Apple/ mystery snail

[MHcblues119]

Will they eat my plants?

And is there a way to check which ones are males/females so i can possibly get 2 males/ females so they dont mate?

 

[pcfriedrich]

they will probably eat your plants. I don't know of an easy way to sex them, but if they do mate, you'll see the clutch of eggs above the water line. just destroy it before they hatch.

 

[Fishermoe14]

or you can ship me the eggs...

there are 2 different types of "apple" snails.. i forget what the names were but i know one was a brigs..

one gets huge and eats plants, the other doesn't

you can tell between the two types by looking at the shell and what degree the outer part comes into the inner.. just search for apple snail info and you should be able to find it.. google is great

 

[Spankbelly]

They are picky. They will eat your plants unless you give them something they like better. Luckily they like most anything better. Including fish food. They probably don't want anything you are growing.

Sex them by shell shape.
One has a more rounded opening (where the snail comes out)
The other is more oval. Don't remember which is which.
This site says they can change sex if they want to.
http://applesnail.net/
But not when I'm peeking.
And you might be able to up skirt and glimpse the notty bits.
But they always slam the door in my face.

 

[flaringshutter]

whoah whoah hold on here. a little research will get you far.

there are dozens of kinds of apple snails. the most common one you will find in a LFS is Pomacea bridgesii. these are not plant eaters. they will only eat dead or decaying plants. they need to be fed blanched or microwaved fresh veggies rich in calcium, such as kale, parsley, and collard greens. they will need regular calcium supplements such as Kent's Liquid Calcium to maintain a healthy shell. they also REQUIRE a well-fitting lid on the aquarium and filter intakes that have a strainer attached or some sort of mesh to protect against injury.

they cannot change sex. it is very simple to sex them, and it does not have to do with shell opening shape. hold the snail by its shell with the trapdoor facing you and wait until the snail opens up. some will open out of water, others will only open underwater, so try both. be patient and hold the snail until it is reaching all the way out of its shell. sometimes it helps to hold it above a plant, or rock so that it will reach downward toward the object. then look above the head of the snail toward the inside of the shell for a penis. it's easy to see.
here is a great photo guide.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v113/terribryant/Sex of your snail/

it is usually impractical to try to sex snails in the store, as snails that don't know you will be shy and won't want to open up.
fortunately, brigs lay eggs in a clutch above water that is easily scraped off. freeze clutches before throwing them out to kill the eggs.

or you can ship me the eggs...

DO NOT try this. brigs are illegal to ship without a USDA permit, and eggs are illegal to ship, period. if you are caught, you will be fined and your snails can be confiscated.

if you are unsure about what kind of snail to buy in the LFS - for example, if your LFS keeps multiple types, buy only white, black, or blue snails. avoid gold snails and those with stripes. canas and haustrums are both major plant-eaters and many LFS don't know how to distinguish between species, so they could mistake a cana for a gold brig. white, black, and blue snails are almost always brigs.

 

[thebullit]

a totaly agree