Eggs

Species that lay eggs above the waterline (genera: Pomacea, Asolene (Pomella) and
Pila): After the eggs are deposited, they are soft and have a rather milky, pink colour.
After a few hours, they harden and get their definitive colour (from pale pink to
raspberry-red or even greenish depending of the species). It might happen that the eggs at
the surface dry out, on which they get a lighter colour.
The size of the eggs varies from 2.2 to 3.5 mm / 0.01 to 0.14 inch each (in case of
Pomacea canaliculata), whereas Pomacea paludosa and Pila globosa for example lay
eggs with a diameter of 4 to 7 mm / 0.16 to 0.28 inch. The eggs at the surface probably
won't deliver you many little snails when the air humidity is not optimal, but often the
eggs deeper inside the clutch thrive well.
It's no problem to transfer the egg clutch to another location, as long as you are careful
not cause too much damage. A damages clutch is more prone to infections and
evaporation. The best way to move the eggs is by wetting the clutch, wait a few hours and
then carefully move the clutch over the surface until it comes off. Obviously this method
is of most successful on glass or other smooth surfaces.

It's important to keep the eggs in a moist, but not wet environment. Never keep these
eggs under water (this will drown the embryos)! Keep the temperature between 18 and
28°C (65-82°F). The higher the temperature, the faster the snails will hatch.
Note!: Not all apple snails from the genus Pomacea lay their eggs above the waterline in
a clutch. Pomacea urceus lays about 50 to 200 orange eggs at the inside of the shell near
the aperture. The eggs are brooded in this incubation chamber, closed off with the
mother's operculum (shell-door), while the snail aestivates in the dry mud during the dry
season. The young snails hatch during this period and crawl around under the female's
shell until the rainy season starts. A side effect of this reproduction method is visible as
eggscars on the mother's shell at the place where the eggs were attached.
In the picture section there are more pictures of apple snail eggs.

Eggs, Pomacea canaliculata, 7 Egg clutch, dried out before Aquatic eggs in gelatinous
days old. Note the reddish the little snails left (Pomacea mass, Marisa cornuarietis, 2
colour. bridgesii). days old.
Species that lay their eggs under the waterline (genera: Asolene (Asolene),
Felipponea, Lanistes and Marisa):
The eggs are embedded in a transparent gelatinous mass and are relatively small when
they are laid, but take up a lot of water within the first days and swell significantly (from
3 mm to 6 mm). The need for temperatures between 18 and 28°C (65-82°F) applies to
these eggs as well. Obviously these eggs should stay below the surface!
Interesting in these snails is that one can follow the development of the little snails inside
the eggs (also see the 'embryology' section).

Interactive 3D-models (Java):

- Aquatic eggs on a stem

Hatching

After 2-4 weeks (depending on the species and the

temperature, 14 days at 25°C in the case of Pomacea
canaliculata) the first little snails should appear. If
they don't after 3 weeks, you can try to help the young
snails. It might seem rude, but it works: just break the
clutch in 2 - 3 parts and those in the water. You can
even wash the snail out of the clutch by moving the
broken clutch parts through the water. Note that this
isn't neecessary when the moisture of the air is
The young snails (Pomacea
sufficient.
bridgesii) are making their
If you don't see little snails after breaking a 4 weeks
way out.
old clutch, it can be that the eggs aren't fertilised or
that the air moisture was too low. In the latter case the
yolk is very thick or the eggs are completely dried out and filled with air. You might want
to wait until the snails appear on the natural way (it can take several days before they all
are hatched), but keep in mind that if the clutch isn't kept moist enough, the young snails
won't be able to make their way out and subsequently die.

Young snails

Many young snails might die within the first weeks of their existence, but those who
survive grow quickly. At a size of 2.5 cm /1 inch (2-5 months) in case of Pomacea
canaliculata and Pomacea bridgesii, they are able to reproduce and the next generation
will appear if you don't remove their eggs in time.
From the day they hatch, the young snails eat the same as their parents, so there is no
need for special babysnail-food. Keep in mind, however, that it's often difficult for a
young snail to obtain enough food in a completely clean tank. The long distances they
need to walk in such case to reach the food could simply be too much. As a result of this,
it's often easier to raise little apple snails in a tank with algae on the walls so the little
snails have enough food (algae) without traveling all around.
The young apple snails can stay in the same aquarium together with their parents without
being eaten by them as long as there is enough food available. However, larger fish with
preference for (little) snails can be a reason to keep the young ones in a separated
aquarium until they have grown somewhat bigger.
If one plans to transfer the little snail to a separate tank, be sure that their new
environment is already a somewhat stable eco-system. In other words: put 1/3 water from
a pond or another aquarium with 2/3 fresh water and let the new tank stand for 2-3 weeks
with vegetation, without other inhabitants before adding little snails. Such approach
certainly increases the success rate with raising young snails.
And last, but not least: algae and debris might not be appealing to the human eye,
however it's certainly appreciated by the little snails.

Note the red intestines of

these young snails. This is
caused by the reddish,
carotene-rich yolk they
have lived on when they
were growing inside the
eggs.
Pomacea bridgesii snails
don't have such a red body
Baby Pomacea canaliculata when they are born (also Pomacea canaliculata snail
snails, 1 hour after leaving the see the picture above of after 5 days. Size about 2.5 mm.
eggs. hatching Pomacea
bridgesii snails).

Transport

The best way to transport apple snails is put them in a plastic box with moist synthetic
filter cotton or damp paper towels. The snails are better protected against shell damage
during transport this way and as apple snails can stay out of the water for days to weeks
without problems (they are air-breathers with a shell door), this method is easy and safe.
It's important to make some holes in the lid to provide fresh air when they need to travel
for a week or more. Large apple snails can also be wrapped in newspapers and put in a
paper bag. Transport in a water filled plastic bag is only advised for small snails.
In humid conditions (that you achieve with the method described above), many species
can survive for long periods. For example Marisa cornuarietis is known to survive for
about 120 days out of the water if the humidity is kept at 80%.