Is it time for the Big Tank?

[Confetto]

My baby mystery snails are between 25-27 days old and some are the size of a pencil eraser. They have been living in a breeder box in a 6 gallon Sterilite storage tote and perhaps a foolish question, but are the ready to wander the full container? 

I worry about them finding food in a larger area. The tote has a heater and a sponge filter of course, and three fake plants as well as a tiny bucephalandra plant. Can I just place their food in different locations around the tote for them to find?

Clearly a first time snail mom 😉

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/30/2023 at 10:36 AM, Confetto said:

My baby mystery snails are between 25-27 days old and some are the size of a pencil eraser. They have been living in a breeder box in a 6 gallon Sterilite storage tote and perhaps a foolish question, but are the ready to wander the full container? 

I worry about them finding food in a larger area. The tote has a heater and a sponge filter of course, and three fake plants as well as a tiny bucephalandra plant. Can I just place their food in different locations around the tote for them to find?

Clearly a first time snail mom 😉

Yep!  You are good. This is the size of my kids when I moved them.

6 gallon is going to be too small though, for their (eventual) waste level and food requirements.  You'll want to have a plan to adopt them out soon and test your water for ammonia daily.  Water change if you get a reading.  I was struggling to keep ammonia down in a 10 gallon, and when they were chickpea sized I had to change water twice a day, using Prime to detoxify any residual ammonia til the next water change.  I had about 45 snails at the time. @Guppysnail @Cinnebuns

As far as finding food, a powdered food such as Repashy soilent green (unprepared) or Sera Micron could be an option; and a calcium supplement (such as crab cuisine). Those foods coat the walls of the tote and the snails will always have access. If you can add more live plants as well, that is going to help water quality.

P.S. Your snail babies are very very cute @Confetto!  ♥️

Edited October 30, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Confetto]

I have 32 surviving hatchling. I'm not keeping many, 2-3 MAX! I have a 20L that they will move into.  

My LFS is taking most of them in a few weeks and a friend is taking 4-5.  

They eat Crab Cuisine & Hikari mini algae wafers right now. I was thinking of tossing a green bean in there tonight. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/30/2023 at 12:52 PM, Confetto said:

I have 32 surviving hatchling. I'm not keeping many, 2-3 MAX! I have a 20L that they will move into.  

My LFS is taking most of them in a few weeks and a friend is taking 4-5.  

They eat Crab Cuisine & Hikari mini algae wafers right now. I was thinking of tossing a green bean in there tonight. 

That's an awesome plan!  In the meantime, isn't it fun to watch them?  Once they are released into the tote, it will be fun to see them all over the place. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 10/30/2023 at 9:36 AM, Confetto said:

I worry about them finding food in a larger area

If the tank is seasoned enough this is never an issue as there is food you don't even have to give them everywhere. If it isn't seasoned enough then you can do things like scatter food around or add things like bacter ae or driftwood which encourages the growth of biofilm and micro organisms. I have always had far more success hatching directly into a tank than a breeder box. At first I don't even directly feed them if I have others in the tank and they will grab left overs as well as micro organisms and such.