A large beautiful aquarium is a complex system, which includes various elements. Often the hosts settle in glass houses not only fish and plants, but also snails, which are very interesting to watch. Although sometimes gastropod mollusks get into home aquariums illegally during soil renewal or planting of new vegetation. True, in this case we are talking about small species and specimens. Large decorative mollusks are always bred consciously.
What aquariums can be kept
Aquarium snails take root perfectly in all domestic "reservoirs". They should not be hooked only in spawning aquariums, where they can spoil or eat caviar. In other cases, snails will help maintain biological balance, they will eat up the rest of the feed and fish excrement, will not allow algae to grow too much. But when settling new residents, it should be understood that aquarium snails are not voluntary cleaners. They, like the rest of the aquarium inhabitants, have an excretory system. They can catch their breath not only on dying, but also on living expensive plants. And in small tanks, large mollusks can simply break plants and fragile decor.
The main types of aquarium mollusks
All varieties of aquarium snails are relatively safe. Aquarists prefer two classes of mollusks: gastropods and bivalves. From the description of aquarium snails of the class of gastropods, it is clear that they have a shell, most often spirally twisted. Representatives of this class move on a thick leg. The oral apparatus is equipped with a special grater that allows you to scrape algae from glass, plants and decor. Bivalves also have a shell. But it consists of symmetrical shutters that can slam shut. This class feeds on microorganisms that enter inside with a stream of water. Respiratory oxygen is also extracted from a stream of water passing through a sink.
Coil (Planorbarius)
The most common type of aquarium snail is the reel. The length of this mollusk is 2.5-3.5 cm. The coils are remarkable for their survivability. They are able to breathe both in the atmosphere and in water. The content of aquarium snails of this species does not always depend on the desire of the owner. Very often illegal coils are found that grow, develop and feel great in a new place. The fact is that the reproduction of aquarium snails of this species has some features. The species belongs to hermaphrodites, since each individual has male and female sex glands. The survival of the offspring of coils is based on the fact that parents do not lay eggs in neat clusters, but distribute them to all objects and plants under water. Ripening of eggs lasts about a month. That is why experienced owners of aquariums carefully inspect and quarantine new decor and plants, and the soil is heated. This is the only way to avoid the appearance of illegal immigrants.
Coils are peace-loving aquarium snails. They do not pose a danger to the rest of the inhabitants. The only difficulty is the regulation of numbers. But this can be dealt with.
Ampullaria (Pomacea)
But ampullaria itself will not appear in the aquarium. This is a large snail that requires the creation of certain conditions for life. The sizes of the ampullaria can vary from 5 to 15 cm. For a comfortable life, each individual requires at least nine liters of water. However, its temperature should not fall below 17 ° C or rise above 30 ° C. The aquarium should be covered, but have a large airspace. Ampullaria beauties love to crawl along the walls of an aquarium.
Gastropod ampullaria can be placed in aquariums with live-bearing fish and catfish. But predators can harm or even eat these mollusks. Despite the fact that this species is omnivorous, it is not aggressive.
Fiza (Physa)
Another popular species of aquarium snail is fiza. These mollusks have an interesting shell structure that allows them to enter any corner of the aquarium. In terms of size, physicists are smaller not only ampullarium, but even coils. Their shell rarely exceeds 2 cm. Physa have pulmonary respiration and can survive without water perfectly. This means that the aquarium for them should have significant airspace, in it you can even equip elevated land areas. The temperature of the water in the tank should not fall below 20 ° C.
Helena (Anentome helena)
Helena is a special kind of aquarium snail. These representatives of the class of gastropods are often engaged in cannibalism. A gluttonous creature hides under a beautiful twisted shell, capable of eating its own kind. Many owners run Helen into the aquarium if coils or fizi are uncontrollably bred there. The predator quickly reduces the population of snails in the tank. However, if there are no other snails in the aquarium, then helena will calmly eat fish food.
The bottom of the aquarium in which the helens live is necessarily covered with sand or fine gravel. Shellfish of this species love to dig into the ground.
Marisa (Marisa cornuarietis)
It is quite difficult to get a snail from the mariza family. This is a whimsical species that will not survive in normal conditions. For comfort, Mariz will have to monitor the acidity and hardness of the water, and maintain the temperature within 21-25 ° C. Otherwise, the mollusk will die.
The aquarium with marizas is necessarily covered, leaving air space on top. The average individual is not very large, but giants of 6-7 cm sometimes grow. Representatives of the species are very voracious, they can eat plants under the very root.
Tilomelania (Telomelania)
Beauty telomelanie should start only experienced aquarists. These snails are whimsical and require a lot of attention. The mollusk is large, its shell is more than 10 cm, so it needs a lot of space (up to 15 liters per individual). The body of the mollusk is bright orange, sometimes with black streaks of veins, and the shell is purple-black, elongated, with a brightened tip.
Tilomelaniya avoids bright light, so grottoes and cozy shelters should be in the decorations of the aquarium. However, they should not take up too much space. The ideal option is to maintain tylomelania in a separate aquarium, but living with fish and crustaceans is acceptable. For a comfortable stay in tilomelania, the aquarium bowl is filled with warm (20-32 ° C) water, it should be soft, but with high acidity.
Melania (Melanoides)
Melania is a popular snail that can enter the aquarium illegally. Like a coil, it is often brought in with soil and plants. However, many place melania in an aquarium consciously, since this mollusk is unpretentious and very cute. The adult has an elongated gray-green shell with beige-brown stripes. Its length does not exceed 3 cm. Melania inhabits the bottom of the aquarium and does not interfere with other inhabitants. The temperature is between 20-30 ° C.
Brotia Pagoda (Brotia pagodula)
The Brotia Pagoda is a very beautiful aquarium snail, but it is quite rare. This species survives only with catfish and crustaceans. Water temperature should not exceed 25 ° C. The bottom should be decorated with stones and fine sand. It is very rare to propagate brotia. But the reproduction of snails is generally worth talking separately.
Breeding
So how does the breeding of aquarium snails occur? Believe me, this is not an idle question. Individuals of most species of hermaphrodite. Their reproduction was described using coils as an example. According to a similar scenario, the reproduction of physa and many others occurs. A person does not take part in this process, everything goes as it should, just adjust the number of mollusks in the aquarium.
Another thing is large decorative snails. Ampullaria, for example, is a dioecious species. But to distinguish a female from a male is very difficult. This type of snail lays a bunch of eggs. The female glues it to the glass wall just above the water to protect it from fish. The ripening period of eggs depends on the temperature regime. It can range from 16 to 24 days.
Some species of snails are viviparous, such as melania, tylomelania and brotia pagoda. However, unpretentious melania lays an egg, which contains up to 60 small individuals. But tylomelania and brotia have low fecundity. Breeding aquarium snails should be engaged in the case of the alleged sale of rare species of mollusks. But even then, the owner can only select the initial individuals with the most beautiful shell, and then maintain the desired temperature in the tank. Strongly affect the number of offspring does not work.
Power Features
Small snails have enough leftover food that is used for fish. Additionally, they will eat around dead or overgrown plants, collect small algae on the surface of glass, decor and leaves. But for large inhabitants, this is clearly not enough. They need to be plentifully fed. How to feed aquarium snails? You can place salad leaves, scalded slices of carrots or zucchini, fish caviar, chopped duckweed, scalded cyclops in the aquarium.
Life span
It is important to know how many different aquarium snails live. So, for example, ampullaria with the right temperature regime live for about four years. But if the temperature is exceeded, then the mollusk will live much less. Approximately the same life span for coils and physical.
The Brotia Pagoda will live in the aquarium for no more than six months. This adds complexity to the content of the species, since it will have to be updated frequently (the offspring of these mollusks usually do not survive).
Number control
Species that multiply rapidly should be controlled. Aquarium owners use several methods for this:
- Feed reduction. However, this method can lead to increased plant obesity or cannibalism of certain species (helena).
- Collect with a net or hands. Although this method is not too effective, since the "trifle" to notice and collect is quite difficult.
- Salad and vegetable method. For this, a scalded zucchini plate or salad leaf is placed on the bottom of the aquarium. They leave the bait for the night, and in the morning they take it out of the aquarium along with the snails.
- Sharing Helen. This method allows you to control the number of small snails, despite the fact that the predatory helens themselves are not able to reproduce quickly.
- Chemicals. Special "chemistry" against snails is sold in pet stores. But applying it is quite inconvenient. Fish and plants should be relocated to another tank, and all elements will have to be thoroughly washed. The tank itself, lighting equipment and filters will also require sanitization.
Benefit and harm
Treat snails in the same way as with other inhabitants of the aquarium. The benefits and harms of aquarium snails are often greatly exaggerated. This is especially true of the latter. Yes, they consume dying plants, food debris and fish excrement, but their own excrement increases the organic content in the tank. Large individuals can break delicate plants, which, without a doubt, is very annoying. But aquarium snails will not do more harm.
Remember, you can’t put snails from local reservoirs into the aquarium! They can be very harmful. And the point is not only that they will eat delicate aquarium vegetation under the root. Together with ponds, perovlitsami and lawns in the aquarium get diseases and parasites, which are dangerous not only for fish, but also for humans.