Malaysion trumpet snails.

ladayen

What parameters do MTS normally live in? Despite hearing of all the stories of people being overrun by them, I've never actually seen one. Until today. The store wanted $7 a piece for them. While I was tempted.. I declined because it made me wonder why I have never seen them here before when they are apparently so readily available. Didn't want to waste money if they were only going to die.

Our water here is high PH, just shy of 8 with moderatly hard water. Seems like this would be perfect, the ramshorns are prolific in another store and they are happy to give them away.

1077

Malaysian Trumpet snails would do well in moderately hard to alkaline water.
It is the calcium normally found in hard water that aids in their shell development, and their shells can deteriorate in soft acidic water for this reason.
I would not however be inclined to spend seven bucks a piece for these snails, and might ask any friends on forum's, or who have fish tank's with these creatures, if they could spare five or six.
Five or six of these snails can quickly become hundred's.

Romad

$7 for one

My local store charged me 75 cents each for mine. They def. have it wrong and probably would charge that for a large assasin snail.

1077

Yes ,that might be what they're selling (assasin snails) they look somewhat similar except for color.
Lady at fish store gave me around a dozen of the malaysian trumpet snails some fifteen years ago and i recall her telling me to be careful what you ask for.
Didn't take long for me to get hip with what she was saying.
I have drained tank's and placed gravel in tubs .bucket's for use several month's later in some cases and when pouring the stored gravel into the tanks,,found that some of these snails survived with just a tiny amount of moisture in the bottom of the tub/ bucket.
They are near impervious to all medications. But copper based meds, and soft water will do them in .

Lupin

Could you please take a pic of these snails? How big are they? These dont sound like any ordinary mts to me. No shop would ever charge that high unless these snails turn out to be the large ones that are harder to breed.

GwenInNM

My LFS will also give them away as they are very common. I didn't know about the soft water thing. I have lots of little ones in my GBR tank, and have soft/acidic water in there. Is there anything I can do (such as add calcium) so they live? My other tank, I'd love to have MTS, but my loaches gobble them up (I'm guessing) as I've never seen any. I know they hide in the sand, but by now, I'd see some at night on the glass :(

Gwen

ladayen

Can't post a picture unfortuantly but I am 100% certain they are just MTS. Assassin snails are not so rare, not exactly common either but I know what they look like.

Thats what is confusing me, they are simply not available up here and I'm puzzled as to why. I'll be heading back to the store on the weekend apparently (it's nearly 3 hours away btw) I guess if no one can come up with a reason why they might not survive I'll buy a couple.

Byron

Malaysian trumpet snails are not easy to find where ladayen and I live (we're both in BC). When I finally found some, which was only in one store and I have never seen them anywhere else in Vancouver, they were $2.50 each, and I bought 2. I now have hundreds.

Ladayen, if you can hold off, when I send you the plants in the Spring I will put in a bunch of baby snails. They will make it, it is next to impossible to kill these fellows. I've had them survive weeks in pails of damp/drying gravel.

Byron.

ladayen

That sounds like a good plan :) Thanks alot Byron.

Byron

Just remind me about the Water Sprite, Pennywort and snails when the weather warms up in your area. I'm sure to forget.