I first became fascinated with rabbit snails about a year ago, when i found my first one at a local pet and garden center. She was sitting in a group of ghost shrimp, just doing her thing. Funny yellow face, long brown shell, I just had to have her, not even knowing a single thing about rabbit snails. I brought her home and I put her in a 3 gallon kritter keeper with a betta, who proceeded to nibble at her antennae and then forget about her. After that they coexisted pretty peacefully. I did some research, and learned they were amazing little critters from Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia. They reproduced sexually, laid one egg at a time. Perfect for someone who didn't want dozens of snails. I didn't expect to have any babies at all, since I only had the one snail. One day I found a tiny baby roaming around the kritter keeper. Then I found out that snails can retain the genetic material. Sure enough, i continued to find more and more baby rabbit snails, after i put my adult female in my 29 gallon tank.
That was in March of 2012. Sadly i lost my original female around a week ago. I had a few babies from her left, but I wanted more. My LPS never seemed to have gotten any in since that one group i found there.
Last weekend i decided "to heck with it" and bought a group of rabbit snails on ebay that included 3 yellow rabbit snails and 3 white spot rabbit snails. They arrived yesterday! Before work, I did a water change on the 29 gallon tank. I was at work when they were delivered, so as soon as i came home i started to acclimate them. When i opened the bag there were 3 yellows, 4 adult white spots, a baby white spot, and a random (but appreciated) nerite snail. They were in the tank by 9pm.
Today I counted (including the first baby) five white spot babies. Now, since rabbit snails usually only have one baby at a time, I'm assuming the four adult white spots are female, but occasionally they can have a couple babies, so I'm not sure. I don't know how to sex them, which is why i ordered the groups (for breeding hopefully).
The yellows haven't had any babies that I've seen, though they are smaller than the female that I recently lost. They could be too young to reproduce. I haven't read anything specific about breeding age, but i believe that it takes a year or two before they're old enough to breed.
I'm going to try and measure the group, but i believe the largest is around 3 inches, an the smallest (not including the babies) are around an inch and a half. Babies are around a centimeter long. My baby from my original female has taken around a year to reach 1 inch in length.
I'll continue to update this log with specifics, water params, feedings, and dates i spot new babies
Oh, and pictures too...when I get some that aren't blurry!!
That was in March of 2012. Sadly i lost my original female around a week ago. I had a few babies from her left, but I wanted more. My LPS never seemed to have gotten any in since that one group i found there.
Last weekend i decided "to heck with it" and bought a group of rabbit snails on ebay that included 3 yellow rabbit snails and 3 white spot rabbit snails. They arrived yesterday! Before work, I did a water change on the 29 gallon tank. I was at work when they were delivered, so as soon as i came home i started to acclimate them. When i opened the bag there were 3 yellows, 4 adult white spots, a baby white spot, and a random (but appreciated) nerite snail. They were in the tank by 9pm.
Today I counted (including the first baby) five white spot babies. Now, since rabbit snails usually only have one baby at a time, I'm assuming the four adult white spots are female, but occasionally they can have a couple babies, so I'm not sure. I don't know how to sex them, which is why i ordered the groups (for breeding hopefully).
The yellows haven't had any babies that I've seen, though they are smaller than the female that I recently lost. They could be too young to reproduce. I haven't read anything specific about breeding age, but i believe that it takes a year or two before they're old enough to breed.
I'm going to try and measure the group, but i believe the largest is around 3 inches, an the smallest (not including the babies) are around an inch and a half. Babies are around a centimeter long. My baby from my original female has taken around a year to reach 1 inch in length.
I'll continue to update this log with specifics, water params, feedings, and dates i spot new babies
Oh, and pictures too...when I get some that aren't blurry!!