Seeking Mystery Snail Breeding Tips

[RichNJ]

I am attempting to breed mystery snails for the past two and half weeks.  My goal is more snails for my other tanks (not profit).  I bought 8 from a big box store.  They are in a 10g bare bottom cycled breeding tank with a couple of floating plants.  I’ve been feeding them fresh blanched spinach, frozen green beans, and Hikari algae wafers.  They clearly are frequently mating, or at least it really seems like it, but no egg clutches yet.   The water line is four inches from the top and I have a glass lid. Temp is 76, ph 8.2, 10 gh, 8 kh, 0 ammonia, 25 nitrates, 0 nitrites.  
 

It’s only been two and a half weeks, so will give it more time.  
 

Does anyone have recommendations for improvement?  Does anything seem suboptimal?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

How big are they?  If too young they may not be mature enough to lay yet. Do be careful with water parameters. You’ll want to watch those (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) very closely as adult mystery snails produce a lot of waste and you should really only stick to 1 snail per 5 gallons to keep everything stable. I know your setup is to breed; just something to keep in mind as you go along. Overfilter if you can.

Definitely get a calcium rich food. You can

*add calcium carbonate to Repashy Soilent Green (see Snello 1 in my signature line)

*Hikari crab cuisine

*Kat’s Aquatics Snail food

*Crayfish empire snail pellets (free, just pay shipping). Calcium carbonate is also free on this site.

The snails not only need calcium for their own shells but also to produce their eggs, as the eggs are made of calcium. Cuttlebone can be added to the tank as well and it will slowly release calcium in the water and the snails will graze on it. Cuttlebone should not be the only calcium source though.

@Cinnebuns do you have any additional thoughts on the breeding setup here?

Edited July 13, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Cinnebuns]

Do you plan to hatch the eggs in this tank or another one?  A clutch can hatch up to 100 or even more mystery snail babies. Even if you only intend to breed just for yourself, you will have a lot of snails on your hands. You can hatch just a partial clutch if you need to. I would even then caution against hatching them into this tank. The tank is already over stocked with 8 adult mystery snails in it. 

In addition to calcium, they also need protein. Make sure you have plenty of both in their diet. Also make sure the water has a PH 7.4 or above and a high gh. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Cinnebuns

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:00 PM, Cinnebuns said:

In addition to calcium, they also need protein. Make sure you have plenty of both in their diet.

Thanks @Cinnebuns!  I forgot to mention it.

@RichNJ the foods I listed above do contain protein, calcium, and vegetation for your cute snail friends.

[RichNJ]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:00 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Do you plan to hatch the eggs in this tank or another one?  A clutch can hatch up to 100 or even more mystery snail babies. Even if you only intend to breed just for yourself, you will have a lot of snails on your hands. You can hatch just a partial clutch if you need to. I would even then caution against hatching them into this tank. The tank is already over stocked with 8 adult mystery snails in it. 

In addition to calcium, they also need protein. Make sure you have plenty of both in their diet. Also make sure the water has a PH 7.4 or above and a high gh. 

@Cinnebuns

I understand what you are saying about the population numbers.  Will probably try to hatch 1 clutch in the breeder.  If they seem to be doing well, will move over the adults and call it quits on breeding, and then grow out the babies a bit.  My ph is 8.2 and gh is about 11.  Should I go higher on gh?  I can via equilibrium.

On 7/12/2023 at 10:13 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

How big are they?  If too young they may not be mature enough to lay yet. Do be careful with water parameters. You’ll want to watch those (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) very closely as adult mystery snails produce a lot of waste and you should really only stick to 1 snail per 5 gallons to keep everything stable. I know your setup is to breed; just something to keep in mind as you go along. Overfilter if you can.

Definitely get a calcium rich food. You can

*add calcium carbonate to Repashy Soilent Green (see Snello 1 in my signature line)

*Hikari crab cuisine

*Kat’s Aquatics Snail food

*Crayfish empire snail pellets (free, just pay shipping). Calcium carbonate is also free on this site.

The snails not only need calcium for their own shells but also to produce their eggs, as the eggs are made of calcium. Cuttlebone can be added to the tank as well and it will slowly release calcium in the water and the snails will graze on it. Cuttlebone should not be the only calcium source though.

@Cinnebuns do you have any additional thoughts on the breeding setup here?

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

Thanks...ammonia and nitrite are zero.  Nitrate is around 25 and holding there.  The floating plants are helping to keep nitrate in check.  Is 25 too high for breeding?  I am going to try making some snello.  I have the ingredients.

Edited July 13, 2023 by RichNJ

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/13/2023 at 1:23 PM, RichNJ said:

Thanks...ammonia and nitrite are zero.  Nitrate is around 25 and holding there.  The floating plants are helping to keep nitrate in check.  Is 25 too high for breeding?  I am going to try making some snello.  I have the ingredients.

No, 25 is ok. If it gets above 40 then you'll need to water change.

https://apifishcare.com/pdfs/products-us/nitrate-test-kit/api-nitrate-test-kit-instruction-manual.pdf

[Cinnebuns]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:23 PM, RichNJ said:

understand what you are saying about the population numbers.  Will probably try to hatch 1 clutch in the breeder.  If they seem to be doing well, will move over the adults and call it quits on breeding, and then grow out the

11 is fine for now but as the snails grow more shell they deplete the calcium in the water. It's important to know that GH is not just a measure of calcium but also magnesium. It's possible to have high GH but low calcium in the water. I personally would use crushed coral or wonder shells instead of equilibrium for the GH. Equilibrium contains more than just calcium so you will be adding in more minerals than you need. This could cause you to end up with too much of something else. Calcium is what you are looking at specifically in regards to mystery snails and they deplete a lot of it. You also have to watch ph and kh as that can become an issue as they grow as well.

To put it into perspective, I hatched a clutch into my 20 gallon tall. The tank also has mutt guppies.  My tap water practically contains nuts and bolts and comes out with GH 21!  Even with that high if a GH, I have to use crushed coral and wonder shells or the tank's GH, KH and PH will all crash. Even then, I have to pull babies out as they get larger or the tank will severely overload. Now, there also is guppies in there so that's a major factor but it's also 2x the size of yours with higher GH water.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want to make it realistic so you know what you are getting into and are prepared. I don't want you to get in over your head and get discouraged by that.  It is possible to raise a clutch in a 10 gallon tank but I absolutely would not keep the adults with them, I would keep crushed coral in the tank, feed heavily, and eventually you will end up doing daily if not 2x a day water changes. 

[RichNJ]

On 7/14/2023 at 5:00 PM, Cinnebuns said:

11 is fine for now but as the snails grow more shell they deplete the calcium in the water. It's important to know that GH is not just a measure of calcium but also magnesium. It's possible to have high GH but low calcium in the water. I personally would use crushed coral or wonder shells instead of equilibrium for the GH. Equilibrium contains more than just calcium so you will be adding in more minerals than you need. This could cause you to end up with too much of something else. Calcium is what you are looking at specifically in regards to mystery snails and they deplete a lot of it. You also have to watch ph and kh as that can become an issue as they grow as well.

To put it into perspective, I hatched a clutch into my 20 gallon tall. The tank also has mutt guppies.  My tap water practically contains nuts and bolts and comes out with GH 21!  Even with that high if a GH, I have to use crushed coral and wonder shells or the tank's GH, KH and PH will all crash. Even then, I have to pull babies out as they get larger or the tank will severely overload. Now, there also is guppies in there so that's a major factor but it's also 2x the size of yours with higher GH water.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want to make it realistic so you know what you are getting into and are prepared. I don't want you to get in over your head and get discouraged by that.  It is possible to raise a clutch in a 10 gallon tank but I absolutely would not keep the adults with them, I would keep crushed coral in the tank, feed heavily, and eventually you will end up doing daily if not 2x a day water changes. 

Thanks for the feedback here.  It's possible I am not feeding them enough too, and probably don't have enough calcium in the water and in their diet.  Will make some adjustments and see if they generate a clutch, but will all monitor for conditions so I don't overload the tank.  It's a little fun project for me, but I am not going to drive myself crazy with it for sure.  Eventually I'll want to use the tank again to QT new fish, and getting the itch again for that anyway.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/14/2023 at 5:00 PM, Cinnebuns said:

eventually you will end up doing daily if not 2x a day water changes

Yep, this was my experience. I used a 10gal as a mystery snail growout but I was water testing once or twice a day. Once they got to a certain size, I began to get ammonia readings, and at that point I had to do water changes twice a day. I used Prime to ensure any ammonia remaining in the tank would be nontoxic to them.

[RichNJ]

We have one clutch now near the rim as of this morning.  I am planning on limiting it to that and will increase the water line to just below the clutch to prevent more.  Once the clutch seems viable, I’ll move the adults over to a big tank.
 

@Cinnebuns

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/17/2023 at 7:06 AM, RichNJ said:

We have one clutch now near the rim as of this morning.  I am planning on limiting it to that and will increase the water line to just below the clutch to prevent more.  Once the clutch seems viable, I’ll move the adults over to a big tank.
 

@Cinnebuns

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

Congratulations!  If you could wait one day before attempting to move it to the incubator. (Eggs crush easily when the clutch is first laid.)

[RichNJ]

On 7/17/2023 at 9:49 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Congratulations!  If you could wait one day before attempting to move it to the incubator. (Eggs crush easily when the clutch is first laid.)

Thanks, planning on an in tank hatch.  There are no fish at all.  
 

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/17/2023 at 10:04 AM, RichNJ said:

Thanks, planning on an in tank hatch.  There are no fish at all.  
 

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

I would still suggest incubation; it’s just a Tupperware floating on the water surface. Often in-tank hatches fail because humidity is not perfect; the eggs become too hard and the babies become trapped inside because they cannot chew out. Very simple process. Tupperware with tank-water-dampened paper towel inside, top that with dry paper towel, top that with the clutch. Poke holes in Tupperware lid with a pushpin and put it on the container. Float it in your tank.

[RichNJ]

On 7/17/2023 at 10:13 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I would still suggest incubation; it’s just a Tupperware floating on the water surface. Often in-tank hatches fail because humidity is not perfect; the eggs become too hard and the babies become trapped inside because they cannot chew out. Very simple process. Tupperware with tank-water-dampened paper towel inside, top that with dry paper towel, top that with the clutch. Poke holes in Tupperware lid with a pushpin and put it on the container. Float it in your tank.

Ok thanks…two questions: 1) how often do you remoisten the paper towel?, And 2) why do people crush the crumble the clutch after it starts to hatch?

 

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/17/2023 at 11:56 AM, RichNJ said:

Ok thanks…two questions: 1) how often do you remoisten the paper towel?, And 2) why do people crush the crumble the clutch after it starts to hatch?

 

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

I just touch it to ensure it’s still damp. You don’t want it soaking wet, but you don’t want it to dry out. You’d crumble a clutch to free the snails. If you don’t, they may hatch at different hours or even a different day. If you are opening and closing the incubator it messes with the humidity and it can lead to that hard eggshell issue. Plus the crumbled clutch remnants they will eat as one of their first meals.

One of my clutches I did not crumble; I decided to let it hatch naturally. And unfortunately, the humidity situation, so I had some losses. 😞

I know it seems weird to intervene @RichNJ but conditions in the home aquarium are not the same as in nature.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[RichNJ]

On 7/17/2023 at 12:27 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I just touch it to ensure it’s still damp. You don’t want it soaking wet, but you don’t want it to dry out. You’d crumble a clutch to free the snails. If you don’t, they may hatch at different hours or even a different day. If you are opening and closing the incubator it messes with the humidity and it can lead to that hard eggshell issue. Plus the crumbled clutch remnants they will eat as one of their first meals.

One of my clutches I did not crumble; I decided to let it hatch naturally. And unfortunately, the humidity situation, so I had some losses. 😞

I know it seems weird to intervene @RichNJ but conditions in the home aquarium are not the same as in nature.

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

So I am trying out the incubator.  Was just thinking, how often do remoisten the incubator?  And do you wet the paper towel or a few drops on the clutch itself?  I see different opinions online and here in the forum.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/19/2023 at 10:54 AM, RichNJ said:

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

So I am trying out the incubator.  Was just thinking, how often do remoisten the incubator?  And do you wet the paper towel or a few drops on the clutch itself?  I see different opinions online and here in the forum.

Here's a good video; you can use the styrofoam or not - I have found it doesn't matter if it's used.

Do not wet the clutch.  The clutch should be on the dry paper towel which sits on top of the damp one.  The damp one, just dunk it in the tank, then wring it out and place it on the bottom.  Feel how damp it is.  Then feel it the next day to see if it's the same dampness.  Rewet it if it's not, you just don't want that bottom one to be dry.  I can't say how often to rewet it; I always just touch it.  Some people swap the wet towel out every couple days.  I don't really think it's an exact science tbh.  One thing that may not have been mentioned is you'll want to wipe the condensation off the lid daily; you don't want that dripping on the clutch.  Think about how the snail lays the clutch in the tank; it goes out of the water to do that.  We want to mimic the same. The clutch is out of the water, but has humidity surrounding it.

[RichNJ]

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

@Cinnebuns

The clutched hatched this morning and I put the snails in a floating breeder box.  I also moved some of the adult snails into another tank.   I sprinkled some Hikari First Bites in there.  How frequently should I feed them and what other types of food would you recommend?

Edited July 29, 2023 by RichNJ

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/29/2023 at 1:32 PM, RichNJ said:

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea

@Cinnebuns

The clutched hatched this morning and I put the snails in a floating breeder box.  I also moved some of the adult snails into another tank.   I sprinkled some Hikari First Bites in there.  How frequently should I feed them and what other types of food would you recommend?

I fed once a day and I also cleaned the breeder box with a turkey baster once a day. And I checked everyone’s well being; made sure they were moving around. I would stick with the first bites or @Guppysnail uses sera micron, I believe. I also use Repashy Soilent green (just the powder) and bacter ae. Of course, you don’t need to buy all those things, but if you have some of those on hand you can rotate the foods. They like to attach to Java moss or catappa leaf if those are available; not necessary but just a nice touch for them. Eventually they will go to boiled veggies and should have a food containing calcium/veg/protein such as crab cuisine or a snail/shrimp food like Kat’s aquatics or crayfish empire. But they won’t eat that yet; they will just be wall cleaners for awhile. When I started raising snails I began making my own “Snello” just for the fun of it.