Larger non plant eating snails

[KLKelly]

I had heard that all apple snails devour plants.  A couple of OVAS meetings ago someone had mentioned that not all types of apple snails eat plants.

I'll post in the classified section once I know what to ask for or look at the LFS.

I'm looking for larger snails (1/2" or more).

Thanks.  Karrie.

[Quatro]

You are probably looking for Pomacea bridgesii.  The common name is mystery snails.  They look just like the plant eating ones so be sure to verify the scientific name.

Mike S

[squeeker]

check out www.applesnail.net.  The site has pictures that will show you how to tell the plant-eaters from the non -plant eating snails.

[KLKelly]

Perfect! Thanks

K.

[babblefish1960]

Just to add to squeekers great link, the lovable plant friendly snails are brigs, and the evil indiscriminate planted tank devouring terrors are canas. With the spinnable pictures they have, you should be able to tell them apart with certainty.

[Quatro]

It must be just me then.  I can not for the life of me tell the diiference between snails.  The pictures are great, with the big arrows telling you to "look here".  When faced with a snail, I perfer to just call it lunch.     (kidding, never tried escargot).

Mike S

[beowulf]

If I remember the Big Als in Kanata has what they are calling black mystery snails.

[KLKelly]

I think I could tell them apart.... opening two explorer windows and comparing the top row of the shell pictures with the other there is a difference.

[Melody]

I've been asked about which snails eat plants and which don't so many times, I wrote an article....lol:

http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=204

As for Cana's and Bridgessi, the Cana's have a much more rounded appearance and get much larger.  When it comes to anything labelled black or gold Mystery Snail, you're taking your chances as stores label both snails that quite often.  If the snail is any other color, its a Bridgesii (Ivory, Blue, Purple, etc).

[wu-gwei]

Great link... I am also looking for larger non-plant eating snails. Will learn to ID them.



Cheers,
JJ

[Melody]

The biggest snail that doesn't eat plants is the P. Bridgesii.  Gets to around the size of a golfball, maybe a bit bigger.   

[RoxyDog]

zebra nerite snails are great too, only get about half as big as brigs tho.  but the brigs are cuter.   

[PaleoFishGirl]

At least zebra snails don't lay eggs all over your glass top all the time, though - yuck!

(my brigs are really cute, though )

[Melody]

They're just EGGS, PFG....LOL....ok I'll admit, they grossed me out at first too, but don't tell anyone .

I like them both, not surprisingly.  The thing about Nerites is that the common name covers many different species, a few do fine in freshwater, many need marine salt or even brackish water, but they're sold as freshwater Nerites.  Very cool looking snail if you can keep them.

They do lay eggs, but they're underwater and often on Brig shells for some reason...lol.  I only know of one success and one suspected success at breeding them though, so you won't be overrun.