# Do mystery snails need heaters?



## eemmais

I want to add a mystery snail to my community tank, so I need to QT it first. I have an extra 2 gallon tank and a preset heater. I know preset heaters are unstable, so would it be better to: keep the snail without a heater, use the preset heater, or wait until I can buy a new, adjustable heater? Thanks.


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## Crowntails

I use to keep my mystery snails in 70 degree tanks, so unheated. They did fine. I think you'll be ok.


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## eemmais

Do I even need to QT them? My petsmart has a tank with only snails.


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## Chevko

The PetCo I got Honey from said that the tank she was in had a case of Ich going on. I'd pop him/her into an iso for a few days just to be safe.


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## eemmais

Okay, thanks. I think I will use the heater, it's keeping the water pretty stable.


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## Tikibirds

I would QT anything that came from a tank at petco/petsmart/walmart. Most really do not care for the fish and the filtration system they use, from what I have been told - it pushes the same water into every tank, so if one tank has ick...its possible for other tanks to get it too.

The optimal water temperature for apple snails lays between 18 to 28°C (65-82°F). As with many cold-blooded animals, apple snails are more active at higher temperatures. At higher temperatures, they eat faster, creep faster and they grow faster. Also higher temperatures mainly induce the reproduction of the apple snail. At lower temperatures (18°C/65°F) the apple snail enters a dormancy state in which they creep away in the mud and become very inactive. Temperatures below 18°C/65°F should be avoided as the mortality rate quickly increases. 

Psst - don't forget to feed him. They love veggies like lettuce and cucumber


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## eemmais

Thanks! I went out and bought him, I'm acclimating him now! He's in a 2 gallon QT tank, so how often should I change the water? I know they have a high ammonia output, so maybe everyday or every other day? Thanks.


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## Chevko

I typically change water in Honey's container every few days, longest time between is about five so far. She's doubled in size as well so it's going to be a bit more frequent until I can get my NPT set up... Make sure you do dechlorinate the tap water or keep ~75% of the water you change out. I take out all the water I can, the filter and heater and then start cleaning the sand and container itself then put back in the water and accessories and Honey.

My boyfriend was freaking out about the water in her container about two days ago now and I did more or less an emergency water change with water that had been sitting only about two days out of the four it needed to be to get the chlorine to evaporate - kept less than 1% of her water. Only just today she's been active. Warmed up and put her in what little water I had kept because she was so lethargic and she perked up almost immediately. Then again this is my first snail, so... But she seems to be doing well with how I'm doing it.


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## Tikibirds

I would do a 100% WC every few days since they are poop machines. 

It is a good idea to do regular water changes if you have many creatures in one tank, just like one would advise with fish, to maintain good water quality and to avoid accumulation of toxic substances and waste. By the way, apple snails are good indicators for the oxygen-level in your tank. When there isn't much oxygen in the water, the snails will regularly come to the surface to inhale fresh air through the breathing siphon. Only when there is enough oxygen for them in the water, they don't need their lung and solely depend on their gill. The amount of water needed for each snail depends on the size of the snail, the filtration capacity and the temperature. As a general rule of thumb one should provide at least 10-liters/2.5 gallon for each mid-sized snail (±5cm/2inch. diameter). Or another way: count each apple snail as a fish of the same length as the snail's shell diameter. Be cautious not to overcrow your snail tank. While it hasn't been proven that apple snails actually 'sense' that they are in large numbers in a small space, the water quality quickly detoriates and substances that inhibit the snail growth are increasing quiker. Regular refreshment of a part of the water is highly recommended. 

The water doesn't have to be deep (2 or more times the shell height). Remember that most apple snail species inhabit swamps in which the water level is quite low. Be sure to have a coverplate on your aquarium or at least make sure that they can't get out of it or otherwise: don't be surprised to find a snail on the ground in the morning. Don't worry, they can easily survive out of the water for more then a week, but they risk damaging their shell when hitting the ground. 

If the tap-water in your area contains copper and/or other metals, use one of these water preparation products that catch away those metals bofere putting the snail in the water. Apple snails are very sensitive for these compounds (especially copper). You won't be the first one loosing a snail due to this snail-toxic substances in the water. If you see that the snails become completely inactive or if the snails, especially the little ones, try to leave the water after a water change: get a product to treat the water (like stress coat or Prime). 

When there are many apple snails in a tank, the water tends to become cloudy because apple snails have a large amount of microorganisms in their intestine, which help to digest the food, and which are expelled with the faeces. These micro-organisms (amoebocytes) should not cause any harm to the fish and can even serve as a food source for young fish. Fresh food (lettuce etc.) are more likely to induce this micro-organism based clouding of the water. If the snails are fed with dry fish food, the water will stay cleaner.

applesnail.net is a good place to go for everything you need to know about them


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