Axolotls and company

[leah]

Just a few new pics to share...

Falkor, fighting with a worm

Edward, my mystery snail

Edward, Falkor, and Uma/Aximander all interested in the worm in the right hand corner. Uma ended up with the worm, Falkor got Uma's right leg, and the snail decided the zucchini further on was a better option. Luckily, Aximander's leg is fine!

Eli, one of my White's tree frogs, sitting in the fog (I had the mist-maker in the tank turned on.) Oink, the other one, still getting fatter everyday...

Assorted pobblebonk morphs

And lastly, the marbled gecko that lives outside the front window eating up all the mosquitos. I posted this in another part of the forums already, but I thought I'd share him with everyone here too, cause I think he's really cool!

 

[cynthia]

Great pics leah! Thank you for posting them.

I love the way geckos toes look.

 

[carl]

nice pics like the axies and the gecko

 

[brendan]

i didnt think axies and snails could be housed in the same tank???
Nice pics leah

 

[leah]

Glad everyone likes the pics- you can't tell in the shot above, but even though Aximander's gill stalks aren't regrowing, the filaments are becoming more abundant as time goes on.

I think as far as snails and axies go, it really comes down to whether you're willing to take the risk. Mystery snails are mainly vegetarians, as as long as ample food is provided they'll stick to what they're meant to eat- zucchini, potato, spinach, those kinds of things. Between the snail and the bristlenose, they do a good job keeping the glass algae free (tank sits in front of a window) and the axolotl waste broken up into finer particles. I'm comfortable with the mystery snail in there, but I wouldn't let a normal "pond" snail anywhere near the tank. The axolotls ignore the snail, because it's obviously too big for their mouths, and should the snail decide to try and eat them one day, well- they freak out when they walk into the plants the wrong way, so I don't think the snail is a problem! If he can hang on to a thrashing axolotl, the little guy will have earned his meal! (just kidding of course!)

 

[brendan]

i might get one. take the risk. keep an eye on things to see if everything is aok. if not ill remove the snail.

thanks leah

 

[mik]

Leah have you tried a golden apple snail? They are supposed to be compatible with axies. But a shop in Manchester indicated that they were a bit fragile and his crop of them all died within a week or so of being introduced to their new tanks.

I haven't been able to source one anywhere and would like to try one.

 

[vanessa]

Are those wierd looking snails called Apple Snails?! Their shell looks nothing like an apple.
I liked the Gecko... it looks cute and I liked those toes the Gecko have. Wouldn't an axolotl accidentially eat an apple snail?

 

[brendan]

Apple Snails look like the ones i have in our garden at night sometimes.

 

[leah]

Mik, have a look here for more snail info:
http://applesnail.net

"Mystery" snails are just one of many species of apple snail. I think the name come from the fact that sellers often can't identify them, so they are literally a mystery! Depending on what species you end up with, you could have something that will devour any live plants, or something that only eats soft veggies and rotting plant material. Try and learn the basic shell shapes (some good pics on that site) and go from there. I have also seen the snails usually sold as mystery snails marked as "golden apple snail" so they're probably what you've seen. They don't get that big- see mine for a pretty typical example and won't eat your plants. The really big ones that actually are the size of apples (that's why they got the name Vanessa!) are a species that will eat healthy plants. It's possible that the shop put the snails into a tank that had been treated with copper meds- mollusks and other inverts are extremely sensitive to copper and it will kill them quickly. Since some copper remains in the substrate even after water changes, and apple snails like to burrow, It could be one cause of death. They also could have had the water too cold- apple snails are semi-tropical/tropical depending on the species, and more than a few days in really cool water can kill them. During the winter here, my snail will be living with the guppies in my big frog tank, not with the axolotls. Apart from that, I don't know a whole lot about them, but that website has enough information to satisfy anyone!

 

[brendan]

I just brought 2 mystery snails and they seem to be dead. They aint comming out of their shell. They aint moving they aint doing nothing.

How do you know if they are dead or alive???

 

[sharn]

i got a 'mystery' snail in my tank, when i put him in he didnt move for a hour or so and i thought he was dead. haha my axies stalk the snail, today lucian chased demetrious away after he had a bite at the snail and went and guarded it for like half an hour. so cute! oh can you feed the snails zuchini? wouldnt it spoil the water...? i also take the snail out at night and put him in with the fish because im scared he might latch on to one of them

(Message edited by Sharn on February 17, 2005)

 

[leah]

I should have mentioned earlier that I've also heard people say the "mystery" in mystery snails is whether they're alive or dead!

If their trap door is tightly shut, they're alive. The muscles that hold it relax when they die, so a dead snail will be partly hanging out. BUT- they rest like this sometimes (mine does it frequently), so if you're really unsure, tap the trapdoor. Healthy/live snails will shut it against the "predator."

What's the temperature in the water? Were they acclimated to it first? If they've come from tropical waters to a cold water tank, it's normal for them to shut down a bit. They may even decide to burrow into the substrate if it's soft, and just plant themselves there for a while to ride out the "winter" temperatures

Keep them in a separate container for a while (snails should be quarantined too!) and offer them some soft foods- zucchini, boiled spinach, and cucumber are all favourites of my snail. If they're alive, they will eventually come out to eat. Just remember that these snails move a lot slower in cool waters and may take a while to adjust! Definitely keep them separate for as long as it takes you to determine whether they're living- you don't want these guys decomposing in your tank! There's probably some better info on that site I gave earlier too, check it out!

They're great little creatures when they do show themselves, so I hope you do well with yours!

 

[brendan]

I think they are alive their trapdoor was very very tight... And i think i can slightly see it emerging from its shell.

 

[brendan]

Can u keep bristlenose's in same tank as axies???
It safe??

Also is it best to remove the snails over night??? or should they be ok with the axies.

As my mum is freakin out coz she heard snails can harm axies pretty bad. So just to put her at ease.

(Message edited by brendan on February 17, 2005)

 

[leah]

If you're feeding your snail, which you HAVE to do- algae isn't enough- it won't go for your axolotls. They're vegetarians and will only go scavenging if there's nothing else. There's no need to remove the snails unless the water gets too cold for them (<18 degrees.) Like the many varieties safe/unsafe varieties of plecs and other catfish, some snails are safe where others aren't. Your best bet is to read up on as many snail species as possible to be sure that the mystery/apple snail species you've picked up is o.k. They shouldn't be in the axolotl tank yet anyway though- always quarantine anything new before mixing it with healthy animals!

Bristlenose catfish are safe to keep with axies. They're small, docile vegetarians and can handle the cold water axolotls need. They're also very shy and stay out of the way when the axolotls go lumbering by. What most people buy as an algae eater though, the common plecostomus, IS NOT safe- they're only vegetarian as juveniles and will only eat algae if there's no other option. As adults, they need hard objects to grind on, like driftwood and will also hunt slower moving fish/axolotls. Not to mention they get to be huge! www.planetcatfish.com if you have any questions about compatible catfish- those guys are the experts.

 

[leah]

Sharn- yes, you can feed your snail zucchini. You should be providing something for it to eat other than any leftovers your axies might leave, or it will starve. As with any other animal, you should removed the food at the end of the day if it hasn't been eaten, or it will begin to rot. Most snails also love slices of potato, cucumber, and bit of boiled spinach or other soft veggies. I use one of those suction cup food clips to attach it to the side of the tank.

 

[brendan]

Pomacea bridgesii variant with banded (brown) shell.

My snail are exactly like yours leah except they are a tad darker. Will get pics up tomorrow. Also look in the axie gallery as i will put new pics up aswell.

 

[denise]

i have 2 apple snails in my goldfish tank. they are about 3.5 inches in diameter. i feed them pellets every day, zucchini, cucumber, spinach and lettuce leaves. most people think that these snails are vegetarians but 1 of my goldfish died in the tank and both snails ate it and all that was left was the goldfish head, so you should be very careful with these snails. also one of my snails escaped the tank and i found it 2 days later under the couch, which i thought would be dead but 3 hours later it emerged and is still living and growing today. oh i also forgot they breed like rabbits in warm weather and lay lots of eggs.

 

[leah]

There are many species of apple snail, you have one of the larger ones. Some will eat dead, rotting flesh- nothing to be afraid of. It's probably better for the system to have the snails eat a dead fish than have the fish rotting on the bottom. The snails didn't kill the fish, they just cleaned up the mess!

Because of their trapdoors, the can survive for quite a while outside of water- I've had an escapee found alive days later too!

Apple snails lay their eggs above the water line, so it's easy to wipe the eggs away if you don't want little snails everywhere. You also need a male and female snail, unlike other snails that can self-fertilise the eggs- makes them the best snails in my book!