The Ampularia snail is a representative of a huge order of armored gastropods, the main species diversity of which was formed about half a billion years ago, during the Cambrian period of the Paleozoic era.
In this article you can familiarize yourself with questions on keeping, feeding, sexing, reproduction, compatibility with fish and possible diseases of the Ampularia snail.
Aquarium snail Ampularia
Possessing a unique ability to survive in the most unfavorable conditions and strong natural immunity, a significant part of the species of ancient gastropods has survived to this day. Ampularia is no exception; even now, despite its tropical origin, it has spread quite widely in the watery territories of many countries of the world with a warm or temperate climate.
It should be noted that Ampularia is not always a desirable neighbor of human civilization in its natural habitat. By growing excessively, some populations of this snail can cause significant harm to crop fields, primarily rice fields, which create especially comfortable conditions for the reproduction of ampullaria snails, which are not averse to feasting on the ripening harvest.
The Ampularia snail settled in aquariums at the beginning of the 20th century, in Germany, where it was brought by travelers from the wetlands of the Amazonian lowland located in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
Ampularia is considered a fairly large snail for aquariums. In stores it is sold at a size of just over 2 centimeters in diameter and it is hard to believe that in about a year it can grow to 10 centimeters.
Not all types of ampullaria are equally suitable for living in home aquariums. Some of them reach sizes significantly exceeding 10 centimeters, which requires the creation of a special habitat for them.
The common aquarium snail Ampularia has a twisted shell, usually yellow or light brown in color with dark veins. Much less common are ampularia of almost white, blueberry and almost black color.
Ampularia's eyes are yellow-golden in color. The organs of touch are small tentacles, and an acute sense of smell contributes to orientation in space. This snail moves with the help of a muscular leg that has a protective flap, closing which the ampularia not only protects its vulnerable body, but also retains moisture during a period of prolonged drought or when outside the reservoir.
Ampularia is capable of breathing both underwater and in the open air, but if it remains in only one of these environments for a long time, it can die - on land.
In aquarium conditions, with proper care, Ampularia can live up to 3 years. In the wild up to 5 years.
Table of basic parameters of maintenance, care and nutrition:
| What should be the volume of an aquarium for aquarium snails? | from 10 liters |
| What should be the temperature in an aquarium for aquarium snails? | from +20-25° C |
| What pH should be in the aquarium? | from 6.5-7.8 pH |
| What should be the hardness of the water in the aquarium? | from 8-18° dH |
| What should be the substrate for an aquarium? | coarse or fine sand; soil size from 2-4 mm |
| What kind of lighting should be in the aquarium? | moderate |
| What should be the movement of water in the aquarium? | moderate |
| Maximum snail size | up to 10 cm |
| What do aquarium snails eat? | aquarium plants; food for fish; vegetables: cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots |
| Type of aquarium snail | peaceful |
| Who is compatible with in an aquarium? | compatible with all peaceful aquarium inhabitants |
| Lifespan of aquarium snails | up to 3 years, but it depends on the conditions of detention |
Approximately how much do they cost?
Getting an aquarium snail, ampularia, is an inexpensive pleasure. Young animals are often sold for 10 rubles, and adults – up to 50 rubles. Some breeders are ready to give a growing individual free of charge into good hands.
There are no more peaceful and unpretentious mollusks than ampullaria. Once you get them for the first time, it’s impossible to imagine an aquarium without this golden decoration.
Be sure to share your own experience of keeping these unique animals at home in the comments.
Ampularia snail maintenance and care in the aquarium
The snail Ampularia is one of the most unpretentious aquarium inhabitants. But despite their good survival in extreme conditions - with a maximum water temperature of +30° C and a minimum of +18° C, it is still more reasonable to set the most comfortable temperature for these snails in the aquarium at +20-25° C.
Too soft water in the aquarium can damage the shell of this snail over time; medium-hard water in the range of 8-18° dH is optimal for ampullaria. The required water acidity is from 6.5-7.8 pH.
The volume of water required for normal habitat and reproduction of ampullaria is calculated based on an additional 10-12 liters per 1 snail. That is, if the total volume of water in the aquarium is already distributed among its other inhabitants and there is no required space, purchase a more spacious aquarium. Unless, of course, there is a desire to keep the apple snail in an isolated aquarium, which is unlikely to contribute to creating a snail habitat that is as close to natural as possible. This can reduce their lifespan and ability to reproduce.
Most aquarists especially value ampullaria for their ability to clean the aquarium of pathogens, destroy harmful algae, and also absorb the remains of fish food, small dead fish, and loosen the soil, which helps maintain the ecological balance of the aquarium.
Ampoules do not require additional aeration, water filtration, or aquarium lighting.
Habitat in nature
In nature, ampullaria spend most of their lives in water, emerging only by chance and during reproduction to lay eggs.
And yet, although they spend most of their lives underwater, they need atmospheric oxygen to breathe, for which they rise to the surface.
You can often observe how a snail in an aquarium rises to the surface, extends its breathing tube and begins to pump oxygen into itself.
Its respiratory system is comparable to the lungs of a fish, having gills (on the right side of its body) and lungs on the left side.
Ampoules have adapted very well to life in the tropics, where dry periods alternate with the rainy season. This was reflected in their body, they developed a muscular leg with a protective flap attached to it.
With the help of this valve, they close their shell to survive in the remaining water and dirt during the dry period.
They live in all types of reservoirs, in ponds, lakes, rivers, canals. Although many snails are hermaphrodites, these snails are heterosexual and require a partner to reproduce.
What and how to feed
The answer to the question of what to feed the ampularia snail is quite simple. Almost all types of snails in their natural habitat feed on plant foods, but in an aquarium Ampularia cannot always find traditional food sources for itself, so almost everything that falls on the ground becomes food for it.
In a short time, snails get used to eating not only the remains of fish food, but also any organic matter they come across along the way, be it a small moth, a small bottom crustacean or an earthworm.
If this is not enough for the ampullaria, they can switch to eating decorative aquarium vegetation. And if you do not provide them with vegetable feeding in a timely manner, they can cause great damage to the beneficial aquarium flora.
The ideal food is vegetables (cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots), which need to be poured with boiling water for 5-10 minutes, and food for bottom fish. The food should be left in the aquarium for no more than a day, after which the food may begin to rot. You can feed 1-2 times a day.
Many people rightly believe that the ideal food for ampularia is food tablets for aquarium catfish, containing the very beneficial algae spirulina.
Tolerability of drugs
Snails do not tolerate many drugs, so it is recommended to move the mollusks to another container during the treatment period for other aquarium inhabitants. Regardless of the number of snails, they need to be relocated when using drugs such as malachite green, metaldehyde, pesticides and formaldehyde.
Note! Preparations that contain copper also have a negative impact on the health of snails. Such drugs are used in the treatment of fungal diseases.
Snails do not tolerate many drugs
How to determine the sex of Ampularia
Almost all aquarists who are not highly specialized specialists in this field talk about some difficulties in determining the gender of specific specimens of ampullaria. This is especially difficult to do when buying them in a store, when the snails are still very small. But the combined experience of all owners of these snails allows us to identify the following methods for determining the sex of the ampularia:
- If the shell structure has already been formed, the sex of the snail can be determined by the direction of its curls. If they are twisted clockwise, then it is a male; if in the opposite direction, it is a female;
- If the mouth of the snail shell has a round shape, then you have a male in front of you, and if it is oblong, then you have a female in your hands;
- If you catch the moment when the snail opens the flaps of its shell (it’s easier to do this in water), then seeing a characteristic sexual process in its upper part, you can conclude that this individual is male. Accordingly, the absence of such a process will indicate the female origin of this individual.
By combining these methods of sex determination on several snails, it is possible to separate males from females with a fairly high degree of probability.
What are the benefits of Ampoules?
The first thing Ampullaria will be useful for the owner of an aquarium is the appearance of the mollusks. Cute creatures with colorful body colors are a unique decoration for any home. With their help you can create a unique interior. In addition, snails, like other mollusks, are aquarium orderlies. They cope well with the formed film on the water surface and plaque on the walls of the tank.
The benefits of Ampularia in the aquarium
On a note! Ampoules also clean up fish food that might remain after feeding aquarium pets. This helps prevent water and soil contamination.
Ampoules also clean up fish food.
More and more people are now convinced that snails in an aquarium are a classic. And if previously they kept mainly fish in home tanks, now more and more people prefer to care for shellfish. This is not strange, because the behavior of snails is always interesting to watch; they decorate the aquarium with their appearance. In addition, the care and maintenance costs of Ampoules are minimal.
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Aquarium snail Ampularia reproduction
Ampullaria reach sexual maturity at the age of about 1 year. No special measures are required to stimulate mating of these snails. Their natural instinct is as strong as that of all representatives of the animal world. And the reproduction of ampullaria in captivity is no different from their reproduction in natural conditions.
Some short time after mating, the fertilized female crawls out of the water and lays eggs above the surface of the water (4-5 cm above the level), in a secluded place that is most comfortable for laying. Caviar is never laid by ampularia under water, since the fruits require a constant supply of oxygen. In addition, exposure to air allows the eggs to acquire a fairly dense shell, which makes them more protected.
It takes from 2 to 4 weeks for the eggs to ripen, depending on the temperature and humidity characteristics of the air. Newborn snails hatch fully formed and do not require any special care. It is only necessary to prevent the chaotic spreading of small snails in time by collecting them in an aquarium and covering them with a special aquarium lid.
An important note: the survival rate of newborn snails in a general aquarium does not exceed 10%. Therefore, if you need to preserve the maximum number of snails, you need to place them in a separate aquarium while they grow (up to 2 centimeters).
Description and types
The ampullaria snail has become a popular pet primarily due to its attractive color, the shades of which vary depending on the species. Their ease of care is due to their adaptability: in the wild, mollusks have managed to spread throughout the tropical zone.
Origin
German breeders acquired yellow ampullaria snails in 1904. Within a few years, gastropods conquered the aquariums of other European countries.
Their homeland is South America, in particular the Amazon River. From there, the snails were able to penetrate into some regions of the United States with a comfortable climate for them, as well as Southeast Asia and many freshwater bodies of tropical habitat. They successfully live and reproduce in stagnant swamps and ponds, small rivers with gentle flows.
This is interesting: ampullaria are so unpretentious that they can live even in the dirtiest water.
External features
The natural color of the ampularia shell is rather brown, but a century later some decorative species were bred that were distinguished by a brighter color. The “house” itself has a spirally twisted cone-shaped shape and a size of 6-7 centimeters in an adult. The maximum leg length is 9 centimeters. The horny operculum allows the mollusk to hide and close the mouth of the shell. On the head of the ampoule there are two golden eyes and two pairs of tentacles, thanks to which it quickly finds food.
The yellow snail is an amphibian, so its body can extract oxygen from both water and air. When the ampularia is at the surface, you can see a breathing tube with which it absorbs external gases. In adults, the length of this organ reaches 10 centimeters.
Kinds
Even now, breeders can please aquarists with new breeds that differ in color - from blueberry to cream. But three types remain the main ones to this day.
Gigantic
Ampullaria gigas is the largest among its relatives. Its shell can reach 12 centimeters in length, and its leg - up to 15 centimeters, which is why the snail got its name - giant, or large. To keep such mollusks you will need a large aquarium with a lid - from 25 liters per individual.
Young representatives of this species have a dark, sometimes almost black color. The older the snail, the more light yellow stripes appear on its “house”, and the tone of the shell itself becomes lighter. Life expectancy is up to 4 years.
Australian
Ampullaria australis is slightly smaller: the size of its shell is from 5 to 7 centimeters, the leg grows up to 9 centimeters. Despite its diet similar to other species, it primarily prefers plants and algae with soft leaves. But this does not mean that the apple snail must have thickets in the aquarium: the Australian snail will live well in an “empty” space, feeding on leftover food and thereby cleaning the transparent walls and bottom. Average life expectancy is 2.5-3 years.
Golden
Undoubtedly, Ampullaria cuprina has the most beautiful shell. She was given several names for her color: yellow, mysterious and the most poetic - Cinderella and Golden Apple. This species has several morphs:
- Pomacea bridgesi (with a lemon or bright sunny color, the coils of the shell have flat slopes);
- Pomacea canaliculata (dark yellow color with brown longitudinal stripes, the shell is rounded in structure);
- Marisa comuarietis (coils located in the same plane can be plain yellow or with stripes);
Compatibility with fish
It is not recommended to stock ampullaria with some types of aquarium fish, especially predatory ones.
Small viviparous fish, for example, most species of aquarium catfish, will not cause any harm to ampullaria, while some species of tetradons, cichlids and barbs (it is impossible to list them all) can over time completely destroy the entire aquarium population of ampullaria.
Most species of small predatory fish will not be able to cause serious harm to adult snails, but growing ampullaria can be completely destroyed. Although adult snails will not feel at ease, being subjected to constant attacks from unfriendly neighbors in the aquarium, and receiving injuries of varying degrees of severity from them.
Relations with neighbors
Ampularia snails coexist peacefully with other underwater species. However, some fish behave aggressively, biting off the antennae, biting through the shell and even devouring gastropods.
This is tetradon. And he really loves ampoule.
Aggressors include:
- gourami;
- barbs;
- tetradons;
- cichlids;
- shrimps;
- goldfish;
- aquarium crayfish.
In this regard, it is better to keep yellow snails and other types of aquarium ampullaria next to peaceful specimens or place them in another tank. If in doubt, consult a pet store.
Aquarium snail Ampularia disease
As already noted, over the hundreds of millions of years of their existence, ampullaria have acquired an increased ability to survive in the most negative conditions and strong immunity to various diseases. However, they, like everything that lives on earth, periodically get sick.
Falling into a coma
Due to the lack of oxygen in the water and the overcrowding of the aquarium, ampullaria may fall asleep deeply and not emerge from under their shell. A prolonged stay in such a coma can lead to the death of the snail.
To bring the ampularia out of a coma, it must be temporarily moved to a separate tank with clean water enriched with oxygen. In most cases, the snail recovers from its coma within a few days.
The appearance of flaws on the sink
The snail's shell softens and becomes defective due to prolonged exposure to excessively soft and warm water (above +25° C).
To restore the structure of the Ampularia shell, it is necessary to reduce the water temperature in the aquarium to 20-22 ° C for at least 3 months, and also ensure the required water hardness of 8-18 ° dH. And add calcium to the water, which you can buy at the pet store. Due to its high ability to regenerate, the snail's shell will have to recover.
The appearance of holes in the sink
Holes on the shell are the result of the inattention of the owner of the aquarium, who missed the moment when flaws appeared on the snail’s shell.
Having restored all the water characteristics required for keeping the ampoule, you will have to wait a long time for the holes to heal. To speed up the regeneration process, it is recommended to feed snails with special food with a high calcium content.
Overgrowth by parasites
The appearance of parasites in an aquarium, especially one densely populated with various living creatures, is highly probable and unpredictable.
If a white coating appears on the snail, it is recommended to place it in a saline solution (15 grams per liter of water) for 10-15 minutes. This saline solution will cause absolutely no harm to Ampularia, and the parasitic plaque will be destroyed.
We hope that the article answered questions about ampullary maintenance, feeding, sex determination, reproduction, compatibility with fish and possible diseases.
Description, benefit or harm
These mollusks belong to the gastropod class (family Ampullariidae). Among the mollusk's closest relatives there are tiny species and real giants that can grow up to 8 cm.
There are colored and yellow-brown ampularia, with a large spiral-curled shell.
Another feature of ampularia is the operculum, a small black or dark brown lid. With its help, the snail seals the mouth of the shell.
This door protects from predators and allows the mollusk to wait out an unfavorable situation in safety.
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Do ampularia spoil plants?
It is reasonable to fill the aquarium where snails live with flora with hard leaf plates:
- Anubis;
- cryptocorynes;
- Vallisneria gigantea.
Attention! Snails are omnivorous and extremely voracious. If there is a shortage of food, they can - and will have an appetite! - eat plants, which will ruin the interior of the pond. Hard leaves will become, although weak, protection of the plantings.
How long do they live in an aquarium?
The life cycle of snails is related to temperature and water quality .
At elevated temperatures, they will be active, begin to grow quickly and reproduce, but this will shorten the life span of the mollusks.
It is optimal to keep snails at a reservoir temperature of 18 to 25 ° C; in this mode they will live for about 5 years. If the indicator is higher, the snail will last no more than one and a half years.
Can ampoules tolerate salt water?
These snails are freshwater, but they will tolerate slightly salted water .
You need to increase the salt content in the aquarium gradually: if you notice that the ampularia has closed the valve, reduce the salt concentration until the mollusk dies.
Do ampullaria carry parasites?
In natural conditions, there are several varieties of parasites that are carried by snails.
Ampularia bred in an aquarium environment simply cannot have parasites , since there is no contact with their main carriers - wild rats.
But even if the mollusk is a carrier of the parasite, a person must eat a raw snail to become infected.
Ampularia can survive without water
The snail will spend a short time without water without any special consequences, but time of more than a day on land is guaranteed death for the snail. Her delicate body quickly loses moisture, and the mollusk dies from dehydration.
Important! You should cover the aquarium with ampularia with a lid and do not leave any holes.
Can a snail survive in a pond?
As long as the water temperature is within 18...20 °C - yes. But as soon as the water gets colder, the ampularia will die.
Ampullaria hibernate
Under natural conditions during drought, yes. But in an aquarium, the ampoule has no need for suspended animation.
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Ampoule diet
Unlike most other shellfish, which are mostly vegetarian, ampullaria are omnivorous.
Moreover, they prefer animal food, and eat plants only in case of its absence. In the aquarium, they happily eat many live foods such as bloodworms, tubifex, scraped meat. They eat dead daphnia, tubifex worms, fish scales, dying parts of plants and even the remains of fish. They can be fed small pieces of earthworms, lettuce leaves, and artificial food with herbal supplements.
Scientific research into the diet of ampullaria has revealed the food preferences of these mollusks. Which were almost the same for different species. In all experiments, food of animal origin was in higher demand than plant food. Moreover, living tubifex (Tubifex sp.) and oligochaetes (Branchiodrilus sp.) were given greater preference than dead ones. But the dead earthworms were eaten first. Shrimp, shellfish and fish meats were eaten in equivalent quantities and faster than worms. Selectivity in food was also observed in the absorption of plants.
The mouth of the ampullaria is a vertical slit located between the labial tentacles, which then passes into the oral cavity. Food is directed into the mouth by labial tentacles. After it enters the oral cavity, powerful, chalky jaws gnaw off a piece near the mouth. When the ampullaria eats, the oral cavity contracts towards the mouth, and the entire complex gnawing-scraping mechanism begins to work. After which, a piece separated by powerful calcareous jaws passes into the esophagus.
Thanks to myoglobin-rich muscles, the oral cavity has a reddish tint. Myoglobin is a special pigment that provides the necessary amount of oxygen to working muscles.
Artificially bred, yellow form of ampularia
Sex differences
Sexual differences are not expressed; it is problematic to understand where the male is and where the female is. The only reliable way to determine the sex is to wait until the snails begin to mate. Watching large mollusks reproduce is fascinating, and this does not require special conditions or stimulation.
Experienced aquarists know several more ways to determine the sex, but to do this you will have to carefully observe your pets:
- In an adult male, the shell is curled according to the movement of the arrow, in a female - against the movement.
- The armored mouth is rounded in the male, slightly elongated in the female.
- When the shell lid opens, the male’s genital process is visible in its upper part. The female does not have such an organ.
What difficulties do ampoule owners most often encounter?
Snails are different from fish or turtles, and some of their features can raise a lot of questions from the owner:
- Eggs have appeared on the surface, what to do in this case? If the owner does not mind that the number of inhabitants of the aquarium will increase, you can do nothing. The eggs will ripen on their own, and completely viable snails will emerge from them. You can also place an incubation container under the masonry, which can be easily made from an ordinary plastic bottle. Newborn snails will fall into it and can be placed in a common tank.
- The mollusk does not show activity for two days, should I worry? Most often, the reason for this behavior is the death of the gastropod. It is not difficult to determine this by taking the snail out of the water and sniffing it - a dead mollusk emits a strong, specific odor. It is important to remove dead individuals from the reservoir in a timely manner - they decompose very rapidly, which leads to significant damage to the water.
- When feeding vegetables, pieces begin to float, what should I do? You can prick the pieces onto a fork or a stainless steel rod.
- Do ampularia harm aquarium vegetation? Yes, some of the breed do this. But the main reason for this behavior is hunger; well-fed individuals will not even touch the plants.
- How to control the reproduction process of ampularia? No problems arise; it is enough to remove the caviar from the surface - it is clearly visible. And the snails themselves are easy to catch from the container, even with your hands.
- Do snails require a special place to spawn? No, it is enough to provide the aquarium with a lid. In addition, snails are able to crawl out of the container; by covering the container, you can avoid such troubles.
- My pet is big enough, how much longer will he grow? On average, the diameter of ampularia grown in captivity is 5-8 cm. But if we are talking about a snail of the Pomacea maculata variety, the size of individuals often reaches 12-15 cm.
- The ampularia was damaged by other inhabitants, part of the body was torn off, what should I do? Nothing can help the snail, but it is capable of regenerating itself. The lost organ will be restored after 3-4 weeks. It may be smaller in size than the lost one, but this will not affect its functionality. In mollusks, even the organs of vision can be restored.
- Do these snails carry parasitic creatures? Yes, ampullaria are carriers of several types of parasites. At the same time, snails resist them well and are distinguished by their endurance. There is a special parasite that is dangerous for underwater inhabitants and people, the pulmonary nematode, which causes the development of angiostrongylosis. The main carriers of these nematodes are rodents, and humans can become infected with them by eating raw shellfish. Cases have been recorded in which angiostrongylosis affected the patient's nervous system, and the disease also resulted in death. Owners have nothing to worry about - ampullaria become infected with this dangerous parasite only when living in their natural environment, where they coexist with rodents. And few people dare to feast on raw aquarium inhabitants.
- The shell of the ampularia has changed its color in some places, what is the reason? The reason is related to the growth of the shell - it may stop growing due to a change in habitat, starvation, changes in water quality and other negative changes. As soon as the situation stabilizes, the shell is restored, but the consequences in the form of marks remain. It is important for the owner to avoid such changes in their pets.
- What could cause the destruction of a mollusk shell? In order for it to fully grow and form, the mollusk requires a sufficient amount of calcium, which it extracts from the water. In stale or very soft water, this microelement is not enough, and the pet develops a calcium deficiency. The situation can be corrected by timely water changes and the addition of minerals that increase hardness. It is worth noting that the holes in the shell can disappear, however, if the tip breaks off, its condition is unlikely to improve. Actually, the snail itself can live perfectly well without this part of the shell, the main thing is to avoid further destruction.
- In the aquarium, one of the shells turned out to be empty... Did someone eat its occupant? If the tank is not inhabited by predators who are not averse to eating the flesh of the mollusks, then most likely the mollusk died a natural death. And since the snail’s body mainly consists of protein compounds, the decomposition process proceeds very quickly.
- Can ampullaria live in a pond? If you place them in the summer, they may well live in such conditions, but this is only until the weather gets colder.
- Why, under good conditions and nutritious feeding, ampularia are inactive and remain motionless most of the time? If the snails are alive, then there is no need to worry. They are essentially lazy creatures that only move to feed or reproduce. Other feelings and desires do not overwhelm them, and if they are not hungry, and spawning is still far away, they prefer to sleep. Another nuance is that snails of this breed begin to hibernate when the water temperature drops.
- If a snail floats on water, is it dead? Not always, even living individuals are able to float - if a mollusk taken out of the water closes the valve of the shell, then everything is fine with it. The dead specimen will not move and will fall out of the shell.
Ampularia is a wonderful aquarium inhabitant that does not require special conditions and at the same time copes with its duties perfectly. Of course, snails also need care, which is important for the owner of mollusks to know about.
Who can ampularia live next to?
The yellow ampularia is a completely peaceful creature that does not have the habit of attacking fish and other aquarium inhabitants. First-time owners may think that snails are destroying their fish, especially if they catch a mollusk eating the latter. But this opinion is erroneous - snails are scavengers and eat only dead individuals.
None of the snails have the physical ability to chase, catch and kill healthy, active fish. On the contrary, fish can pose a threat to snails. For example, the “lawless” Sumatran barb has a tendency to do mischief, tearing off the antennae of mollusks. But even more dangerous for ampullaria are dwarf and green tetradons, fahaki, clown loaches or large representatives of the cichlid family. These aggressive, predatory inhabitants are capable of destroying even an adult snail.
Some “hunters” are unable to cope with large individuals, but they will definitely exterminate the young snails. In addition, gnawing and other sabotage will negatively affect the condition of the ampoule. Ampoules are an excellent delicacy for red-eared turtles. And if the owner expects that these representatives of different species will get along, then in vain. Snails make a bad neighbor with some invertebrates - it costs shrimps and crayfish nothing to pick a mollusk out of its shell and eat.
Diseases and prevention
How long the ampularia lives depends on the quality of nutrition and care. Possible diseases:
- Cracking of the shell due to lack of minerals;
- Deformation of the armored surface due to mite infestation;
- White plaque on the shell is a parasitic infection;
- Comatose state due to oxygen starvation;
- Obesity due to overfeeding.
To prevent mineral deficiency, egg shells and shell rock are placed on the bottom. Formalin treatment of the shell helps against ticks. For parasites, the shell is treated with saline solution (10 g per 1 liter). The mollusk will not fall into a coma if it lives in a spacious tank with good aeration. The breeder must know what to feed so that the ampoule does not become fat.
Ampoules are popular aquarium mollusks with a large and beautiful shell. They are bred not only for decorative purposes, but also as living aquarium cleaners of organic waste. These are peaceful and calm pets, but they require high-quality conditions and certain water parameters.
