Most people don’t think about what does snails poop looks like because they don’t encounter snails often.
If you have a pet snail or are interested in snails, you might wonder what their poop looks like.
In this post I will discuss whole things and as a new snail owner you will learn to distinguish between snail poop and eggs. Let’s discuss it.
Mystery Snail Poop
Mystery snail is a peaceful aquatic snail. They are the first choice of the aquarists for their unique color and eating habit.
They clean the aquarium by eating fish wastage, dead plants, algae and some other things which stay unchecked.
Aquarists can look after their mystery snail very easily. They are also known as golden apple snails.
However, some new snail owners have become confused: mystery snail poop or egg? As they are new they can not distinguish between them. Also as they have no idea they do not know what mystery snail poop looks like?
Mystery snails also produce poops. Mystery snail poops and lays eggs. First, the Mystery snail poops and makes a cocoon to protect the eggs.
The mystery snails are ready to excrete feces from their anus, which you find the body of the snail and inside of the shell.
What Does Snails Poop Look Like
Snail poop’s color depends on the snail diet and their shell color. Most of the time snails poop color is black or brown and after drying it takes a dark black color.
Also almost every snail is herbivores and consume vegetables and aquarium plants that’s why their poop color is brighter brownish or greenish.
As well as when it dries out it takes dark black. So, when you see some dark color things floating on top of the water you can identify it as a snail’s poop.
In fact, their intestines can be up to ten times the length of their bodies.
Snail poop is usually a dark brown or black color and is very small. You probably won’t notice it unless you’re looking for it.
What Does Mystery Snail Poop Look Like
Mystery snail poop looks depend on the snail’s size and age. Though their poop standard form is C-shaped strings.
As a snail owner you will see that their poop shape is small and narrow which looks similar to eggs.
When it comes to their feces (poop), it is usually a dark brown color and has a soft texture.
What Does Snail Egg Look Like
To distinguish between snail poop and egg now you should know the looks of mystery snail eggs.
Usually mystery snails lay their eggs at the top of the waterline.
Snails egg size can vary depending on their ages. Even mystery snails lay their eggs in clutches that are similar to long finger appearance cocoons.
Although before hatching the egg passes some stages where the eggs take different colors.
-From day 1 to 2 you can call them stage 1. In this stage their egg color is pinkish which is round, small and soft.
-After day 3 to 7 egg color turns into garnet brown and hardening shell.
–As well as from the day 7 to 10 they look gray shades and their shapes are irregular. Also from day 11 to 21 its appearance is moldy and varies in sizes.
However, mystery snails every single cluster of eggs take twenty hours to hatch. You can leave them in the aquarium to hatch by themselves or ventilate by yourself to hatch successfully.
Snails are creatures that are known for their slime. They produce this slime as a means of locomotion and also as a defense mechanism.
Mystery Snail Eggs
Typically, they lay their egg on the above waterline. Moreover, Mystery snails love to lay their eggs in a large tank because they feel safe. The top sides of the tank are a perfect place for laying eggs.
What Do Mystery Snail Eggs Look Like?
You may see the poop first, clumps or clutches, and finally, get the eggs. They lay an egg on the bottom of the tank. The eggs look square and small in shape.
The narrow shape of the snail eggs also looks like a square shape.
Furthermore, you may find the eggs of snails like rice. There is no rule setting the size of the mystery snail eggs because different ages of snails come with different size eggs.
Note that you will always get the eggs of snails in the top position of the tank.
Mystery Snail Poop or Egg
Generally, mystery snails produce poops and female snails lay eggs. And they do not do this at the same time.
But most of the new aquarium owners become confused and think the egg is poop. Finally they dispose of it.
Anyway,if you have a healthy mystery snail everyday it will produce up to 10% poop of its form heaviness.
Their poop size is very small but it has a great importance for plants. Because it contains nutrients, nitrogen and other minerals.
Also it helps to enhance the drainage system.
As well as female mystery snails lay eggs above the waterline. Most of the time you will see the eggs are stuck to the aquarium glass.
But sometimes it can fall in the water because of its heaviness and float above the water.
In every egg clutch there are fifty to five hundred eggs depending on the clutch size.
However, in short mystery snails lay eggs and to construct the eggs they build cocoons with clutches.
Also for clutches they use their poop. So mystery snails build poop and after this they produce eggs. They make cocoons with clumps or clutches to make the eggs.
So, it is clear that Mystery snails produce poop and eggs but not at the same time.
The Mystery snail eggs on the clumps or clutches. Each of the clumps or clutches contains nearly 50 to 500 eggs.
What to Do When Your Mystery Snail Lays Eggs?
When your Mystery snail lays eggs, you can do something special. Here is a simple list that you need to maintain when your Mystery snail lays eggs.
-First of all, you should choose a large size tank so that they can feel secure to lay eggs on the top of the tank.
-Use ample of apace, which provides snail shelters. If possible, use artificial green trees on the tank.
-Scan the eggs clusters once per day so that the eggs safe.
*Check out the PH of the water so that the water is safe for the snail’s breeding.
FAQs
Can You Eat Mystery Snail Eggs?
No, you can’t eat Mystery snail eggs. You should not touch the eggs in your open hands because the eggs contain a neurotoxin, which is harmful to the human body.
When you touch the eggs in your open hand, your hands get germs, and you will be ill.
The snail egg, also known as a rat lungworm, is toxic to the human body. If you need to move the snail’s egg, you need to wear protective hand gloves.
Are My Mystery Snail Eggs Fertilized?
All of the snail eggs are not fertilized. You may find some of the snail eggs are fertile. Similarly, you can’t judge the color of the eggs to consider them fertile.
The fertile eggs are moldy when they are hatching. Moreover, the fertile eggs always come with clutches or clamps.
If the eggs don’t come with this cocoon, you should understand that the snail eggs are not fertile.
Are Mystery Snail Eggs Supposed to Be Hard?
The answer is no. The snail eggs are soft and come in a soft pink color. They are soft because of some common reasons.
A snail lays nearly 50 to 500 eggs on a clutch, and if the eggs are hard, it is hard enough for a snail to lay eggs.
It is true that the snail eggs are soft but don’t melt when they create some extra pressure.
Are Mystery Snail Eggs Toxic?
Yes, Mystery snail eggs are toxic, and touching the eggs with your open hand should be avoidable. The eggs contain a neurotoxin which creates poison.
Mystery snail eggs are only suitable in tanks, and snails are capable of carrying the eggs. So, you don’t need to touch the eggs as well as collect their eggs for eating.