What Are Mystery Snails? Differentiating Mysteries From Apple Snails

Back when I was a snail newbie, I admit it took me an unreasonable amount of time to fully differentiate between apple snails and mystery snails. Another thing that struck me was the name “mystery”. I thought it was quite interesting, and I was bent on figuring out how the name came about. These two factors intensified my interest and fondness for mystery snails and led me to digest loads of info about them. Today, I am excited to share my journey with you, answering your questions in a shot with this well-detailed discussion.

Mystery snails are a subspecies of apple snails known as Spike-topped Apple snails. They are omnivores and detritivores, which means they feed on decaying plant and animal-based foods. Having originated from South American rivers, mysteries are freshwater species. They are identified by colorful shells—which are mostly yellow—and a keen sense of playfulness in their environment.

How Did Mystery Snails Get Their Name?

There are many answers when it comes to why mystery snails are called mysteries. Some claim it’s due to them parasailing. A trick where they float to the surface, fill their shells with bubbles and throw themselves into the water using the bubbles to propel themselves around. Reading this, you’d wonder how they could possibly do that, but there are in fact several pieces of proof of mystery snails “parasnailing”.

Another answer to how mystery snails got named is because they allegedly appeared out of the blue “mysteriously”. After further investigation, they were found to be related to apple snails. But no one could tell how they came about. Other claims have reported mystery snails giving birth to live young during spring, which would be described as “mysteriously appearing babies”, but there isn’t concrete evidence to back up this claim. Ultimately, mystery snails earned their name from being mysterious.

What’s The Difference Between Mystery Snails And Apple Snails?

It’s easy to misidentify mystery and apple snails. Sadly, people get swindled, being sold one snail as the other, only to find out after posting on social media platforms that they have the wrong snail. To prevent this from being your case, here are the differences between mystery snails and apple snails:

Appearance Of Mystery Snails: How Do They Look?

Mystery snails come in a few interesting colors accentuated with swirling strips around the shells. The most common, however, is the yellow mystery snail. They have vibrant shells with a pale foot of the same color, and would sometimes have variations of stripes. Some even happen to resemble assassin snails with black and yellow stripes! You can find mystery snails in purples, ivories, blues, and pinks, all with their distinctive stripe formation giving them individuality to their species.

Mystery snails grow up to 2 – 3 inches in size, almost reaching a golf ball, but may also be smaller than this depending on their genetics and care.

How Do Mystery Snails Reproduce? The Mating Behavior

Mystery snails are dioecious animals, meaning a male and female must copulate to reproduce through sexual means. The good and bad thing about mystery snails is that they reproduce crazily.

Mystery snails mate in a rather unique way, from locating their mate to the mating dance, and the unwarranted amount of times they mate afterward. It all starts with the female snail recognizing the environment is suitable for them to mate. They pick on the changes in climate, light, availability of resources, and temperature to decide the right time to bring babies. After the stars have aligned for the female, she begins secreting pheromones along with her slime that is picked on by her potential mate.

The lucky mate follows the chemical signals to locate his mate and throws a love dart at her indicating his intentions. The ‘Love Dart’ is simply a calcareous object that is injected or pierced into the female allowing her to welcome or enter the phase of mating. Afterward, mounting and sperm cell transfer are carried out. This can go on for a profane amount of time which could even be dangerous to each snail. In some cases, you may need to separate them manually to prevent them from mating to death!

How Do Mystery Snails Give Birth? Laying Of Eggs

If your mystery snail is not pleased by her surroundings, she can withhold sperm cells in her body and prevent fertilization for as long as a year. This is why there are reports of aquarists adopting a single mystery snail only to find clutches of eggs in the tank without any means of mating. So, the time a mystery snail takes to lay eggs after mating could be anything from a couple of weeks to a year!

Once the female is ready to lay, she travels above water to lay her eggs on dry or damp surfaces. It may take 2 to 4 hours for an entire clutch to be laid depending on the snail herself. The clutch will look like a pale pink Cheeto (forbidden Cheetos) made out of tiny eggs. And if the conditions are right, the eggs will hatch within 4 weeks.

The Life-Cycle Of Mystery Snails From Eggs To Adult

After a clutch of eggs has been laid, a new cycle begins. A clutch can hold up to 100 snail babies, and they lay these clutches every time they feel the slightest comfort.

The bright side is that they may take a while before getting comfortable even under the right conditions, and if you’re one of the lucky few (if you don’t want more snails) they may refuse to reproduce throughout their lifespan. But if you’re not, you could literally be removing clutches of eggs weekly. If you’re even more unlucky, the eggs may hatch without you knowing, and just like that, your tank is infested with mystery snail hatchlings!

Hatching Phase (size: 1 to 2 millimeters)

Under good conditions of humidity and temperature, mystery snail eggs hatch within a span of 14 days to 4 weeks. The baby snails—globs or tadpoles—embark on their growth journey. They have a relatively insatiable appetite, eager to consume anything edible to support the development of their shells. Hatchlings munch on basically the same stuff as adult snails, including more algae and biofilm. This stage persists for approximately one to two weeks.

Larval Phase (size: 2 to 3 millimeters)

Following the week of hatching, the mystery snail globs transform into larvae. Here they’re more agile and their features begin to form. The shells and feet become darker and less translucent, with dots and splashes of color signifying the formation of pigmentation in their shells. This phase extends for an additional two weeks before the snails progress to the next stage.

Juvenile Phase (size: 6 to 8 millimeters)

During the juvenile phase, the snails experience further growth, reaching a slightly larger size of 6 to 8 millimeters. They become even more agile, darker in coloration, and demonstrate heightened activity and curiosity. Exploring their surroundings becomes a primary focus as they graze on surfaces searching for food. At this stage, you’d notice swirls following the spiral pattern on their shells that distinguish them. The juvenile phase lasts for four weeks before attaining full adulthood.

Adult Phase (size: 2 inches or 5 centimeters)

After eight weeks, the mystery snail enters the adult phase. Their size ranges from approximately 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 centimeters), and their appearance becomes more vibrant and colorful. However, their shells are still delicate as they are newly formed adults.

With time and a proper calcium source, the snails will grow thicker and stronger shells. It’s crucial to know that temperature can influence their shell growth; the warmer the tank, the faster they grow, producing larger individuals with thinner shells. Contrarily, colder temperatures promote longevity and stronger shell growth.

Elderly Phase (same size or slightly larger)

Upon reaching the age of two years, the mystery snail can be classified as elderly. It is typical for most snails to die at this stage of life. However, they may live for an impressive duration of 4 to 5 years before passing away. To achieve such, you must diligently provide your snails with optimal and intentional care at all times.

What Do Mystery Snails Eat? Diet And Food Options

Mystery snails eat mainly vegetables and animal matter such as dead and decaying fish or invertebrates around them. They have a strong sense of smell that allows them to locate detritus and they specifically prefer the gross option because it’s easier to eat. This is why they don’t go after the live plants in their aquarium much, inducing algae—they are simply too much of a hassle to munch on.

You can feed your mystery snails algae wafers, protein pallets, and blanched vegetables such as cucumbers, kale, spinach, broccoli, green beans, and bell peppers. Fruits, in limited amounts, are also welcome. For a true protein source, consider unshelled shrimp or thin strips of fish such as salmon. These interchangeably and in different suitable rations will provide your pets with an all-rounded nutritious diet keeping them healthy and happy all through.

Another great choice is snello; a homemade jello composed of all the nutritious items your mystery snails need such as plant and animal-based foods in a gelatin base. If you struggle with rationing, you can just opt for snello, cut the food into cubes, and drop one in your tank daily. Your pets will be getting all the nourishment they need without compromising on any essential item.

Here’s a good and super easy snail recipe you can use:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of blanched vegetables (such as spinach, carrots, or zucchini).
• 1/4 cup of gelatin powder.
• 1/4 cup of baby food (optional, for added nutrition).
• 1/4 cup of calcium supplement (crushed cuttlebone or calcium powder).

Procedure:

1. Puree the blanched vegetables in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the gelatin powder with water according to the package instructions.
3. Combine the pureed vegetables, gelatin mixture, baby food, and calcium supplement in a saucepan.
4. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
5. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
6. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or molds and refrigerate until set.
7. Once set, you can cut the Snello into small portions or leave it as individual cubes.

Servings:

Your mystery snail should eat one cube of snello a day. Always remember to take out the leftovers to avoid funking up the tank with ammonia from the decay!

The Ideal Living Environment For Mystery Snails: Where Do They Live?

Mystery snails are native to South America but have been traded all over the world and can be found pretty much in most lakes, ponds, and slow-flowing rivers. They are so rampant that some states have termed them illegal, particularly some states in the US such as Florida and California, due to their ability to overpopulate.

Mystery snails can pretty much survive in any body of freshwater that meets their standards which is shown in the table below.

If you’re looking into setting up a mystery snail paradise, you must follow through with the required water parameters and maintain them to ensure their survival.

Setting Up And Maintaining Your Mystery Snail’s Home

Setting up an aquarium is a different topic from maintaining the water chemistry. You must start with a cycled tank to help you break down toxic ammonia, or else your snails will die upon introduction.

To start, here are the items you need to create a great home for your mystery snails:

• A sizeable aquarium (at least one gallon to one snail excluding extra space for plants) preferably one with a lid (view on Amazon) to keep the snails from crawling out
• Live plants to keep them interactive
• Hiding spots like aquarium decor
• Sandy substrate
• Air stones—they live to play in them!
• A good filtration system (view on Amazon) to keep the tank free of dirt.
• A thermostat (view on Amazon) to regulate the temperature of the tank.
• A thermometer (view on Amazon) to keep track of the temperature of the environment.
• A heating or cooling system if necessary, depending on your environment.
• Pieces of cuttlefish bone to provide a constant source of calcium for shell development.

How To Cycle Your Mystery Snail Tank

Cycling entails introducing beneficial bacteria into your tank to begin the nitrate cycle. When snails poop or die, ammonia is released into the water which they live in causing them to suffocate. The job of good bacteria is to digest ammonia and break it down to its harmless form which is nitrate.

To fully cycle your tank, you need to purchase good bacteria or collect some from cycled tanks and then infect your aquarium with decaying food. With the help of water testers, you can take note of all the changes in parameters and compare them to the standard table I have provided. Your tank is fully cycled when ammonia is registered as 0.

Here are the simplest steps to achieving a properly cycled tank:

1. Ensure your tank is set up correctly with a working filtration system and a few plants to complete the nitrogen cycle. Plants consume the end products of the nitrogen cycle (nitrates) to prevent it from building up.
2. Throw a piece of perishable product into the aquarium and let it rot. Examples are fish pellets or just a piece of fresh fish.
3. Now, you either have the option of using Fritz Zyme7 or acquiring some of the substrates from a properly cycled aquarium to introduce bacteria into the tank. The bacteria will feed on the ammonia breaking it into nitrites and further into nitrates. This is the beginning of the cycle and the start of a generation of beneficial bacteria.
4. Use an API water testing kit (view on Amazon) to track the cycle of your tank. It’s highly necessary to know how good your tank is cycling, and the kit helps you read that clearly with visual comparisons. Once your ammonia and nitrite are at 0 ppm, and nitrate is detectable, it means ammonia is actively broken down and your tank is properly cycled. Hence, your pets can enter their new home.
5. Last but not least, patience is key. It can take anything from 2 days to months to get your tank fully cycled depending on the size of the tank and the quality of the bacteria you’re introducing into your tank

How To Maintain Your Mystery Snail Aquarium

Maintaining your mystery snail aquarium entails performing suitable water changes and using filtration systems to keep it clean. By water changes, I mean 20% changes instead of overturning the entire tank and replacing the water. This will instantly kill the good bacteria alongside your snails!

Here’s the easiest way to perform a 20% water change:

1. Switch off all appliances such as air stones, thermostats, heaters, and any other electrical tool attached to the tank.
2. Use a siphon to remove 20% of the aquarium water into a different container.
3. Measure up an equivalent amount of clean water to replace the amount you took out. If your new water is chlorinated, you need a good water conditioner to dechlorinate the water and prevent your pets or plants from getting harmed.
4. Pour the treated water (new water) into the tank gently to avoid stirring up the substrate and stressing your animals. And voila, you’ve successfully changed your aquarium water!

The Pros And Cons Of Keeping Mystery Snails

Similarly to every other pet, you must be prepared for the downsides and upsides of having mysteries. It helps you to navigate your journey and provide for your pets the right way without getting overwhelmed yourself.

Cons Of Keeping Mystery Snails

• They poop a whole lot, so you’d need to make more frequent water changes.
• They don’t eat algae much. Hard luck if you expected them to “clean the tank”.
• They may take forever to reproduce.
• If they do choose to reproduce, they may overpopulate the tank.
• They are fond of crawling out of the tank and falling to their death. Ensure to keep a lid on at all times!

Pros Of Keeping Mystery Snails

• They’re highly interactive with their surroundings.
• Extremely pretty and colorful to keep.
• They’re not aggressive animals.
• They will not eat your live plants.
• They can grow big and live long.

Where Do I Get Mystery Snails?

If you’re lucky enough, you might find a mystery snail in ponds, lakes, or rivers where live plants are situated. However, your best bet is your local pet stores. Here you’d be able to make good choices on which snail to pick and make small talk on more customary tips for keeping them. If you have caught a wild mystery snail, ensure it’s actually a mystery snail and not other subspecies of apple snails that are plant eaters and chronically invasive!

Also, you must ensure you quarantine the snail to prevent infecting your tank with parasites. Practice washing your hands after handling it, too, to avoid contracting lungworm disease as some of them are known to carry pathogens.

Do Mystery Snails Bite?

Thankfully, mystery snails do not bite. While they have a specialized orifice called a radula that helps them to munch vegetables with scraping motions, they cannot use it to bite let alone attack your tough layers of skin. You can handle your mystery snail carefully, keeping it for at most 15 minutes above the water line, before placing it back into its aquarium.

Are Mystery Snails Poisonous?

Mystery snails are not poisonous, but you will experience unforgettable stomach aches if you were to consume them raw. Their slime contains some combinations of proteins that serve as repellents to potential prey, which is why they excrete excessive slime when they’re threatened or confused. If you happen to be one of the predators, the mystery snail will make sure you’re getting a horrible aftermath from ending its little life.