Mystery snail eggs and water changes

[biofish]

So yesterday I lifted the lid to my 55g to adjust a plant when I noticed what looked to be a moldy caterpillar under the lid. It took a few seconds to register what they were exactly LOL. but they are mysterious snail eggs! But! As you can tell by the water level: the tank is in need of a water change and I was wondering if the eggs would be okay? The tank has two lids so I could do the water change by lifted the other lid to help prevent the humidity from escaping too badly? I’ve read some people moving the eggs to a better location but don’t really have a better location…. Unless like putting the eggs on a plastic wrap hammock held up by a closed Tupperware lid in a Tupperware container with a bit of water would work LOL. Cause I know they need to be out of the water and require humidity.

 

[Sgooosh]

i've never actually hatched them, but i've read a lot about them. i've heard about someone putting it in a tupperware with a paper towel and a lot of humidity

 

[biofish]

So I did my water change went ended up being much more intrusive than originally planned. I put fertilizer in my tank for the first time a couple weeks ago and the tank exploded in hair algae so I had to spent a significant amount of time scraping as much as I could off while the water level was down. Kitchen scrapers ftw.

And the eggs are starting to change color. Starting to get darker pinkish color with white blobs in the middle of them. Not sure if that means they’re duds now or if they’re still germinating.

 

[Sgooosh]

So I did my water change went ended up being much more intrusive than originally planned. I put fertilizer in my tank for the first time a couple weeks ago and the tank exploded in hair algae so I had to spent a significant amount of time scraping as much as I could off while the water level was down. Kitchen scrapers ftw.

And the eggs are starting to change color. Starting to get darker pinkish color with white blobs in the middle of them. Not sure if that means they’re duds now or if they’re still germinating.

the white dots may be baby snails! i think the infertile ones are opaque white

 

[biofish]

Most of them are changing colors, and not too many are solid white

 

[FranciscoB]

Those are apple snails egg masses. They don't really require much humidity, as they contain enough liquid/mucus inside for the developing embryos. In nature, adults lay them on hard surfaces (including reeds and other plants, and they are exposed to the sun). At hatching time, the eggs hatch and baby snails ooze into the water below. Best is not to remove them or transfer them anywhere; that is if you want them to develop to term. If instead, you want to get rid of them, do take them out.

 

[biofish]

THEY HATCHED!!!!

I’ve counted 21 so far!

I don’t really have a source of calcium for them though….

 

[FranciscoB]

Don’t really need to specifically add calcium, unless in very soft water, which is unlikely. They extract what they need from what they eat and water. Depending on type of fish tankmates, adding a source of Ca may not be a good idea. If ok with tankmates, then some empty shells (any kind) would help, or any carbonate material (shells, coral, limestone, marble, aragonite).