Pond Snails

[bigwig]

When I looked into one of the ponds this morning I saw something strange. There is a large snail in the pond, who is twice the size of the other adults ( it has a vrey pretty blue/ grey pattern on its shell ) and a smaller snail and several babies. Well, the large snail was munching away on a plant and the larger snail and one of the babies had attached themselves to its shell by gripping on with their feet. I watched them for several minutes, both the adults were feeding and the little one was just sitting there. Why would they do this ?

Also, one of the babies from the other pond climbed out and crawled all around the top of the pond. I didn't think they could breathe out of the water ?

[Dogghound]

Not to sure about the first part, they arnt social animals and may have been feeding from other other snails shell. Pond snails breathe with this pneumostome (breathing hole, thru which the lung are attatched) out of the water so aslong as they are moist they will be ok.

[Insomniak]

I have a small diy wildlife pond with lots of snails and although I haven't noticed them crawling on each other's shells, I can only assume that there was some pond debris on the shell and he was feeding on it?

I regularly see them come out of the water and "bask" in the sun on the sides of my pond. They seem to be able to stay out of the water for at least 10 mins if not longer.
Even the babies come out to bask.

[bigwig]

Originally Posted by Insomniak

I have a small diy wildlife pond with lots of snails and although I haven't noticed them crawling on each other's shells, I can only assume that there was some pond debris on the shell and he was feeding on it?

I regularly see them come out of the water and "bask" in the sun on the sides of my pond. They seem to be able to stay out of the water for at least 10 mins if not longer.
Even the babies come out to bask.

Oh, how sweet - sunbathing snails

No idea why others were latched on to other one's shell. Both adults were feeding off a submerged plant and the baby was just hanging on. The big one's shell looks very clean, I cannot see anything growing on it.

[RED]

I've got two pond snails in my 'pond tank'
They've been laying eggs non-stop =( So I have to keep scooping the eggs off the glass, some i've hatched in other containers, others ive thrown away.

Looked in there today, and they've obviously gotten sick of all the eggs dissapearing so one has laid a string of eggs on the others shell !!!!

Couldn't believe it...so i'm gonna leave em on for now, maybe the sticklebacks will eat em, not sure, but it'll be interesting LOL

Odd thing is, the eggs don't look at all healthy at the mo, more of a jelly mass with no distinguishable eggs inside..although they're fresh eggs as they weren't there at 1am so probably just starting to develop.

I'll take and post a pic if anyone is interested

=)

[bigwig]

Originally Posted by RED

I've got two pond snails in my 'pond tank'
They've been laying eggs non-stop =( So I have to keep scooping the eggs off the glass, some i've hatched in other containers, others ive thrown away.

Looked in there today, and they've obviously gotten sick of all the eggs dissapearing so one has laid a string of eggs on the others shell !!!!

Couldn't believe it...so i'm gonna leave em on for now, maybe the sticklebacks will eat em, not sure, but it'll be interesting LOL

Odd thing is, the eggs don't look at all healthy at the mo, more of a jelly mass with no distinguishable eggs inside..although they're fresh eggs as they weren't there at 1am so probably just starting to develop.

I'll take and post a pic if anyone is interested

=)

Hi
I would be interested as I love the snails Mine are always laying eggs and I have to keep collecting them up to prevent them overbreeding. Mine used to like to lay eggs on the underside of the floating plants, but I think they got wise to my collecting them, so now they have started laying them in more inaccessible places.

[RED]

Here are a couple of pics.
Not the best pics, but im using an ancient videocam in picture mode (Video mode won't work) simply because it has 15x optical zoom I MUST get a better cam soon !!

Unfortunately the snails aren't in very good condition, eventhough they're laying eggs like mad. Currently got a big chunk of cuttlefish bone in there but I've never noticed them scraping away at it. I'm thinking of seperating them and buying some liquid calcium to help repair their shells (Im sure the constant egg laying isn't doing them any good either, hense the seperation)

[bigwig]

Do you have plants in your tank ? I have lots of oxygenators, water hyacinth and watercress in my ponds and I see the snails feeding off these all the time. I assume that these plants must be rich in calcium as been told by someone else on here that the snails look in very good condition I also give them a slice of melon as a treat ( the skin with a bit of flesh left on after I've eaten it ). They go nuts for it, even the smallest babies are on it munching like mad. Its also a good way to observe them I find, although I do pick mine up. They don't seem to mind and the adults will crawl about on the palm of my hand.

[RED]

There's an air pump, so not a great need for oxygenating plants.
There is watercress in there, but they're more interested in eating the water lettuce
I do throw some lettuce, spinach or anything else thats in the fridge in with them and drop some catfish pellets in for them every now and again which they love.

Going over some old pics yesterday I noticed a pic of a frog in my friends pond, she has a huge 'colony' of snails in her pond and they're very similar to mine, ie quite badly 'ringed' which i'm assuming is lack of calcium.

(Bought some pure calcium powder to dust my crickets for the toads, might see if I can get it to dilute in some water and add that to the tank, Although I know there's no quick fix, their shells wont heal overnight, so I cant really tell if anything im doing is working...lol)