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Mystery snails make for some of the most popular freshwater aquarium inhabitants.
Not only are they visually appealing, with their round black and golden shells and peaceful demeanor, but they’re also highly efficient cleaners that can help reduce the amount of maintenance you have to do in your tank.
But if you’re a mystery snail owner, you know that with reproduction comes the question of what to do with your mystery snail babies.
Where Do Mystery Snail Babies Come From?
Mystery snails are hermaphrodites, meaning that each individual is both a male and female- capable of both producing and fertilizing eggs.
If a mystery snail is healthy and has enough access to food, it can produce up to several hundred eggs at a time.
The eggs will typically hatch within two weeks, providing your tank is at a stable temperature of around 70-79 degrees Fahrenheit and neutral pH levels.
What Do You Need To Know Before Taking On Mystery Snail Babies?
Before you decide to take on mystery snail babies, there are a few key things to consider.
First, while mystery snails are relatively low-maintenance, they still need adequate space and food to thrive.
That being said, if you already have a population of mature mystery snails in your tank, you will likely need to increase the size and capacity of the tank if you want to add more in the form of babies.
Another thing to keep in mind is that no matter how carefully you monitor your tank’s parameters, mystery snail babies can still require special care in terms of food, etc.
Proper nutrition is important for their growth and development, so make sure you are keeping up to date on what kinds of aquarium food they need, as well as ensuring that their water is clean and free from contaminants.
Lastly, it’s important to research the different types of mystery snails and tanks they require.
Some types can grow up to 1.5 inches long whereas others can stay as small as 0.5 inches long, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into before making any decisions about adding them to your tank.
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What Should You Do With Mystery Snail Babies?
When it comes to deciding what to do with your mystery snail babies, there are essentially three options: Keeping them, giving them away/selling them, or humanely euthanizing them.
Let’s take a look at each one in more detail.
Keeping
If you have the space and resources needed for keeping mystery snails in your tank, then this is an option worth exploring.
While the initial cost may be higher due to all the necessary equipment needed for maintaining a healthy tank environment, there’s also the fact that mystery snails are low maintenance and can bring a lot of joy and beauty into your home in the form of an aquarium or terrarium.
Giving/selling
If you decide not to keep your mystery snail babies but would still like them to live out their lives in another home, then giving them away or selling them could be a viable option.
In order to do this in a safe and responsible manner however, it’s important to adhere strictly to any laws or regulations governing the sale of animals in your area and make sure that the new owners are properly equipped for taking care of them.
Euthanization
In some cases where keeping or finding homes for your mystery snail babies isn’t possible or feasible, humane euthanization may be the best course of action.
It is important however that if you choose this option that it be carried out as humanely as possible using an appropriate method such as freezing or using a non-toxic solution like clove oil.
Thoughts
Overall, when it comes to deciding what to do with mystery snail babies the decision ultimately comes down to personal preference and circumstance.
If you have the capacity not only financially but also mentally and emotionally for taking on these little creatures then by all means do so – they can offer much joy and beauty as well as invaluable help when it comes to cleaning up your tank.
If however, this isn’t something you are able or willing to commit to then there are still other options available such as giving/selling or humanely euthanizing them if necessary.
