Albino Mystery Snails

ALBINO MYSTERY SNAILS:

Mystery snails (Pomacea Bridgesii) are probably the most popular freshwater snail in the aquarium hobby. Not only are they easy to care for and fun to observe with their large colorful shells and swaying tentacles, but they are also extremely beneficial for their vigorous cleaning of algae, waste, dead plant matter and excess food!

Overview

Mystery snails are available in 7 different colors: Gold, Blue, Black, Purple, Ivory, Jade, and Albino which features a white body with a striped, brown shell. The average mystery snail lifespan is around one year. It is extremely rare for a mystery snail to exceed one year even with the perfect care and habitat conditions, but you can obviously shorten their lifespan with subpar care. 

Mystery snails are among the largest freshwater snails in the hobby, growing to a maximum or 2.5 inches or more. Some specimens may stay around 1 to 1.25 inches in diameter. We try to generally ship younger Mystery snails that are not fully grown, around 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, though the sizes of the snail you receive may vary from snail to snail.

Mystery snail care is fairly simple and something anyone can do, however, just because it is simple doesn’t mean it is hands-off. Mystery snails need consistency in their habitat in order to thrive and avoid illness.

Tank Size and Tank Mates

A general rule is one snail per 5 gallons of water. These little creatures are about as peaceful as it gets. They simply want to do their own thing and be left alone. There are a ton of potential tank mates you can choose from. Pretty much any freshwater fish without aggressive tendencies can be considered, as long as snails are not a part of their diet. Since Mystery snails are very passive and nonintrusive, most of their tank mates will hardly notice them. The pairing of a Betta fish and Mystery snail is something that many aquarists ask about. The short answer is yes, you can absolutely keep betta fish and Mystery snails together. They will stay out of each other’s way and go about their business. The snail will gladly clean the tank while the Betta enjoys the clear water! 

Mystery snails can manage a variety of different substrates, so you are not stuck with any one option. We recommend something that is not too course such as GRO-PRO planted Aquarium Substrate. We like including some rocks and or driftwood as these serve as great natural surfaces for your Mystery snail to occupy day after day!

Food and Diet

Mystery snails are extremely active eaters, which makes them so excellent at ridding aquariums of waste. They are completely safe and should be kept with live plants as long as enough food is available for them, however, they have been known to munch on plants if they get hungry enough. Plants will also serve as a helpful source of organic debris. You don’t want to rely on naturally occurring algae entirely though, giving them fish food is a great way to deter them from eating your live plants. Other than algae and biofilm, they will also eat fish, invertebrate pellets, algae wafers, and blanched vegetables such as zucchini, kale, spinach, or cucumber. Mystery snails have a very keen sense of smell and will rush toward food as it is dropped in the water.

Water Parameters

Water parameters are an area you want to pay close attention to when it comes to Mystery snail care. They can be very sensitive to shifts in levels. The most effective way to ensure this is by testing your water frequently. Such as API GH/KH test kit.

• Water temperature: 68°F to 84°F
• PH levels: 6.8 to 8.4
• KH level: Ideal is 12-18
• GH level: Ideal is 8-18

Mystery snails need a decent amount of calcium to thrive and help their shell grow. While some owners add it into their water with supplements, you can also feed them calcium dense veggies as a way of introducing the mineral into the water.

Mystery snail Breeding

The Mystery snail breeding process is something that owners of all experience levels can handle. Mystery snails breed with the traditional male and female pairing, and they are fairly adept at figuring out how to breed on their own. If you want to encourage your Mystery snails to breed, we suggest lowering the water level in your aquarium 3 0r 4 inches, as the female will crawl out of the water to lay her eggs in a long lumpy cocoon above the water line. This cocoon sticks to the side of the aquarium and consists of 100 eggs or so. If there is enough humidity where the eggs are located, they should hatch in 2 to 4 weeks. The baby snails will fall into the water and begin their life journey!

If you do NOT want your Mystery snails to breed or are worried about them overpopulating your aquarium, it is easy to remove their eggs before they hatch. As mentioned above, their snail eggs take around 2 to 4 weeks to hatch after they are laid, which gives you ample time to spot the cluster of eggs and remove them.