ,, 😂  my plants like the extra calcium too …  i noticed 

many hugs 

 

Hi Bev!  I use powdered eggshells too.  At first I put them in the tank, but it was messier than I would prefer and some floated.  Then I watched 2 videos and created a Snello based on these videos I found. 

Simply Betta video

Lav's Snails video

I kind of came up with my own concoction based on stuff I already had.  It ended up being something like:

• can of green beans (no salt) and boiled veggie scraps, blended to puree
• some random fish food
• powdered eggshell
• knox gelatin, prepared with boiling water

They love it, and no eggshell mess.

It lasts a long time!  I keep it in the freezer; I tried to freeze it in a ziplock, but tried to make sure the cubes didn't touch each other.  That way it is easier to take one cube out at a time.  My last post has photos of this food in their dish. It kind of melts, but it does stay in one spot. If you ever have to remove extra it can be sucked out with a turkey baster. But my crew usually does not leave any leftovers.

On 9/15/2022 at 9:33 AM, Bev C said:

the new babies

Do you have a photo of these babies?  🙂

On 9/15/2022 at 9:33 AM, Bev C said:

I always put my zucchini, carrots and cabbage and spinach  raw

I will try that!  Makes my life easier!

Edited September 15, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Bev C]

The Raw vegetable i have always done it that way when i got my first pelco my LFS told me to put in raw  and i have always done it that way it might take the snails a little time to eat it  that is why i leave it 24 hour  my new snails was eating the raw zucchini raw  yesterday  I do remove the seeds with a melon baller because they make a mess 

I usually  feed my tank every other day  due to nitrates  and i do not have to clean the tank as much 

plus helps my fish digestive system  my LFS says it is good to take at lest 1 day per week  and fast the animals  

I usually feed my  fish   flake and  pellets both i have a few fish only eat flake and also feed algae wafer and bottom feeders food 

the vegetables i feed 1-2  times week but might have to raise the vegetable feed to three times a week my new snails was raised with more vegetables and I have a new pelco that is coming  he is on order 

Sunday is treat day for my tank of rapashy and a vegetable  and only  mostly 1-3small cubes

I fix rapashy in small  batch and  freeze it  in candy mold.  and I freeze  enough for 1-2 weeks worth i only fix one small tray 10 small cubes  i doctor it a little bit i add  a few ground skinned peas ,  to help fish with digestive  and a few drops of the liquid calcium  for  snails and add old fish food samples or food that the fish did not eat before 

I have a blender  I might try adding  can green beans  too it  I just got new  snail babies but my 3 original   mystery and my old pelco would not eat can green beans  might have try adding it for the new snails and the pelco 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Bev C

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@Bev C  I tried the green beans with the Knox gelatin but not with the Repashy.  I am not sure what proportion you would need to get it to set.  I would start with a little bit at first so it still gels.  Let us know if you try it and how it goes and if the critters enjoy it.

I have candy molds but I'm kinda lazy and don't use them. But I do like to put leftover food that they didn't eat into the candy molds with a little tank water, and make food ice cubes.  (I suck the leftover food up with a turkey baster). I drop one into the tank when they get hungry again. Saves money!

Sometimes I do this with crumbly foods too, like if I try to cut a chunk off of a nano banquet block and the whole thing falls apart to dust. I collect the dust and make a tank water/dust ice cube in the candy mold.  Then later I will put the cube in the snail dish, but the only thing is, the cubes float, so I hold it over the dish with the aquascaping tongs until it melts, and then all the stuff falls where I want it to.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

York is enjoying her broccoli.