Ramshorn snail
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The term ramshorn snail or ram's horn snail is used in two different ways. In the
Ramshorn snails have been bred for the aquarium trade and various color forms have been selected. The two species commonly found in aquariums are Planorbella duryi and Planorbarius corneus, both in the family Planorbidae. One species (Columbia ramshorn, Marisa cornuarietis) is from a totally different family, the Ampullariidae.
Ramshorn snails can sometimes become a nuisance in an aquarium where they have access to an unlimited food supply. However, in properly managed aquaria that are free of excess detritus, they are rarely prolific enough to become a nuisance to the home aquarist.
Description
Most of these snails are of the family Planorbidae, and they include the species Planorbarius corneus. There are two different coloured skin forms: black and red; the latter lack the dark skin pigment melanin and consequently have a bright reddish skin, which is the colour of their blood. Their blood contains red hemoglobin,[1] unlike other snails' blood, which contains greenish hemocyanin.
These ramshorn snails breathe air. Although most of them are extremely small, some may reach a size of two and a half centimeters (one inch). The shells range from translucent through various shades of brown to a dark, nearly black color. The dark color appears to originate from dietary materials not generally available in the home aquarium, although many varieties from ponds are this dark shade.
Snails of this family are spiralled sinistrally, with the opening hole slanted downward toward the right. Large folds of skin may protrude out of the more open left side. Like all air-breathing water snails, the animal has no operculum, and has only one pair of tentacles with the eye spots at the base of the tentacles. Ramshorn snails have a lifespan of one year.[2]
Breeding
Ramshorn snails are
two organisms of any sex have the ability to breed and produce offspring.Ramshorn snails lay eggs in globules, which tend to be brownish in color. The globules contain about a dozen or so eggs, though it can vary. The globules are translucent, so it is possible to visually see the new snails develop in size. The newborn snails are clearish white.
Interaction with environment
Ramshorn snails generally will eat only the most delicate plants, preferring
Some aquarium species will eat ramshorn snails. More voracious eaters include
Good fish roommates for snails include, but are not limited to,
. All of these are non-aggressive fish that cohabit easily with snails.One should also be aware that pond-reared red ramshorn snails are able to carry various
If the population is kept to a manageable size, ramshorn snails can be good tank cleaners. They eat algae and dead or dying plants generally, so they can be useful. However, if they breed too prolifically they can become a nuisance. In warm climates (such as those in mainland Australia or the southern United States) they much prefer ponds, especially outdoor ponds. Algae, dead leaves that sink to the bottom, mulm and dead animals can be a problem, as they foul the water. Ramshorn snails eat all of these things.
Role as aquarium pest
Most ramshorn snails are considered minor aquarium pests. They may arrive in a tank as
Soaking the plants in various
Manual methods include baiting the snails with lettuce (run it under hot water first and leave overnight), cucumber slices, or food pellets. These may be left out in the open, and removed with their snails, or kept in some container, such as a film canister weighed down with a pebble, and containing holes drilled in it. Crushing the snails by hand as they appear can also effectively limit their population; most ramshorn shells are fragile enough that this is quite easily done.
Introducing animals to control a snail population can require some thought. Other aquarium fish may not be compatible, and some larger adult snails may be too big to be eaten by smaller snail eating species. It may occasionally be necessary to crush a few snails manually so that the fish realize the snail can be eaten. Snail eating species also do not usually discriminate between different types of snails, although this is usually not much of a concern.
Snail poisons are generally considered to be a last resort, as most of them are copper-based and are potentially toxic to plants and fish and particularly dangerous to other invertebrates. Even new safer chemicals that do not harm the other aquarium inhabitants may cause damage if large numbers of dead snails are allowed to decompose. For this reason, it is best to reduce the snail population by other means as much as possible before resorting to poisons, and to do frequent water changes afterwards. Some also recommend adding ammonium protection to the tank. Zeolite chips, and various liquid products such as amquel may help in this area.
"Giant ramshorn" snails
Totally unrelated to these ramshorn snails is the species
Its shell is yellowish, with brown stripes running the length of the shell. These apple snails lay gelatinous masses of eggs on submerged portions of plants. They can grow to up to four centimeters in size. They generally will not become a pest, although they can consume large amounts of plant matter. They are very large compared to other Ramshorn snails.
References
- PMID 16877545.
- ^ "Ramshorn Snail Care, Size, Food, Reproduction, Lifespan - Video". Aquarium Care Basics. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
- ^ Ramshorn Snail – The Care, Feeding and Breeding of Ramshorn Snails
- ^ Red Ramshorn Snail Factoids
External links
- Ramshorn Snails on The Aquarium Wiki