For your mystery snail to thrive under your care, you must invest in a conducive habitat that mimics their natural home. There are a lot of reasons why, unfortunately, some beginners find it difficult to grow their mystery snails after a few weeks. One of those reasons can be easily traced to the wrong tank set-up. These mollusks are hardy creatures; if you give them a good home, you will get a good amount of time living with your pet.
Mystery snails do need aquarium heaters when the temperature drops lower than the mandatory value. You may get away with a runny nose when your environment is chilly, but mystery snails will either die from it or enter aestivation before dying if the frosty situation remains the same.
If you reside in areas where it gets below 70°F, investing in a heater becomes a do-or-die affair, literally and metaphorically, to ensure your pets survive. Before we get into the details of snail heaters, let’s talk about what temperature your snail needs to stay healthy.
What’s The Required Temperature For Keeping Mystery Snails?
Mystery snails need to live in water temperatures of 70° to 80° F for them to thrive. Even in this range, it can affect their growth differently based on which specific temperature the tank happens to be on most of the time. The warmer the tank is, the faster and bigger your mystery snails will grow. However, they will live shorter lives compared to being grown in the cooler range.
If you grow your snails in a tank with 72° or 74° F, they will grow slower and smaller but generally will have tougher shells and live longer. None of these results are harmful, but they do impact the mystery snails physically with time.
4 Reasons Why Your Mystery Snails Need a Heating System
We have established that mystery snails and extreme cold temperatures don’t see eye to eye. So, about your environment, why is extra heating necessary? Well, it depends on the reasons listed below:
1. You Live in Colder Regions
Canada is a good example of a place where mystery snails will certainly give 1-star reviews. This is because of the short summers and long winters experienced in the country. If this is where you’re situated, a heating system is necessary to maintain a steady suitable environment for your snails to grow in. I also recommend starting your snail journey during the summer if you’re a beginner who lives in extreme seasonal areas, to help you ease into taking care of your pet before the cold settles in.
2. To Breed Effectively
Mystery snails only breed when their living conditions are enjoyable and, at the very least, comfortable. If their tank is too cold, your snails will refuse to lay eggs and populate. The females can withhold fertilization, even if they mate frequently, for as long as possible until the conditions are right for their offspring to grow.
3. For Your Mystery Snails To Grow Healthy
For your pets to thrive, you must provide a suitable environment for their well-being. Mystery snails will look into ways to ensure they stay alive, even if it means going into aestivation. Nevertheless, there are only a few stressful situations that these simple creatures can handle, and the cold is not one of them. To prevent your snails from dying or growing feebly due to unhealthily cold temperatures, a heating system is what you need.
4. Your Mystery Snails Can Be More Active
The drop in temperature causes mystery snails to be lethargic, which will then lead to aestivation. If you’re wondering what aestivation means, it’s simply a period of inactivity—similar to hibernation—that mystery snails undergo in times of stress to keep themselves alive. It’s a survival mechanism, not an act of leisure or enjoyment.
If you find your snails sleeping more than usual or entering these long unsuspecting periods, it’s not that they’re boring or lazy. Instead, there’s a chance their tank is too cold for them. To encourage more activity in the tank, you must invest in a heating system to warm the tank up and get the party going.
The Dangers Of Cold Climates For Mystery Snails
If you’re wondering how dangerous the cold is for mystery snails, the following will put it into perspective for you.
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology describes how unfavorable cold affects and destroys the mantle of mystery snails causing sudden death. It even proves further disruption of metabolic pathways necessary for digesting carbs which leads to kidney failure in the snails.
In addition, due to the reduced sensitivity of nerve cells, signaling and signal reception are also reduced thereby limiting the usual interaction of the mystery snails with their surroundings. Lethargy and inactivity are then experienced due to the reduced sensitivity.
The mucous membranes are also affected by extremely cold conditions causing less slime to be secreted. This affects aestivation and causes the snails to be more vulnerable to diseases without their protective slime. Following the reduced slime production, the snails have less resistance to friction when they glide over surfaces which can lead to further injuries and inactivity. It’s a domino effect that ends up in the demise of the unfortunate mystery snails.
How To Choose A Heater For Your Mystery Snail’s Tank
A heater not only keeps your snails comfortable in cold weather but is also necessary to keep them alive. Now, how do you know which heater to get? There are almost a million of them! Well, these points will clear the path for you:
Consider Your Budget
Water heaters are relatively affordable even for first-timers on a tight budget. Several brands of water heaters will carry out a job well done for you and your mystery snails. However, the importance of purchasing a good one is to ensure you get your money’s worth while keeping your pets safe. In some cases, the good quality products only cost a few bucks extra to buy. Once you have your budget in hand, you can easily filter out the brands that are simply too cut-throat for your range.
Select A Suitable Control System
You have the option of less work with heaters that are self-regulating and more work but potentially more durability with heaters that are non-adjustable. The self-regulating heaters have thermostats and thermometers in them that help to detect temperature changes and work to warm the tank up when it gets too cold. Once the desired temperature is acquired, the heater shuts itself.
On the other hand, the non-regulating heaters require you to switch them on manually and set the temperature heat to a couple of degrees. Some brands don’t even have the option to select your desired temperature because they make the heaters pre-set with a fixed degree Fahrenheit (or Celsius). While they can be on the cheaper side, it takes more effort from you to be vigilant of the temperature so that the tank doesn’t get too hot.
Overall, I recommend self-regulating heaters (view on Amazon) to do a good job of keeping your snails warm without boiling them during the chilly seasons. If you must go for the non-regulating heaters, ensure you have a reputable thermostat (view on Amazon) on standby to guarantee the heater does not overdo its job.
Consider Your Tank Size
You need your heater to fully warm up the tank, not keep one end of the tank warmer than other areas. This mostly happens when the heater is underpowered, and you’d notice your snails gravitating toward the warmer sides closer to the heater to combat the cold. A rule of thumb is to delegate 5 Watts to a gallon, however, you can go for a 100W heater for your 10-gallon tank, and 150W for tanks bigger than 10 gallons. This will ensure that your heaters are efficient and less likely to flunk on you during the cold seasons.
Choose The Prefered Heater Type
Heaters can either be submersible or external, with pros and cons to each category. The vast majority are submersible heaters as they are easier to use in the tank. There’s no hassle of placing it in the right position attached to the walls of the tank or to the filtration system. Of course, compared to external heaters, they get damaged more easily and have other risks like electrocution if they’re not durable. If you’re a beginner, the external heaters may be too difficult to set up and maintain for your experience. However, they do well with large tanks over 50 gallons to provide a uniform temperature.
Which Is the Best Water Heater Brand for My Mystery Snail’s Aquarium?
Now that you know how to choose a good aquarium heater, you may wonder which brand is the best and most reliable. Eheim (view on Amazon) and Aqueon (view on Amazon) aquarium heaters are considered the best of their kind and would be suitable for you, especially if you’re a beginner or if you prefer something durable but simple. Both brands are reputable for delivering temperature accuracy and durability, with no bad records of overheating and functional errors. These qualities are crucial when handling delicate pets like mystery snails.
It’s worth noting that Eheim heaters may become slightly less accurate over time compared to Aqueon heaters. On the other hand, Aqueon heaters are generally more accurate and affordable, just not as durable as Eheim heaters.
Consider your tank setup and your experience level (whether you’re a beginner or have just moved to colder climates with your pets) to choose the brand that suits you best. Ultimately, either brand will likely perform better than others.
Common Aquarium Heater Problems to Look Out For
The general rule is that the more expensive the heater is, the more durable it is. However, it’s not always the case as it could depend on several factors like the power input connected to the heater and how much work the device will be carrying. While heaters are important for your mystery snails, here are some aspects you must be aware of:
The Malfunctioning Thermostat Problem
If you’re unlucky, your heater’s inbuilt thermostat could wear out due to factory problems, hard water, power surges, or even improper installation. To avoid this, ensure that you have a stable power supply or use a power stabilizer to prevent fluctuations. In addition, regularly test the temperature to detect any changes or signs of a problem with the equipment.
Inaccurate Temperature Readings
On a bad day, your heater may provide inaccurate temperature readings due to a damaged thermometer. This issue is often associated with a lack of durability in the product or aging. To ensure the accuracy of the temperature in your tank, it’s highly important to have a separate thermometer (view on Amazon) for monitoring purposes.
Overheating
This issue is more common with non-regulating heaters, as they have a rather inflexible method of operation. Since you have to manually set the temperature, sometimes errors can occur, causing the heater to blast the tank with excessive heat. This can be deadly to your pets over long periods. The best solution to this problem is to carefully monitor the device to ensure it’s not overheating and use a durable thermostat to help maintain the desired temperature.
Can My Mystery Snail Be Too Hot?
Mystery snails can be subjected to temperatures that are too hot for their comfort. If the temperature in the tank surpasses the normal range, they may become entirely stressed, and lethargic, and sadly, they may pass away. It’s crucial to ensure that mystery snails are comfortable so that your pet can grow into a healthy snail and you can enjoy a good time with them.
Does My Mystery Snail Need a Cooling System?
Similar to extreme cold, mystery snails can become too hot if the temperature goes over 80°F. Perhaps you live in areas where eggs can be fried on concrete, like California, and your mystery snail can be overheated. In this case, you need an aquarium cooler (view on Amazon) to bring down the heat to a level that’s conducive for your pets. You should know that they thrive in cool areas with temperatures around 70°F to 80°F. It’s also necessary to monitor these changes with an accurate thermometer to be sure the required temperature range is met at all times. Good luck!
