[jeffkrol]

Have this apple snail that went "dormant" a few weeks ago (yes weeks).
Orig when there was a question if it was alive or dead (after a week plus of nothing but being sealed w/ its disc) I decided to move it from its small tank to a larger heavily planted one that could more easily absorb any dead snail ammonia spike ().
When I moved it it didn't smell bad.
Well a week later (yesterday) it started to do "something". by starting to extend.
Well by evening it was completely back in its dormant state???

anyone ever experience this w/ this LONG of a time span? Seen reports of a few days maybe.. but weeks??

W/ this kind of behavior I wonder how many living snails were discarded after a week or so of no movement.. ect..

It is very odd to me.

 

[dukydaf]

Apple snails always hold a spot in my heart. I understand that some require some 'winter months' to extend their lives. It is this or live 'fast and furious', going turbo if you will.

This hibernation period was typically associated with low water temp. Once the temperature was back up the snail woke up. You are right, the best way to see if the snail is dead is to check if the operculum(lid) is still attached.

 

[Nordic]

Don't they eat plants?

 

[jeffkrol]

This hibernation period was typically associated with low water temp. Once the temperature was back up the snail woke up.

hmm.. not sure if it is related or not but I "believe" it went dormant after I forgot to replug the heater in when I was doing a water change but I'm pretty sure it only dropped "maybe" 10 degrees from 79 to 70-ish..
But, again that was weeks ago..
Well it is currently back asleep..

 

[jeffkrol]

Don't they eat plants?

so they say.. See, this was in my wifes 20gal and it had minimal plants and, at the time, lots of algae.. Never bothered the Hygrophila corymbosa or difformis which was the only real plants in there.
clerk sold it to her as a type of nerite..

 

[alcimedes]

There are a few things that are sold as 'apple snails', so I'd want to see a photo before saying one way or the other.

The typical fish store Apple Snail won't eat aquatic plants that are healthy. The one exception I've seen to this is I've found a variety of Apple snails that like to eat floating aquatic plants. (duck weed, water lettuce etc.)

Bump: There are a few things that are sold as 'apple snails', so I'd want to see a photo before saying one way or the other.

The typical fish store Apple Snail won't eat aquatic plants that are healthy. The one exception I've seen to this is I've found a variety of Apple snails that like to eat floating aquatic plants. (duck weed, water lettuce etc.)

 

[jeffkrol]

There are a few things that are sold as 'apple snails', so I'd want to see a photo before saying one way or the other.

The typical fish store Apple Snail won't eat aquatic plants that are healthy. The one exception I've seen to this is I've found a variety of Apple snails that like to eat floating aquatic plants. (duck weed, water lettuce etc.)

Bump: There are a few things that are sold as 'apple snails', so I'd want to see a photo before saying one way or the other.

The typical fish store Apple Snail won't eat aquatic plants that are healthy. The one exception I've seen to this is I've found a variety of Apple snails that like to eat floating aquatic plants. (duck weed, water lettuce etc.)

looks like this when it is awake..

 

[WaterLife]

How long have you had it?
The "real" apple snails get as large as an apple/softball (hence the name).
Others that are called apple snails are really mystery snails that max a little over 2 inches in diameter.

I've also heard real apple snails will much on plants, even if healthy.
Mystery snails won't harm healthy plants unless starving (they will much on decaying plants, like a lot of things will).

I don't know much on these snails though so I have no idea how to tell them apart besides their size. I didn't even know snails could "hibernate"

 

[jeffkrol]

Well, regardless it is up and sloooooooowwwwwwwwlllllly moving..

 

[Nordic]

I have seen a picture on pinterest that shows how to tell them apart, It has to do with the angle of the shell's twist, it is like 90 degree turn between segments if I remember correctly.

 

[jeffkrol]

I have seen a picture on pinterest that shows how to tell them apart, It has to do with the angle of the shell's twist, it is like 90 degree turn between segments if I remember correctly.

They are the same thing. There are different species of apple snail. The ones your buy in the stores marked as mytery are pomacea diffusa or pomacea diffusa bridgesii.

The ones that grow to be the size of softballs are pomacea canaliculata, or pomacea haustrum, fot example. In a lot of states those are illegal.

I have pomacea canaliculata, and yes, they get quite large. And, THEY eat plants.

The other species, do NOT eat plants. They also only get to be about the size of a ping pong ball.

So to end the confusion:

Mystery snails ARE apple snails.

Originally, pomacea diffusa and bridgesii were thought to be the same species. They are almost identical. I believe that the confusion, or mystery rather, of their ID led to the term mystery. But they are all apple snails.

Apple snails have a distinct breathing siphon which they curl in to a tube to take air from the surface. This is a major identifier of an apple snail.

To challenge the "mystery" name: What is the scientific name for a mystery snail? It is not just a mystery snail.
Something to think about!

I'll accept that answer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[SNAXX]

Gold Inca Snail, Gold Mystery Snail, Gold Apple Snail... All the same snail, they just rebrand them time to time.

My Gold snail wrastlin' a Zebra Nerite for tank dominance.

 

[SNAXX]

Also, my gold snails were the first residents in my re started, planted tank. Haven't ate a plant in 4 months. They do knock some of the shallow planted stems out of the substrate and bend some plants at times though.

One other behavior I saw for a while was they would scoot up to the top of the tank and dive of the glass, spread out their foot like a parachute and float to the bottom. I was making jokes with my kids saying the snails were trying to catch the fish, and everytime I would see one do it I'd yell "DEATH FROM ABOVE!"

 

[Nordic]

One of the nerites I see in you guys' tanks often is a type of zebra nerite (natalensis), They are South African, yet I don't recall ever seeing one here.

 

[jeffkrol]

My zombie snail.. back from the dead

 

[Nordic]