How to Take Care of Apple Snail Eggs in an Aquarium

Apple snails, especially those species that prefer dead vegetation to growing plants, can be useful additions to a home aquarium. They scavenge leftover fish food and the wilted parts of aquatic plants. Apple snails also add to the species diversity in your miniature aquatic ecosystem. Breeding them does not require much effort on your part. Because, unlike many snails, apple snails are not hermaphrodites, you should start off with several snails to ensure you have at least one male and one female. After introducing the snails, you can leave them to get on with business. The resulting eggs, on the other hand, do need a little care.

Things You'll Need

Plant mister
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Identify the apple snail species if you can. Several different types are common in the aquarium trade, and each has a slightly different life cycle. Suppliers often misidentify their snails. Compare the shape and size of the shell to a guide. One of the most popular apple snails is the golden mystery snail, a variety of Pomacea diffusa, which has beautiful yellow or gold shells and the useful habit of eating algae.
- 2
  Observe where the snails lay their eggs. If they lay their eggs underwater, you probably don't need to do anything, unless you see fish eating them. In this case, move the eggs to another tank or place them into a fish breeder until they hatch. Most species, however, lay their eggs above the water line. These eggs need some care.
- 3
  Mist the air in the space between the top of the water and the lid daily or every couple of days. The eggs require high humidity, but submersion in water will kill them.
- 4
  Reduce the water level in the tank gradually each time you do a water change until the eggs are at least 2 to 3 inches above the water line. This procedure helps you reduce the possibility that active fish will splash the eggs, or even eat them.
- 5
  Guide the snail hatchlings into the water with a damp paintbrush when the eggs hatch.