Apple snails?

hey guys so i been doing some serious thinking about inverts in general and i was wondering why apple snails can be easily found here in SA and can be discussed on the forum while other inverts (shrimp, nerite snails) are not allowable :wondering:. i suppose technically they would be illegal same as the shrimp and if not why? if they are easily available in the country and only the ones in the country are bred and sold why cant shrimp that are bred in this country be sold? after all majority need similar conditions to the apple snail to survive so they wouldnt be a threat to our local water systems. i guess im just confused as to why apple snails are the exception to the rule...:smile1:

 

I don't know but I could be for the reason that I don't think South Africa has any indigenous snail species that the apple snails could potentially pose a threat to. Where as the shrimp that we buy in pet shops pose a threat to the indigenous shrimp species.

 

Bronwyn and Peter,

Unfortunately Apple Snails definitely on the blacklist. If you mention them in general "chit-chat" on the forum, we will generally just let is slide, but if people start posting questions on how to keep them, or how to breed them, we then have to take action.

And Peter, I believe there are natural snails to SA water system.

 

these apple snails (also called mystery snail) are so invasive that even in the USA they are not allowed to export / import either...

they are also known to carry parasites.

so i would avoid them in any event.. wouldnt want to risk any of your tanks getting infected with anything..

 

Thanks @Zoom i was just wondering about the discrepency. Since i found out about them i'v become very interested in keeping shrimp in particular. is the proposed lift on the ban still going to occur? Mydummyname i've actualy got one at the moment and find it alot of fun to watch, they are so methodical when eating, im looking forward to it reaching its final size.

 

apple snails will grow to 15cm in diameter. at that size they would take a massive toll on your water conditions.

 

Don't forget that they prey on your fish too.

 

I have 2 in one tank and 1 in another and they clean like little monsters! Zoom, how do they prey on fish? Thanks

 

They catch and eat your fish. I've heard of people mysteriously loosing fish... One member had a tank of guppies only and an apple snail, and every morning he found he was one or 2 guppies short, until one evening, when the lights went out, he watched his apple snail catch and eat a guppy.

 

OOh. Thanks for that info Zoom. Might help explain some things.

 

I don't experience this zoom.As far as I know they only can eat things which are sick,dead or on the ground.They never should eat other fish!

 

i agree with Mark d, mine has always done a stellar job at cleaning and only eaten dead fish on the bottom, a saving grace in some occasions when i've been away. otherwise he accepts blanched lettuce, egg plant and cucumber.

 

Just be careful with Apple Snails guys. Yes, they grow big, very big, but if your water has no calcium in it, they can't make their shells bigger. And another thing, when a big apple snail dies in your tank, the after effects could be catastrophic to your tank! Believe me, it's happened to me. I had one around fist size, he was bigger than a tennis ball and it died in my tank. I couldn't find it and then everything in my tank started to die off! These things are time bombs waiting to explode! I would recommend getting them out of your tanks as soon as you can. Try replacing them with algae eating fish.

 

Yes, there are 2 types of apple snails: one eating only algae and the other type an omnivore.
If one really want to know more, go to applesnails dot com, and there you will learn a lot more about them, how to sex them etc. Go to that site, and lets refrain from discussing them on our forum, due to their BL status.

 

Thanks for the advice slagter...explains a few things in my community tank.