WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY SNAILS?

[Mmathis]

came up with Leucochloridium paradoxum on a fast search ... dont know if relevent or not ...

Thanks, CW. OK, this is one SPECIALIZED parasite, but sounds like it is so specialized that it only infests one certain snail! Isn't nature amazing, though?

Life cycle

The worm in its larval, miracidia stage, travels into the digestive system of a snail to develop into the next stage, sporocyst. The sporocyst grows into long tubes to form swollen "broodsacs" filled with tens to hundreds of cercariae. These broodsacs invade the snail's tentacles (preferring the left, when available), causing a brilliant transformation of the tentacles into a swollen, pulsating, colorful display that mimics the appearance of a caterpillar or grub. The broodsacs seem to pulsate in response to light intensity, and in total darkness do not pulse at all.[4] The infection of the tentacles of the eyes seems to inhibit the perception of light intensity. Whereas uninfected snails seek dark areas to prevent predation, infected snails have a deficit in light detection, and are more likely to become exposed to predators, such as birds. Birds are the definitive hosts where the cercariae develop into adult distomes in the digestive system of the bird. These adult forms sexually reproduce and lay eggs that are released from the host via the bird's excretory system. These droppings are then consumed by snails to complete the life cycle of this parasitic worm.

 

[HTH]

I am not seeing much either.

You really do not need to look for anything. The idea is that with just the snail and no fish you will break the cycle and parasites will die. That assumes a parasite that requires both the snail and fish.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I used to raise apple snails to sell with ponds and plants at this greenhouse years ago. I brought in the snails and made water garden plants. I kept the floating water lettuce in this built up pond made of landscaping ties, that poured into a lower pond, and that was filled with just big Apple snails. These snails can grow to the size of an actual apple! I used to feed them lettuce and cukecumbers and they just got huge! The floating water plants in the top pond got huge from eating the waste produced by hundreds of snails eating salad. We sold tons a floating water lettuce, that grew to the size of a dinner plate.

The downside to having big apple snails is they require lots of fresh greens. They love duckweed and will eat every last piece if it, and may eat other water plants. If you only have a couple snails, they won't eat too much, mostly duckweed, algae. They will eat hornwort too. They never bothered the lillys, the old bite, but they spit it out and left the rest alone, cause they discover water lillys do not taste good. They never ate any other of my plants that I could see.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Oh, forgot to mention, the apple snails will eat water lettuce too!

 

[HTH]

Oh, forgot to mention, the apple snails will eat water lettuce too!

thanks that was a nice bit of info.

I got it wrong about just holding the snails.

This is from the simthsonian

Then there are the snail-castrating trematodes. Trematodes are parasitic flatworms commonly called flukes. These parasites need to infect several different hosts in order to complete their life cycles. The snail is the parasite’s first host and is essential to the trematode life cycle. While inside the snail host, the trematode produces free-living larvae called cercariae. The cercariae then reproduce asexually inside the snail’s gonads, preventing the snail from reproducing – in effect castrating it. From the snail, the trematode infects a second host – a worm, crab, mussel, fish, or another snail – and then moves to a third host, called the “definitive host”, where it reproduces and completes its life cycle. This definitive host is usually a fish or a bird.

 

[sissy]

Hold on there,Sissy! Didn't you say you add garlic to the fish food?
John

sure do maybe that is why she eats the snails .I find garlic helps them start feeding better in the spring and keeps the bad stuff from happening to them .

 

[callingcolleen1]

Do you chopped up the garlic sissy or roast it first? Do they eat it straight? DOGS Love garlic mixed in there food!

 

[sissy]

I buy organic garlic ground fresh in my grocery store .It comes in a small jar in my fresh fruit section and I mix a half teaspoon in a hand full of food and let it sit for half an hour and then feed it all to the fish .Funny watching them go after the garlic bits .They love it .

 

[Mmathis]

OMG! You guys really were talking about feeding GARLIC to the critters! Learn something new every day!

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Well, the snails came a day early, yesterday instead of today. What I did was rinse and put them in a 20 gal tank that is housing a Ryunkin. As of this morning, most of them are out and "snailing" around. I'll stick some greens and/or algae wafers in the tank, then just hang onto them until the outside water warms up a bit.

 

[addy1]

I just put mine in the pond when they arrived, didn't worry about parasites, maybe should have, but no issues. I picked mine up from trickers, big healthy ones. I now have bunches, you can see the trails they leave. May not eat all the algae, but they eat some. The pond water was around 70ish. They overwinter just fine.

Tons of babies, now when netting the bottoms of the ponds, have to search for snails in the muck.........not that difficult they have a certain feel you learn (the tiny ones, the big ones real easy to find)

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes, snails are good for pond... but the fish can eat lots of the small ones, but I still have some wild snails that live in the marsh areas.