Golden Mystery Snails

Question
I have a few questions for you. Thank you for your multiple emails to me for other questions.

1. I have two golden mystery snails. I try to keep the tank algae-free as much as possible, but I read somewhere that these snails can eat algae. What do these snails need to eat? I keep the tank very clean - can they get enough nutrition just in what few flakes make it to the bottom or do I need to give them something?

2. If they do need algae wafers, will putting sinking algae wafers into my tank cause algae to grow? I have problems with algae from time to time and would hate to introduce a strain of it before it comes on its own anyway. Does food algae cause tank algae to grow?

3. Also about the golden snails, have you ever heard of them "playing dead"? They seem to stop crawling on the tank floor and walls, and they just float at the top for days at a time. Then, suddenly, they come back to life. Are they OK? Is something in my water causing them to do this?

4. I've read, about tropical fish in general now (I have black mollies, red wag platys, and neon tetras) that they need, in addition to their normal flake food, some dried bloodworms or some brine shrimp. Is this true or will my flake food provide them with enough nutrition?

I got your article about setting up tanks but my questions now are mostly about fish happiness. I would hate to discover that I was killing my fish by starving them or nutritionally depriving them.

Thank you so much for all your help,
Michael Salley
michaelsalley@bellsouth.net

Answer
Hi Michael;

I know very little about 'mystery snails' aka "apple snails". The answers to all your snail questions can be found on a great website all about them here;

http://www.applesnail.net/

Oh, and the algae wafers will not cause algae growth. It is spirulina that has been processed to a point that it can't. From what I have read about spirulina algae it requires special conditions anyway.

I offer my fish all kinds of foods. I feed a basic flake and then 3 times a week or so add greens like romaine lettuce, peas, squash, shredded cooked carrots, green beans, etc. Rinse them very well and give them in slices, chunks or even shredded. Fish can "survive" on a basic flake or pellet diet, but their digestion and vitality isn't always what it could be. Fresh foods provide that extra nutrition. They also like frozen brine shrimp, freze dried blood worms, freeze dried tubifex worms, and basic frozen food diets in the form of cubes or chunks. These are all available at most fish stores.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins