Post by MADMIKE on Sept 26, 2006 16:17:19 GMT -5
Trapdoor Snail
Japan
Origin Now
Fish farms
Temperature
Immaterial
Attitude
Eats day and night
Security
Carries it on back plus the trapdoor
Foods
Any organic substance in reach
Water
Prefers hard water pH immaterial.
Brood Size
Varies
Breeding
Babies born live
Trapdoors versus Mysteries. The biggest difference between these guys and mysteries and apples is their lack of a lung. They never run up a snorkel to suck O2 from the air. These means they do not drown when ice covers their water -- a recurring problem in our neck of the corn belt buckle. Better yet, since they suck no air, cool weather won’t kill them. Mysteries and apples <Bug,%20Snails,%20Mystery.htm> can’t make the cut.
Trapdoor Mortality Clue. Most of the larger snails grow a trapdoor and slam it shut when you bug them. It protects their edible insides. When that trapdoor falls off, they are dead. Really dead. You need not feel for a pulse. And that smell ... Who could scarf escargots after smelling a ripe snail? Erasers taste better. Even with the garlic and Frenchified “I can’t believe it’s not ear wax” sauce.
Trapdoors and Gravel Cleaners. If you’ve ever cleaned a tank with a gravel cleaner, you hate those loose trapdoors. They clog your gravel cleaner. If they get inside your siphon hose they can drive you just a bit crazy. They totally mess up the flapper-style self-starting gravel cleaners. Some disassembly required.
Plant Eaters? Of course. If given no choice, all snails will eat plants. So will you. Apple snails even eat sponge filters. Trapdoor snails are not quite as voracious. But put a dozen in a 10-gallon tank with no food and they’ll eat filters, too. They much prefer fish food. In the absence of fish food, they will eat algae AND plants.
Livebearers. We almost forgot to say that you won’t find egg clusters underwater or egg cases above the water. Trapdoor snail mommas have little live babies that come out ready to eat whatever they roll over. If the adults have no other food, they will also eat escargots.
Japan
Origin Now
Fish farms
Temperature
Immaterial
Attitude
Eats day and night
Security
Carries it on back plus the trapdoor
Foods
Any organic substance in reach
Water
Prefers hard water pH immaterial.
Brood Size
Varies
Breeding
Babies born live
Trapdoors versus Mysteries. The biggest difference between these guys and mysteries and apples is their lack of a lung. They never run up a snorkel to suck O2 from the air. These means they do not drown when ice covers their water -- a recurring problem in our neck of the corn belt buckle. Better yet, since they suck no air, cool weather won’t kill them. Mysteries and apples <Bug,%20Snails,%20Mystery.htm> can’t make the cut.
Trapdoor Mortality Clue. Most of the larger snails grow a trapdoor and slam it shut when you bug them. It protects their edible insides. When that trapdoor falls off, they are dead. Really dead. You need not feel for a pulse. And that smell ... Who could scarf escargots after smelling a ripe snail? Erasers taste better. Even with the garlic and Frenchified “I can’t believe it’s not ear wax” sauce.
Trapdoors and Gravel Cleaners. If you’ve ever cleaned a tank with a gravel cleaner, you hate those loose trapdoors. They clog your gravel cleaner. If they get inside your siphon hose they can drive you just a bit crazy. They totally mess up the flapper-style self-starting gravel cleaners. Some disassembly required.
Plant Eaters? Of course. If given no choice, all snails will eat plants. So will you. Apple snails even eat sponge filters. Trapdoor snails are not quite as voracious. But put a dozen in a 10-gallon tank with no food and they’ll eat filters, too. They much prefer fish food. In the absence of fish food, they will eat algae AND plants.
Livebearers. We almost forgot to say that you won’t find egg clusters underwater or egg cases above the water. Trapdoor snail mommas have little live babies that come out ready to eat whatever they roll over. If the adults have no other food, they will also eat escargots.