gowsk
Achatina fulica
Posts: 1 
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Post by gowsk on Dec 11, 2016 4:31:39 GMT
Hi folks! I've gotten back into aquariums this year when I found a Fluval Spec5 for $10. I moved a betta in there, and after he did well I decided to add a golden mystery snail (Conan the Snailbarian) for algae cleanup. It turns out that the mystery snail was much more interesting to observe than the betta, and I have gone a bit snail-crazy, gleaning as much information as I can to help him live a healthy and productive life!
I found a 20 gallon tall tank with all the stuff for $30 this week and I am in the process of cycling it. I had some clean leftover quarter-down crushed black granite from a landscaping project and was hoping to use that as a substrate, as it looks quite nice. I've done a lot of research but haven't been able to find any information on it. I'm a little concerned about the fact that the rocks have sharper edges than anything that I've seen in pictures of other snail habitats - there are also bits of quartz that are almost like flint chips. My 5 gallon has a sand bottom, which sucks for cleaning but Conan loves zipping around on it.
TL;DR: I love snails and would like to expand my escargatoire to a larger tank! I want to make sure that my snails have a healthy home that won't hurt them. Is crushed granite safe for snails to crawl on? Or should I switch to a different substrate/go back to my original idea of ghost shrimp?
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optimus
Achatina achatina
Posts: 45
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Post by optimus on Jan 27, 2017 16:53:13 GMT
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optimus
Achatina achatina
Posts: 45
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Post by optimus on Jan 27, 2017 17:47:53 GMT
Where did you find information about snails?Give links to good sites,I found very little
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Post by witchpig on Jan 28, 2017 12:08:11 GMT
I don't know if crushed granite holds water nicely, but I have no idea what Optimus said.
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Post by witchpig on Feb 11, 2017 16:05:54 GMT
If they are aquatic snails, there's no danger of falling and no need to hold moisture, it just depends on if it's chemically safe.
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optimus
Achatina achatina
Posts: 45
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Post by optimus on Feb 11, 2017 16:30:16 GMT
If they are aquatic snails, there's no danger of falling and no need to hold moisture, it just depends on if it's chemically safe. Why there's no danger of falling? |
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Post by owlkitties on Feb 16, 2017 3:54:06 GMT
If they are aquatic snails, there's no danger of falling and no need to hold moisture, it just depends on if it's chemically safe. Why there's no danger of falling? From what I have seen when mystery snails fall the air held in the shell causes them to go to the bottom gently; or at least gentler than land snails. Mystery snails lay their eggs out of the water. If breeding them it is suggested that you leave at least an inch and a half room from water level to tank lid. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid. If not happy in the tank the snails will roam to find more suitable enviroments. This usually leads to unhappy endings in a home. With mysteries I would make sure the gravel is smooth and not sharp just to be on the safe side. I know I have had them with all types of gravel. They love a bit of greenery every once in a while, I gave mine leaves of romaine every now and then. Especially if the tank hasn't had much algae. You can help the adjustment period of the tank by using as much of the old water as possible. If the old tank has a filter moving that to the new tank will help quickly balance the water. With betas in the tank I would make sure there is no nipping going on. They could become curious by the waving bits of the snail. Don't do frequent water changes! When the tank is dirty to the point of cleaning do not to more than a 30% water change. Any more could upset the ecosystem and cause undue stress to the fish and snail. Anyway the original question was about crushed granite... I don't see why not as long as it doesn't have extra sharp edges. Also as long as it's made for aquariums. If it's just deco rock that you grabbed for home improvement I would say no. Many deco rocks come coated with harmful chemicals that may leak into the water and harm the creatures. Good luck with your new mystery snail! They come in so many different colors and looks; they don't mind a friend or two! I know this post is a couple months old, but the information could help others.  References: personally learned and researched from multiple years of keeping aquariums. Breeding cichlids, and care of different aquatic snails |
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optimus
Achatina achatina
Posts: 45
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Post by optimus on Feb 16, 2017 17:03:39 GMT
Why there's no danger of falling? From what I have seen when mystery snails fall the air held in the shell causes them to go to the bottom gently; or at least gentler than land snails. Mystery snails lay their eggs out of the water. If breeding them it is suggested that you leave at least an inch and a half room from water level to tank lid. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid. If not happy in the tank the snails will roam to find more suitable enviroments. This usually leads to unhappy endings in a home. With mysteries I would make sure the gravel is smooth and not sharp just to be on the safe side. I know I have had them with all types of gravel. They love a bit of greenery every once in a while, I gave mine leaves of romaine every now and then. Especially if the tank hasn't had much algae. You can help the adjustment period of the tank by using as much of the old water as possible. If the old tank has a filter moving that to the new tank will help quickly balance the water. With betas in the tank I would make sure there is no nipping going on. They could become curious by the waving bits of the snail. Don't do frequent water changes! When the tank is dirty to the point of cleaning do not to more than a 30% water change. Any more could upset the ecosystem and cause undue stress to the fish and snail. Anyway the original question was about crushed granite... I don't see why not as long as it doesn't have extra sharp edges. Also as long as it's made for aquariums. If it's just deco rock that you grabbed for home improvement I would say no. Many deco rocks come coated with harmful chemicals that may leak into the water and harm the creatures. Good luck with your new mystery snail! They come in so many different colors and looks; they don't mind a friend or two! I know this post is a couple months old, but the information could help others. References: personally learned and researched from multiple years of keeping aquariums. Breeding cichlids, and care of different aquatic snails Sorry, wrong partition, I mean land snails |
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