snail problem

[Jaws22]

i recently bought a pair of snails sold to me as apple snail. most of the time theyre fine but this is the second time now that ive found em latched on to each other and are retreated as much into their shell as they can while doing so. are they fighting? ill try and get some pics

 

[Jaws22]

 

[suckerfish]

Mating. If I remember correctly, they are hermaphrodites and whoever is bigger, fertilizes the smaller one. Possibly both get “stabbed” lol!! It’s been years for me, so I could be off.
If you leave 2 inches above water line, you should get eggs.

 

[Kolton13]

It’s definitely mating behavior, if you don’t want the babies, a puffer will do!??

 

[FiremouthGem]

or a couple of assassin snails possibly, unless you have plants they go after or overpop your aquarium wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Chief Tom]

Do NOT allow the eggs to hatch. What was "cute" for a day has become a snail nightmare. Smash the eggs and drop them in.

 

[Jaws22]

so far no eggs. ill keep my eyes open. would a pleco eat the eggs or do i have to get involved?

 

[duanes]

Some species attach their eggs above the water line, I have found them on the tank rim.
Depending on species, some have toxic eggs, that if eaten by fish can cause death ( most fish instinctually leave them alone), these are the reddish/pink ones.
The ones I have found are blackish/dark brown.

 

[FJB]

Snails on the large group referred to as Pulmonates are indeed hermaphroditic, having both genders in each snail.
Snails on the large group referred to as Prosobranchs, are not hermaphroditic, but exhibit separate sexes (i.e., separate male and female snails).
What you are observing does indeed look like mating.
As duanes said, Apple snails, genus Pomacea (what you have) lay eggs as a single pink to tan colored mass (many eggs attached in a clump), above the water line (on the glass, on plants, etc.). They CANNOT develop in the water, and usually are not laid there. The egg mass requires to dry-out (external surface), and they take 1-3 weeks to hatch.
For these reasons, with apple snails in an aquarium, it is rare to impossible to get them to reproduce out of control, which is unlike the case with most other snails, which lay egg masses in the water (the majority), or the few that give birth to live babies (viviparous), such as Malaysian Trumpet snails and TRUE, and a few others such as mystery snails (genus Viviparus).

 

[FJB]

Note- "Snails on (IN) the large group referred to as Pulmonates are indeed hermaphroditic, having both genders in each snail.
Snails on (IN) the large group referred to as Prosobranchs, are not hermaphroditic, but exhibit separate sexes (i.e., separate male and female snails)."
There are a few exceptions, but this accounts for the great majority.