# Snails, snails, & even MORE snails



## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

This goes back a couple months ago when right after a tank changes I noticed this large, disgusting, whiteish thing on the side of my tank. I took some pictures, did some research, and determined that my golden apple snails had laid a clutch of eggs. To see if I could I decided to try and hatch them & separated my snails to prevent more clutches. Big Bertha (whom I now know is my only female) laid another clutch and so I had 2 clutches in my 29 gallon sorority tank. When the first clutch hatched I noticed half my females waiting under it & picking off the snails as they dropped. No big deal, but if they kept it up I would have no baby snails, so I set up a snail tank & moved BB and my other three apple snails to it. At the time I didn't know who was male & who was female, so they all had to go. Got a clutch laid quickly & started floating the second clutch from my sorority tank, and separated the snails again as I really didn't want a ton of snails. After about a week the clutch she laid fell off the tank wall sometime during the night. On the off chance they didn't all drown I started floating it with the other clutch I was floating. Both clutches went bad & have been tossed. Snails back in the tank to try again. Got a clutch & nothing happen with it. I gave up & put each apple snail in it's own tank. 

Big Bertha went back into my sorority tank & quickly laid another clutch in there! I was like 'Oh well. I'll leave it be. Nothing will come of it anyway' And that's what I did, just left it there. I was going to have my fiance pull it out for me after about a month (I can't touch these nasty looking things). Looked at it after a couple weeks & noticed that Bertha had laid me 2 more clutches. I left them too, thinking that my ladies couldn't eat all the baby snails from 3 clutches, so would have to get by them. 

Well, a few days ago my first clutch hatched. I gave up counting baby snails after 130, but noticed that it looked like another clutch was getting ready to hatch. Sure enough, that whole clutch hatched sometime last night & sweet ol' Bertha went and laid yet another clutch right next to it. So, I have hundreds of tiny little apple snails all over my tank & two clutches yet to hatch! I expect 1 will within the next week & the one she laid last night anywhere from 2-4 weeks from now.

I now have way over the amount of snails I could ever want and if someone could tell me how to ship them will be offering them to members on the forum once they get large enough. Anyone know how to ship them? IS it the same as shipping bettas? If it is I'm good than, no probs & will ship them as soon as they are large enough. Also wondering if anyone here is interested in some snails. Here's a couple pics of the snails they came from.


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## bambijarvis (Jul 15, 2012)

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-ship-aquatic-snails-step-step-guide-516091.html

Seems pretty much like shipping fish. xD
Once their ready to ship I would love a few.


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## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

Thank you bambi, that was a very good article to read on it & yes, it does sound like shipping fish, so no problems there. I'm not sure how quickly they will grow, but I know I have to wait until they are about pea size to ship. Just let me know how many you want & when they are ready I will PM you about shipping costs & to get your address!


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

When I ship snails, I do it with very little air in the bag. I have found that, since snails are shipped with a bit of plant, as the package gets knocked around, the air acts like a churn, and your snails can arrive in a bag of green slush, dead and dying.
And if you don't ship them with a bit of plant, they want to cling to the sides of the bag where the air bubble knocks them off repeatedly, which can injure them.

I've only shipped snails a few times, but that's how I've done it and it's always worked well. And it's the only way I've received live snails. I've had them shipped to me with a lot of air in the bag and they were always DOA.


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## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

Thank you Riverotter, that is good information to have! I had already figured I would use a clipping from one of my bags for their comfort, but to know it's something that helps them survive the trip mean they will get a little more. I've only had snails shipped to me once & didn't expect them as I'd ordered fish (actually how I got these snails!) and didn't pay attention to how they were packaged since I never planned on shipping snails. Being as these guys breath air I want to leave enough for the, but they will be pretty small so they probably won't need that much.


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

Woot! I just found out that my latest shipment of snails arrived at their new home safe and sound!

I didn't mention - but only use very tough plants. Java moss is perfect, anarchis is my second choice. I try to leave as little air in the bag as possible. It may sound silly, but I'll actually pre-condition the water I'm going to ship in.. I get a tupperware and put in the fresh, conditioned water, and then a good bit of water plant and leave it under a strong light overnight so the plant can release oxygen. Then that water is what I put in the bags, not water from a tank. It may not make a difference, but only takes a few seconds and makes me feel better about it.


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## Elsewhere (Dec 30, 2012)

I feel your pain. My Golden Mystery Snails gave me two clutches and resulted in about 100-200 babies. Sadly, the majority died off and I was left with around fifty. I gave around thirty to a pet store and more died off. In the end I had ten little ones and sold eight, keeping little Pablo. Pablo is now around pea sized and it's been 4 or 5 months since they all hatched  Good luck with yours, and I would love to take some, but I think I'm done with snails! XD


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## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

Thank you again for the wonderful & useful information Riverotter! Not enough extra work that I won't do the same in making up water to ship them in. I'm glad to hear that your snails made it safe and sound to their new location too. What kind are you sending out?

@ Elsewhere, lol, I feel no pain. I worked my behind off to get a clutch to hatch & had 4 that didn't. I'm actually excited to have my baby snails & check them out several times a day. Of course, when the other two clutches hatch that may well change. It had to be rather frustrating to have them alive & grow for so long and then loose them. I'm hoping I've done the right research and will be able to keep mine going strong. 4 to 5 months before they get pea sized?!? I was so hoping they would grow quicker than that, but oh well. If you change your mind & want more you know where to go.


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