Snail Help

[Ninebreaker]

Howdy everyone, I have a question that's stumped me and I need some advice.  I ordered 2 "hercules snails" from a seller online and received two snails that looked like the top one.  A few months before, a LFS had sold me 4 "hercules snails" that had the more traditional white shell and are much much larger.  Although the size likely isn't any indicator of species just yet, I have a feeling they're two different species.  The top one just release a clutch of what I feel like is 20+ baby snails into the tank, while the bottom ones (which are close to 4" or so) haven't produced any eggs in the time that I've own them.  Both are being kept at 80F in my sulawesi setup (crushed coral substrate and very hard water with a pH around 8.2).  

Could anyone positively (or attempt to) confirm what the top species may be? If you answer is "Malaysian Trumpet Snail", then I appreciate the effort, but you're not correct, lol. These are much larger than any MTS. 

 

 

[Ninebreaker]

Some odd research terms took me to a website that did a review of the "broita" genera. 

https://biostor.org/reference/105345

Anyone else think it may be a different species or maybe a different population?

Any thoughts about Brotia dautzenbergiana? Does that seem correct?

Edited May 22, 2023 by Ninebreaker

[Lennie]

I may be wrong but to me, the bottom one also does not look like brotia herculea. Those antennas are super duper long, which is not usually the case for brotias.

Also what is that shell color? Is it painted or something? I'm confused

[Ninebreaker]

On 5/22/2023 at 12:16 PM, Lennie said:

I may be wrong but to me, the bottom one also does not look like brotia herculea. Those antennas are super duper long, which is not usually the case for brotias.

 

Also what is that shell color? Is it painted or something? I'm confused

No, the shell isn't painted.  When I originally got them, they were pure white and over time algae / water conditions have turned them that green color.  I'm not sure what "happened".  Pic below is them right out of the shop.  Over time, the new shell grew and led me to believe it was some kind of sanding or something that took place.  Possibly between diet and conditions, the color of the new growth shell changed. 

Interesting that someone seems to have potentially gone through the effort (at least in one case) to sand the shells to "fake" a Hercules snail to a wholesaler / store owner and in the second case perhaps didn't know what they were selling. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Ninebreaker

[Lennie]

That is actually very interesting to form such color. I have never seen something like this before. I keep so many snails but nothing like this color change.

@Biotope Biologist, @dasaltemelosguy do you guys have any idea regarding this blue-ish/yellow shell change and what might've caused the change ? That's interesting

[Ninebreaker]

On 5/22/2023 at 1:50 PM, Lennie said:

That is actually very interesting to form such color. I have never seen something like this before. I keep so many snails but nothing like this color change.

@Biotope Biologist, @dasaltemelosguy do you guys have any idea regarding this blue-ish/yellow shell change and what might've caused the change ? That's interesting

For sure. I've never seen something so dramatic.

I've kept snails that do change a little and you obviously can see that the yellow part is new growth on the snail since I got it.  

Just since there may be questions. I keep them at 80F with an aquarium coop heater, their primary diet is kale (from the supermarket), zucchini, green beans, and some shrimp foods (bee pollen, snowflake, shrimp envy foods as well).  The blue/green color happened way before I started feeding shrimp envy foods. I remineralize RODI with Sulawesi 8.5 to 150TDS and the water TDS is around 220 or so. 

There is some driftwood in the aquarium as well as lava rock.  Their original tank had a few large "river stones" I got from the LFS.

Substrate is crushed coral. 

They live with Sulawesi-originating (in theory) shrimp like white orchids and cardinals. Some unknown species shrimp as well. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Ninebreaker