Raising Snails

[snaily]

Hi, I'm rearing fireflies, and since they feed voraciously on snails, I'm trying to raise an aquatic snail in large enough numbers to sustain them...I have one from Arizona, family Lymnaeidae, and probably the genus Fossaria=Galba. Mature ones are doing real well on lettuce, and laying gobs and gobs of eggs. But they also eat their own eggs, so I've sequestered them in another aquarium......they hatch ok but don't take well to lettuce or other greens, and most, like 90%, die....so what would you recommend I try? I do add calcium....might the youngsters be algae feeders? Should I foster algal growth in their nursery till they are of age to join the bigger ones? Any suggestions would be appreciated...
 
 
 

 

[ncguppy830]

ive never had a problem having a snail infestion or in that case raising them. i would go for the algae growth as thats for of a natural food for snails.

 

[Baccus]

What sort of aquatic snail are you trying to raise? If just common ones like rams horns or bladder snails they should rocket along on just fish food with any algea that tends to grow in their tank.
I was wanting to keep fireflies myself so will be very interested in finding out how your fireflies do on an aquatic snail diet....then I may finally be able to lick my Malaysian Snail infestations.
How did you get your fireflies? I have been thinking about collecting some of my local fireflies, but they have been proving harder to track down and collect in suitable numbers while ensuring that I have both males and females.

 

[snaily]

I cited the family and genus of the snail, from Arizona. Exotic, pet shop snails, granted, would be easier, but I might pick up an exotic virus or other pathogen, so I stick with native species....the fireflies I'm rearing are Arizonan also and I've developed techniques to deal with their feeding habits....so question is, where in the world are you that I might determine what species of fireflies are in your area and give my advice on rearing them

 

[Baccus]

I'm in Queensland Australia, but since so many of our smaller creatures have not been fully studied or catalogued by science then there is a good chance that I could get an "unknown" species/ subspecies depending on where I collect from or I could end up with Red and Black Fireflies Luciola humilis which seems to be pretty common up and down the east coast.