#Blue mystery snail how to#

They prefer a pH of 7 + and GH and KH of 100 and up. They need to be consuming it through their food.Īlso, you will want to make sure your water is not soft, as soft water will greatly damage your shell development. So you can start with a young snail that maybe has some shell issues, but once it keeps growing, the new growth will come in beautifully if you do this right.Īdding calcium to the water does not cut it. The key is to grow your snail quickly at warmer temperatures (this snail was grown in water from 75–80 F) with strong calcium-based food, so it has a smooth shell.

This means problems with pits and depressions or even cracks.īut I’m going to spill a little secret for you: Achieving beautiful coloration like that pictured above is NOT genetics. Unless you provide enough supplemental calcium, the shells of your snails will become very fragile. You can blend calcium carbonate powder into gel fish food or snello (6,000 mg per cup, but this can be messy), or purchase calcium sticks for a premade solution (I have used this kind to achieve very beautiful shells, below is pictured one of my snails.) This can include anything from fissures, pits, or rough patches and can do much damage if not addressed quickly.Ī good quality calcium supplement or calcium-rich shrimp or snail food is essential. Most shell problems arise from a lack of calcium. Without enough calcium, the snails are not able to build the layers of their shells as strong as they need to. CalciumĬalcium is an essential part of the diet of blue mystery snails, which are invertebrates.

#Blue mystery snail how to#

Related Read: How to Breed Mystery Snails (in 5 Steps): Everything I Know Diet: The Two Main Requirements 1. Many fish medications contain copper, so be sure not to expose them to those. You can use a heavy metal remover like this one I use to ensure your water is safe for them. If you don’t have harder water, a commercial buffer or homemade ones such as crushed coral or limestone is a good ideaĭirty water or any nitrogen cycle problems such as high ammonia or nitrites can harm snails.Ĭopper can harm or kill mystery snails, so it is very important to make sure there is none in your water. Soft water can cause problems for their shells, so it is important to make sure their pH stays between 7–8. They will grow faster in these temperatures and breed readily. They are technically tropical pets and will be most active in a range of 70–80 degrees F. Mystery snails require good water conditions to thrive. However, there are a few things that are important for them to thrive: Mystery snails are surprisingly hardy and don’t need an advanced hobbyist to keep them alive and well. They are very easy to care for, probably one of the easiest aquatic pets you can keep! Tips on Caring for Blue Mystery Snails So, where do you buy these blue beauties? Mysteries are one of the largest aquarium snails and can grow to be up to the size of a golf ball in the right conditions!

The blue tends to look more vivid when you hold them in your hand instead of under the water.

High-quality blues will have smooth, well-developed shells, opalescence, and vivid blue color. They get their blue color from their dark body showing through. Very thick shells will sometimes appear almost entirely white. Blue mystery snails (sometimes referred to as apple snails, scientifically called Pomacea diffusa) have a dark body with orange freckles and a blue shell and are one of the more exotic color variations of mysteries.įact: The shell of the blue mystery snail is actually white, not blue.