Breeding snails?

[Bradyloach]

Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about breeding snails? At my local petsmart there's mystery snails and I was thinking about breeding them for cassie(my savannah monitor) right now I'm only feeding her crickets, night crawlers, with the ocational dubia roach. I don't know if anyone knows anything about this, but when my sav eats them, will she crush the shell? Or swallow it whole? Im going to buy 5 snails tomorrow and place them in a cricket keeper box. I don't think they need any flowing water so this would be good. What would I use for substrate? Would I even need any? I would feed them fish food, or carrots, something like that! How long would it take them to mature? Well big enough for cassie to have a suitable snack! Thanks everyone!

I know I posted on Herp center and Hedy helped me lots! Just wanted to get some info here to! Maybe even Daniel will help! Thanks everyone'

[infernalis]

Never bred snails, but Cassie will crush them. They love crunchy things.

[Bradyloach]

Sweet! Im gonna start! I'll pick up 5

[totheend]

Breeding snails is very simple. Put a few together and you will have babies in no time. Used to be part of my job to breed snails and populations would get outta control in no time.

[Bradyloach]

Breeding snails is very simple. Put a few together and you will have babies in no time. Used to be part of my job to breed snails and populations would get outta control in no time.

You don't need a filter right?

[totheend]

I did use a filter.....they produce a lot of waste. I was breeding Lymnaea stagnalis. They eat also eat alot.....guess that goes with they produce alot of waste....

[Bradyloach]

Yah that's true I might pick up a cheap ken, umm what about substrate? Do I need anything?

[totheend]

For substrate I used crushed oyster shell (needs to be rinsed a lot first). And the filter we used was just a cheap one that sat on the bottom of the tank, and we just put some filter floss in with some charcoal. Very cheap to set up. I think that the filter system was $6 or $7

[Bradyloach]

I cant get a filter tht hangs on the side eh

[totheend]

I am sure you can. The other ones are just really cheap. And you don't want anything that has too much suction. You will lose all of them. I would find them all over in side the filter....alive.

[Bradyloach]

Yah, how long till they get big? Well big enough for my sav to eat

[totheend]

I don't know about mystery snails, but with in a few weeks or so they would be adults and breeding.

[Bradyloach]

Woah that's sweet!

[Bradyloach]

So what I'm breeding is called mystery snails, but I'm pretty sure there apple snails. Takes 4 months to reach sexual matrity I'm pretty sure, but that's not even that long com sideline that will be an endless supply of food! Maybe I can cut out crickets completey

[infernalis]

Maybe I can cut out crickets completey


In a few months, crickets would be silly anyways. They will be so small compared to her, you would need to give her 100 at a time to even make her happy.

[Bradyloach]

Yah, in a few months I'll have around 1000 snails. And apple snails are huge! Google them Wayne, I think I found my new primary feeder untill my roach colony grows

[infernalis]

wow, you wouldn't even have to wait long for them to grow up, I would feed them when they are the size of a loony (dollar coin)

[Bradyloach]

Yah me to! They would probably be healthier then crickets anyways! The shell is full of calcium

[infernalis]

I will get in touch with Ravi for you.

[Bradyloach]

Thanks Wayne!! I just can't believe how much better snails are, they won't smell, and won't getaway, plus they clean there own tank! Immdome with crickets soon!

[infernalis]

message sent to Ravi..

[Bradyloach]

Thanks! Buddy

[infernalis]

That would just be the icing on the cake if he showed up here, wouldn't it?

[Bradyloach]

I know right!

[Wolfus_305]

Ahah snail breeding is easy. When I was a little kid we had lots of fish tanks, we bought a couple (2) snails for one of the tanks. Soon we were overrun with them!! We just couldn't get rid of them!

[Jenn_06]

can you feed sav the snails from a fish tank, we have 5 in our 55gl and i seen them mating like crazy.

[Bradyloach]

Yah you can, it's good for them, there she'll is loaded with calcium

[jarich]

I wouldnt cut out crickets altogether though. They are a pain but its good to have a high variety of prey items for your Sav.

[Bradyloach]

I deff won't! Well I'll have dubia, apple snails, night crawlers. And illmpossibly start breeding ghost shrimp

[jarich]

Thats a great start man! If you were going to breed a crustacean, Id recommend crayfish as they are much bigger prey items than the ghost shrimp and usually cheaper to buy your starter group. Having said that though, both would be great food items and easy to raise.

[Bradyloach]

I couldn't find crayfish anywhere! I'm gonna start with the snails, then I'm gonna raise crayfish, it wouldnt be hard and there sweet pray items for Cassie. I just bought 5 mystery snails! So that's a plus. I'll see if they even breed, all I need is 1 clutch. That's around 700 snails. 2 months till they mature, then I'll have an endless supply! I think everyone with a sav should be doing this

[jarich]

I couldn't find crayfish anywhere! I'm gonna start with the snails, then I'm gonna raise crayfish, it wouldnt be hard and there sweet pray items for Cassie. I just bought 5 mystery snails! So that's a plus. I'll see if they even breed, all I need is 1 clutch. That's around 700 snails. 2 months till they mature, then I'll have an endless supply! I think everyone with a sav should be doing this

Ha, I dont think youll have any problem getting them to breed. You will probably have a problem if you ever want them to stop! They are considered pests in the aquarium world because they breed like crazy and you can never get rid of them.

As for the crayfish, try here:

crayfish for sale - Buy & Sell crayfish across Canada Canadianlisted.com (http://www.canadianlisted.com/crayfish/listing)

Its harder to find them up there as there are a few provinces where they are illegal.

[Bradyloach]

Uh, the petstore gave be a dead one! And I could have gotten 4 males! You never know, apple snails aren't a sexual! I'll wait 2 weeks and if I don't have a clutch by then something's wrong :p

[Skits]

Thanks for the idea :) I never thought of breeding snails for my sav, I'm going to give it a try as well. Also where did you get dubia roaches? I'm in Canada too and it's impossible to find. Everywhere I've asked, they say they're illegal in canada.

[Trent]

Thanks for the idea :) I never thought of breeding snails for my sav, I'm going to give it a try as well. Also where did you get dubia roaches? I'm in Canada too and it's impossible to find. Everywhere I've asked, they say they're illegal in canada.
Dubias are illegal in Canada.Ramshorn snails breed quite readily,but you may find the apple snails not so much.I have also read that apple snails can carry some nasty bugs..just a thought..:elvis:

[Bradyloach]

Snails have parasites but there parasites they transfer between themselves, I really don't think they would pass it on to a sav. Savs have acid in there stomach that would kill them! My girlfriend is in year 3 of her undergrad and she asked her wildlife prof and he said it hey wouldn't kill the sav or cause harm! I have dubia! Got them in Hamilton Ontario! When my colony grows lots I'll ship some to you in a couple months! Snails have clutches of eggs 700+

[Trent]

Snails have parasites but there parasites they transfer between themselves, I really don't think they would pass it on to a sav. Savs have acid in there stomach that would kill them! My girlfriend is in year 3 of her undergrad and she asked her wildlife prof and he said it hey wouldn't kill the sav or cause harm! I have dubia! Got them in Hamilton Ontario! When my colony grows lots I'll ship some to you in a couple months! Snails have clutches of eggs 700+
Which species of snails have clutches of 700+?

[Little Wise Owl]

Please keep us updated on how well they breed. I have a hungry Tegu and Skink that would gladly enjoy some snails.

[Bradyloach]

Mysery snails, also known as the apple snail

[Bradyloach]

Please keep us updated on how well they breed. I have a hungry Tegu and Skink that would gladly enjoy some snails.

Yep, I will! Cost of set up = 12 dollars

[Trent]

Mysery snails, also known as the apple snail
You have to take some pics when they breed.I used to breed the baseball size ones.Never got that many eggs ever.Would love to see it!!:blink:

[Bradyloach]

I'll post some pics of they start! Who knows I might have gotten 4 males

[Bradyloach]

So far 2 confirmed live snails!

[Jenn_06]

i found this applesnail.net

[Bradyloach]

Thanks Jen :) if I use my temp gun, can I get the temp of the water by just the surface temp? Or would I have to buy a stick on thing for the container

[Jenn_06]

i just tried it with my heat gun and it worked.

[Bradyloach]

Yah that's what I'll do, I have 3 confirmed live so that is good! If at least one is female I'll have babies! That's my plan :)

[Freebody]

i never thought to check the pet stores for apple snail, im going to check my local aquarium shops and pick up a few this weekend and follow your lead brandyloach, i have been buying frozen apple snails from a local asian market for the past year and its not cheep..... now i feel silly LOL but in a good way. i sure hope i find some.

[Freebody]

oh and like already stated, dubia roaches are illegal in canada. not 100% if its everywhere, but it seems like it may be, i know bc it is for sure, not a good idea to attept to ship them. to the person looking for dubia's. try calling private gecko breeders, ever gecko breeder i know of has a secret colony kicking around. gl and thanks for this thread, i have been meaning to ask about breeding snails for awhile, but i was looking for those african giant snails..... lol thats a meal :P

[Jenn_06]

Thanks a lot Bradyloach now im about to get my old 55g and see if it will hold water so i can breed snails o.O

[Bradyloach]

No problem guys! Umm, you only have to fill the water 6 inches, you have to leave about 6 inches for the snail to lay there eggs. They lay them above water, I've read that apple snails have around 2000 babies a clutch as well. Some people get 700, some people get 2000. Wow, that is unreal my friends!

[Skits]

oh and like already stated, dubia roaches are illegal in canada. not 100% if its everywhere, but it seems like it may be, i know bc it is for sure, not a good idea to attept to ship them. to the person looking for dubia's. try calling private gecko breeders, ever gecko breeder i know of has a secret colony kicking around.

That's what I was thinking of, petstores make such a big deal about it when I ask them. :p I'll check breeders around my area.

[Bradyloach]

Yah, reptile stores always have them haha

[Bradyloach]

No eggs today :(

[Jenn_06]

i just moved my dubias into my 55g and now i have a 10g i can breed my snails in... I saw a baby snail in my husbands 55g tank but when i got back from the dropping my kid off it was gone :( guess im looking for eggs every morning :D

[Bradyloach]

Mysery snail?

[Jenn_06]

Cell pic
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/0b47991e.jpg

[Bradyloach]

Yep same as mine :) make sure you have the top covered or they will escape

[Jenn_06]

well they are in my husbands 55g right now with the top on, im going to keep them in there and just take out the eggs when i see them and than put them on something that floats in the 10g. In 2-3 weeks they will hatch and fall in the water.

[Bradyloach]

Yah! I think we've stumbled on an easy way to feed savs :)

[Bradyloach]

Just caught my snails breeding. They were doing the dirty. Puttin Percy in the play pen. Getting it on. Playing doctor. Looking for change. Making the baby! Alright enough details! Haha now hopefully she lays eggs

[totheend]

"Looking for change"? Aha!!

[Bradyloach]

I'm a pervert! Haha

[Jenn_06]

I need to get a heater for my 10g this weekend.

I wonder how long it takes to get eggs after breeding.

[Bradyloach]

Umm, 4-7 I think. But females can store sperm for 7 months so it's a gamble! Just have the conditions right, I have my snails in a cricket keeper on my hesting pad for roaches

[Jenn_06]

......4-7 days?

[Bradyloach]

Yah they produce so quick it's ridiculous