apple snail babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aggiegirl]

I woke up this morning to apple snail babies!!!!!!!! They are so cute! Unfortunately, they are teeny. Picture tiny pink bodies and miniature antennae. I will try to get some decent pictures of them but my camera is not cooperating. I have been taking pictures for a whole thread about raising them. I don't put alot of effort into my feeders so this will be the low maintenance version.
If anyone has had success raising them, I would appreciate any input! I'm wondering if my spixies will eat them. I'm also wondering if they will subsist on algae alone or if I should feed them like I feed the adults. I have joined an apple snail forum (through applesnails.net) and I'm sure they will help too.
Just wanted to share this news with people who would understand the excitement!!!!!!!!

[Bird_Brain]

Congrats on the babies. One of these days, I need to start breeding my own feeders. Just hate having to clean aquariums.

[Tattoo]

Congrats on the babies!!! If you have other things in the aquarium I would segregate them. I had some babies hatch out and left them in with my plecos and adult snails. Either all of those babies have taken up housing inside the shells of the adults or they have been eaten. The only one I raised up was the baby I put in it's own tank.

I would offer food other than algae. I used those sinking algae wafers for bottom feeders. They love them.

[aggiegirl]

Tattoo---Yeah, I took the adults out this morning---except the spixies. I may move them too as I am more excited by the apples. I went to the store to get crickets and came home with baby fish (freebies.) I think it is time for a new tank. Maybe my hubby needs a new tank for his birthday next month!
I think you are right regarding supplementing their food. My tank is nasty green with algae but they may need some other stuff too. The problem is that the tank is a ten gallon so searching for food in it is like searching for a needle in a haystack. And, I will probably overfeed them no matter how much food I put in! I don't know how many will survive but I will try to do what I can. Thanks for the suggestions!
Brad---Apple snails are really messy. They poop more than goldfish. This wasn't a problem b/c I'm accustomed to weekly vacuuming/water changes---and I have two small tanks. Of course, now with babies, I'm a bit scared. I must admit this works better than housing the terrestrial snails though. I will report back and let you know if I change my mind and opt for the land version. These babies had better grow fast. I have my tank on the warm end of the spectrum and hope this helps!

Any additional advice welcome as I am really a apple snail newbie!

[Leigh]

Good news aggie, I'm sure I read somewhere that they'll eat cuttle fish,sink a bit in and see,its a good calcium source, If you load the tank with plants (java fern's are good)they'll help with water quality and give 'em something to eat(you prob' already know this). Have you informed the snail site, you're only interested with them so you can let them get smashed to bits by your BTS, not sure they'd see your side of the hobby heheheeh.

[Edward]

:ohyes: Congratulations, Kathy!

[sheslikeheroin]

i have no experince with apple snails but i do with baby fish and malaysian snails so this sorta might apply. if you have a power filter or an undergravel filter turn it off and replace it with an airpowered sponge filter. hagen makes a few types as does penn-plax. a sponge filter with lets say a 20 gallon air pump will provide biological and mechanical filtration. it also won't suck up baby fish or snails no matter the size. if your using a power filter (which will suck your babies up) or an under gravel filter(will also suck up babies) put a sponge filter in and turn off the power or undergravel filter. then remve your biofiltration sponge( or ceramics or any other biological filtration media) and place it in the tank that prevent s any amonia or nitrite/nitrate spikes that could kill your snails before the sponges bio filtration kicks in. stick a bag of carbon ontop of the filter to act as your chemical filtration and you should be set. The baby fish / snail will eat the algae and tiny creatures that grow on the sponge filter (unless you bury them) another bonus to the air powered sponge filters is that they aerate your water 24/7 as well. if you buy one that does not have suction cups to attach it to your tank just squeeze the air outa the sponge underwater and it will sink. hope that helps for more info check this site out http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Misc%20Sponge%20Filters.htm sorry for the long post.

[edit] also after the snails are bigger put sponge on the end of your filter intake so you can turn your power filter back on. i use sponge filters in all three of my tanks and they also keep the water crystal clear.

[aggiegirl]

Ya'll are so great!
B---I will get some java ferns on my next trip to the pet store. I had these awhile back but my apple snail adults trashed them within the first week. I will definitely get a cuttle bone too. I have been using weekend feeders with my adults (in addition to fish crisps, algae wafers, and veggies) but these will crumble after awhile b/c the babies won't consume them quickly enough. I was also told that they will eat the egg shells or remnants of dead snails and that will give them some additional calcium. Yes, I am eagerly awaiting hate mail from the snail folks. I just think having a bluey to dispose of excess snails is less wasteful than freezing/chemically killing them. Also, because of their environmental risks, this is not a species to be dumped in nearby creeks/ponds.
SLH---I ran into the filter problem this morning. The babies are 2mm or so and I hope they grow pretty quick or I will need to do something about this issue. I will ask at the petstore about sponge filters. I'm not as neurotic about my aquariums as I am about my skinks so my knowledge about tanks is very limited. I just have the basic starter tanks with the over side of the tank filter that is cylindrical and hangs into the tank. For African dwarf frogs, I think folks put pantyhose over the intake filter but I doubt this will work with my snails. I will check out that link that you sent me. I really need to invest in a bigger tank and then I will look into that type of filtration system. How is it that raising feeders is getting so expensive!
Anyone in the Austin, TX area is welcome to a goody bag!

[sheslikeheroin]

aggiegirl if ya want i'll post some picks of the brand i like a sponge filter setup for a ten gallon aquarium only costs about 15-20 dollars for a good quality airpump and about 3-4 for the filter itself you just need a small one theyre guranteed to not hurt you snails. a whole spongefilter setup generalls costs about $20 and when the snails are biggre and you turn your over the edge power filter on they keeps you aquariums healthier

[Zach]

Awesome!

[rachel]

Aggiegirl- you'll be suprised by how easily they find food! no matter the size of your tank..
My tanks 4 feet and when i put in a piece of zucchini or something for the babies they all converge on the food within 5 minutes or so!
They're easy to raise so unless something truly unlucky happens, they should be fine good luck!
Rach.

[Leigh]

Make your own sponge filter, purchase a pump, cut a coke/plastic bottle in half and fill with a sponge or filter wool (from any aquarium centre) Glue /stick/force a bit of hose/pipe on to the top( like a chimney), and feed the air line down to the filter medium, submerge and switch on, it'll work for next to no outlay. I had to do this when my tetra's had babies.

[aggiegirl]

I changed out filters and did my basic cleaning yesterday. I still have too many babies but it sickens me to just kill them. Therefore, my new strategy is "survival of the fittest." I have only lost a few to the intake filter so I am not going to do an overhaul just jet---it will just be a method of culling some. If I seem to be losing too many, I will try pantyhose first and then sponges.
I've found homes for some babies and I'm trying to pawn off as many unhatched clutches as I can.
I have put my spixies (who lay their eggs underwater) with the babies---as I've been told that these will not harm the wee ones. This will allow me to feed the babies more food without worrying about overfeeding and polluting the water. I also bought some moneywort plants for the babies. My adult apples ate my prev. ones to the ground and the spixies don't seem to bother these. I am putting in small amounts of fish food and algae wafers but they seem to be consuming more algae than anything at this point. I am also putting small quantities of sinking and clipped floating veggies.
My children (all three) have upcoming birthdays. I am coaching them to all ask for a new larger tank to accomodate our ever-expanding snail population. None of us are going to be excited about culling future egg clutches but I don't have space for all of them. Wish some of you lived closer and could take some---as legalities are involved with shipping.
SLH---Would love any pictures.
B---Always love a do-it-yourself version! Thanks!

[Zach]

Haha, sounds like you have your hands full with baby snails.