# snail breeding set up advice wanted



## Juicebox (Oct 24, 2012)

what would be a cheap set up for breeding feeder snails? common pond snails and ramshorns

would 1 gallon be enough or 2 gallon?

id use a 25 watt heater..

would a filter be needed if changing 50 - 70 percent of water 1 - 2 times a week? would water conditioner be needed in the water?

i would use a bard bottom tank so easier to take out the snails when needed but should any live plants be added or will the snails just eat them?hat kind of stuff should i put in the tank or just keep it completely bare?


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## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

Juicebox said:


> what would be a cheap set up for breeding feeder snails? common pond snails and ramshorns
> 
> would 1 gallon be enough or 2 gallon?
> 
> ...


I would definitely add live plants. You'll need to treat the water just like you would for a fish since snails do produce waste, so water conditioner and filtration are a good idea, although I have had unfiltered snail tanks too, with highly oxygenating plants. I give my snails a combination of dry IAL leaf litter and live plants to hang out on. They tend to only eat dead/dying plants and algae and leave the live plants alone. They just clean scum off the live plants.

I would probably go for at least a 2-3 gallon tank, to give the snails plenty of space to keep breeding. They tend to not breed as much when they hit the maximum population that can be sustained in a tank, and since you want to breed them, more space will get them producing lots of babies.

I supplement my snail tanks with calcium pills from the drug store to ensure nice hard shells.


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## Juicebox (Oct 24, 2012)

how do you feed them the pills and what brand do you use? i was thinking of just throwing half as cuttlefish in there and leaving it in till its all gone..


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Cuttlefish bone would be fine. 
And you do want live plants although it's not necessary if you provide fake ones and algae tablets.
The more space the better 
And more food provided the more they will reproduce, make sure you don't feed so much that there are leftovers in the morning but feed plenty so they all have a lot to eat.


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

What are you planning on feeding the snails to? We are interested in a lizard that primarily feeds on snails, so I'll keep an eye on this thread, we'll definitely want our own healthy feeders available.


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## Juicebox (Oct 24, 2012)

feeding them to assasin snails and maybe in the future a dwarf puffer fish if i ever get one


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

just... offer food and they will multiply... oh god will they multiply


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## thekinetic (May 22, 2012)

Oh oh I have one of these! ^_^

It's one gallon with a 7.5 watt undergravel heater, a undergravel filter, about 3/4" of gravel in the bottom, an anubias plant, and snails lot of snails.

Pretty easy to take care of them, I just giver them an algea wafer when they finish the last one. Between the warm water and the abundant food they multiply like rabbits!O.O


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

give them live plants as well, something with wide leaves, they will coat them with eggs. IF I could I'd give you mine!


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## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

Juicebox said:


> how do you feed them the pills and what brand do you use? i was thinking of just throwing half as cuttlefish in there and leaving it in till its all gone..


Cuttlebone works too. It's probably less messy that my method. With the pills, I just stick them into the substrate so they're halfway in. They will fall apart and leave a little pile of white powder that snails like to rub their faces in XD I buy the Walgreen's brand without vitamin D in it.


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