- Name:
Black Mystery Snail
- Family: Ampullariidae
- Species: Snail
- Scientific Name: Pomacea sp
General info about Black Mystery Snail
This species often confused with Apple Snails, some sources refer them Apple Snail but Black Mystery Snail is not Apple Snail, though they do resemble them in shape. Apple Snails are considered an invasive species and are illegal to own in the United States. Our Mystery Snails do not grow to the tremendous size that Apple Snails do (often as big as an apple).
The Black Mystery Snail is one of about 120 species belonging to the Ampullariidae family. The Ampullariidae family name is also sometimes referred to as Pilidae. The most visible characteristic of snails belonging to the Pomacea genus is the siphon. When needed, this siphon will extend out to the water surface allowing the snail to breathe while submerged. The siphon in this genus is typically longer than the length of the snail's body.
They add some color to the aquarium with its colorful shells. The shells of Black Mystery Snails can vary significantly in pattern and color, including gold, jet black, and ivory forms. Some are black with tan striping, while others are dark purple with gray striping. Occasionally, one that is black with purple stripes is produced, which is the favorite color variant of these snails.
In its natural habitat, the Black Mystery Snail remains inactive during the day and becomes more active at night searching the substrate for food. In the wild, some species may leave the water in search of fresh food. In the aquarium, Black Mystery Snails are generally much more active and display more playful behavior than other types of freshwater snails. They are almost constantly scaling the walls of the aquarium, extending their antennae in search of food. They will climb up to the water line in to breathe air, so it's a good idea to make sure the water line in your aquarium isn't too high. Two to four inches of open air space above the water line in the aquarium is optimal.
They also serve some very useful purposes. It’s common for a new hobbyist to add a bunch of Mystery Snails to an aquarium as an “aquarium cleaning crew”. They clean algae off of glass, plants, and decorations, they eat hair algae, and they keep your substrate clean and the correct color. While Mystery Snails can do a good job helping keep the tank clean, they also add to the bio-load of the tank like other living organisms. In that way, a Mystery Snail is just like any other tank inhabitant. They feed on the tank and they produce waste into it.
Black Mystery Snails are totally safe with any fish, shrimp, or plants, and are completely peaceful but should not be housed with any animals that would like to make a meal of them. Never add clown loaches, yo-yo loaches, dwarf checkered loaches, skunk botia fish, or catfish to the tank with your snails. Also, they like to hide so adding decorations or aquatic plant is a good idea.
These snails are quite large as adults, growing up to 3 inches in diameter. However, in the display tank, a Mystery Snail shell size can be about two inches in diameter. Some snails may be smaller, or some a bit larger, but two inches around is probably most common. Larger shells are not necessarily healthier snails.
A Mystery Snail needs to be in an established tank with sufficient size and water volume to support its needs. So, avoid overstocking and keep the general rules of the fish count in mind. Like most other snails, a Mystery Snail can thrive in a small established tank like a 5 or 10-gallon aquarium. They can also do well in larger established tanks as well.
Mystery Snails can do well in a wide range of aquarium water conditions. What is important is to avoid sudden shifts in temperature and water parameters because instability can be stressful to snails. The tank should be stable, cycled and established before putting snails in. The tropical community fish tank range is a safe choice. Mystery Snails seem to also like moderately moving, clear, oxygen-rich water. A Mystery Snail also seems to adapt to environments with slower moving, murky water. But for aesthetic purposes, many hobbyists like keeping Mystery Snails in tanks with clear water.
Optimal temperature is between 68 – 82 Degrees Fahrenheit. The water hardness should vary from 5 to 15 dKH. A Mystery Snail prefers to be kept in aquarium water on the hard side with calcium levels sufficient to maintain healthy shells and adequate growth. Cracked, thin or excessively pitted shells can be signs of Calcium deficiency. When keeping Mystery Snails it may be a good idea to buy a Calcium test kit as well as a kH test kit. Depending on the results of those tests, periodic Calcium supplements may be necessary. But be careful with pH shifts. The water should not be acidic as it can damage the mystery snail's shell. It should be between 7.0 - 7.5 pH.
As a substrate, snails generally prefer pebbles and gravel, rather than sand. Select a gravel substrate that is nice and smooth, with no sharp edges. Cover the bottom of your tank with this material, no more then1.9-3.14 inches thick. be careful to avoid painted stones, red or orange natural stones which may contain copper.
Black Mystery Snail Diet & Nutrition
Their main diet in the wild is from feeding on dying vegetation. This means that mystery snails will not eat healthy plants. They will feed on dead plants or leaves that have fallen off the plant. These snails will thrive off of leaf matter. In order to feed your snails, prepare a mix of blanched vegetables. Blanching involves placing vegetables into boiling water and quickly removing it. Snails especially enjoy shelled peas, carrot, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and iceberg lettuce (shredded or cut into tiny pieces). Allow vegetables to cool completely, then add them to your tank. Moreover, Black Mystery Snail will eat algae, plants, flake food, frozen foods, and live foods.
Mystery snails have a large appetite and will gladly clean up any leftover food in an aquarium. They can actually break down food much quicker than shrimp through digestion. This is why we believe those snail feces is actually beneficial to a shrimp’s diet. Therefore, these shrimp are providing clean up and eventually natural food.
While feeding black snails, wait until you can see that all food is being consumed within 12 hours. Remove whatever isn't eaten from the tank within 12 hours. Overfeeding can lead to raised ammonia level and in turn, the death of snails.
They have voracious appetites and grow in size very quickly if they are fed well; a young Mystery Snail can double in size in a matter of weeks to months. The young will eat the same diet as the adults.
As mentioned in the general part, Mystery snails need some additional calcium added their water. Add rinsed sea shells, cuttlebone, and/or shell grit to your snails' tank in order to increase the calcium content. Try to add a calcium source one per week. Irregular shell growth or shell spots could be a sign that your snails need more calcium.
Determining Sex of Black Mystery Snail
Members of the Ampullariidae family are either male or female. The sex of a snail can be determined if they are the same age and have been kept in the same environment and are fed the same foods in which case then females will be larger than males.
Breeding & Spawning Black Mystery Snail
In order to breed snails, place both sexes in the tank. Once they get familiar, you will soon notice eggs on the surface of the water. Eggs are laid in clutches, above the waterline and generally at night; 200 and 600 eggs can be laid. You need to slightly reduce the water level of the tank in order to view those eggs. Within 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the temperature the eggs start developing cracks, which pave way for tiny snails to come out.
Black Mystery Snail Origin
Mystery snails are from the genus Ampullariidae. They originate from South America.
Caution with Black Mystery Snail
Ammonia and Nitrite levels should be at 0 ppm. Nitrate levels need to be kept from building up with regular partial water changes. Plant fertilizers, tank medications, and treatments can be problematic as Mystery Snails can be sensitive to their ingredients. This is especially true for additives containing copper. As with all freshwater snails, Mystery Snails are very sensitive to copper, so it's advisable to monitor your copper levels if you use tap water in your tank.
When buying Mystery Snails, look for snails with thick, non-pitted, non-cracked shells. Having thin, excessively pitted or cracked shells may be evidence the snail is unhealthy. It can also mean the snail has been in the acidic water long enough to dissolve the shell and weaken it. And make sure the Mystery Snail shell does not have holes.
Mystery Snails are expert “escape artists”. They are very good at finding ways out of the tank. Its important for hobbyists to do a periodic snail count to make sure all snails are accounted for. Escaped Mystery Snails can die from drying out, or get injured when falling from the tank. So its very important to keep a tank covered to the extent possible. If there is even the smallest gap in coverage, the chances are a Mystery Snail will find it.
Acclimating Black Mystery Snail
Before adding snails to an aquarium, first ph level, ammonia/nitrite level, and temperature should be checked. Also, it is important to let the tank cycle for about 2 weeks before adding your snails.
After following those precautions, gently add snails to the tank by picking them up out of the bag (from the pet store) and placing them right side up in the aquarium. After you've introduced your snails to the tank, wait around eight hours before feeding them. This allows them a chance to get used to their new environment
Original Detail
| Name | Species | Family | Scientific Name | More Detail | Added by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Mystery Snail | Snail | Ampullariidae | Pomacea sp | This species often confused with Apple Snails, some sources refer them Apple Snail but Black Mystery Snail is not Apple Snail, though they do resemble them in shape. Apple Snails are considered an invasive species and are illegal to own in the United States. Our Mystery Snails do not grow to the tremendous size that Apple Snails do (often as big as an apple). The Black Mystery Snail is one of about 120 species belonging to the Ampullariidae family. The Ampullariidae family name is also sometimes referred to as Pilidae. The most visible characteristic of snails belonging to the Pomacea genus is the siphon. When needed, this siphon will extend out to the water surface allowing the snail to breathe while submerged. The siphon in this genus is typically longer than the length of the snail's body. They add some color to the aquarium with its colorful shells. The shells of Black Mystery Snails can vary significantly in pattern and color, including gold, jet black, and ivory forms. Some are black with tan striping, while others are dark purple with gray striping. Occasionally, one that is black with purple stripes is produced, which is the favorite color variant of these snails. In its natural habitat, the Black Mystery Snail remains inactive during the day and becomes more active at night searching the substrate for food. In the wild, some species may leave the water in search of fresh food. In the aquarium, Black Mystery Snails are generally much more active and display more playful behavior than other types of freshwater snails. They are almost constantly scaling the walls of the aquarium, extending their antennae in search of food. They will climb up to the water line in to breathe air, so it's a good idea to make sure the water line in your aquarium isn't too high. Two to four inches of open air space above the water line in the aquarium is optimal. They also serve some very useful purposes. It’s common for a new hobbyist to add a bunch of Mystery Snails to an aquarium as an “aquarium cleaning crew”. They clean algae off of glass, plants, and decorations, they eat hair algae, and they keep your substrate clean and the correct color. While Mystery Snails can do a good job helping keep the tank clean, they also add to the bio-load of the tank like other living organisms. In that way, a Mystery Snail is just like any other tank inhabitant. They feed on the tank and they produce waste into it. Black Mystery Snails are totally safe with any fish, shrimp, or plants, and are completely peaceful but should not be housed with any animals that would like to make a meal of them. Never add clown loaches, yo-yo loaches, dwarf checkered loaches, skunk botia fish, or catfish to the tank with your snails. Also, they like to hide so adding decorations or aquatic plant is a good idea. These snails are quite large as adults, growing up to 3 inches in diameter. However, in the display tank, a Mystery Snail shell size can be about two inches in diameter. Some snails may be smaller, or some a bit larger, but two inches around is probably most common. Larger shells are not necessarily healthier snails. A Mystery Snail needs to be in an established tank with sufficient size and water volume to support its needs. So, avoid overstocking and keep the general rules of the fish count in mind. Like most other snails, a Mystery Snail can thrive in a small established tank like a 5 or 10-gallon aquarium. They can also do well in larger established tanks as well. Mystery Snails can do well in a wide range of aquarium water conditions. What is important is to avoid sudden shifts in temperature and water parameters because instability can be stressful to snails. The tank should be stable, cycled and established before putting snails in. The tropical community fish tank range is a safe choice. Mystery Snails seem to also like moderately moving, clear, oxygen-rich water. A Mystery Snail also seems to adapt to environments with slower moving, murky water. But for aesthetic purposes, many hobbyists like keeping Mystery Snails in tanks with clear water. Optimal temperature is between 68 – 82 Degrees Fahrenheit. The water hardness should vary from 5 to 15 dKH. A Mystery Snail prefers to be kept in aquarium water on the hard side with calcium levels sufficient to maintain healthy shells and adequate growth. Cracked, thin or excessively pitted shells can be signs of Calcium deficiency. When keeping Mystery Snails it may be a good idea to buy a Calcium test kit as well as a kH test kit. Depending on the results of those tests, periodic Calcium supplements may be necessary. But be careful with pH shifts. The water should not be acidic as it can damage the mystery snail's shell. It should be between 7.0 - 7.5 pH. As a substrate, snails generally prefer pebbles and gravel, rather than sand. Select a gravel substrate that is nice and smooth, with no sharp edges. Cover the bottom of your tank with this material, no more then1.9-3.14 inches thick. be careful to avoid painted stones, red or orange natural stones which may contain copper.
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PalaciosAn |
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