It is critical to differentiate between mystery snail poop from snail eggs and other small organisms in the tank. Since cleaning the aquarium is important, knowing what the snail’s stool looks like is key when you want to clean up the tank.
But, what does the poop like?
Mystery snail poop is dark brown but the color can vary depending on their diet and shell color. Snails with brown shells excrete brownish stool but if they eat a lot of vegetables, their poop will appear greenish. The stool takes the shape of soaked pellets or rice grains.
Mystery nails poop a lot and can make the tank messy. I recommend cleaning the tank frequently with a siphoning tool to prevent ammonia spikes.
Mystery snail poop pictures
Here’s a gallery of pictures to help identify mystery snail poop:
Mystery snails can also produce white poop that resembles rice grains but this is not a common occurrence.
If you see white poop quite often, supplement their usual diet of algae with vegetables and other foods to avoid constipation.
Some mystery snails may produce sticky stools. However, it is never something to worry about. However, you will note that their poop may line at the tank’s base or even float on the surface. Snail poop may be visible on aquarium plant leaves.
Do mystery snails poop a lot?
Mystery snails poop after every few minutes, depending on how much and what they eat. They are likely to produce a lot of waste on any given day if they are well-fed.
Since mystery snails are some of the biggest freshwater snails, they eat quite a lot and poop a lot too as a consequence.
Note that these snails may reproduce at a high rate if they are well-fed. More mystery snails in an aquarium mean that cleaning should be frequent.
Due to their body mass, it is critical to keep mystery snails in a rather large aquarium, as the more poop they produce, the more likely the water will become easily toxic. Larger aquariums can hold more water that won’t get higher ammonia concentrations quickly.
Maintaining good aquarium hygiene is critical to preventing your snails from toxins from their waste. Having some plants in the aquarium with mystery snails would also be critical. Plants are excellent at cleaning the water of toxins. The poop may work well for the plants as organic manure.
It is normal for the poop of your snails to appear undigested when they eat a lot of food. Generally, it is also important to know the number of snails in a tank such that their survival and health remains in good shape.
What else looks like mystery snail poop?
Most people confuse mystery snail eggs for their poop. This misconception worsens if the snails do not feed well on green plant matter and produce white poop. It is critical to note the difference as you may vacuum snail eggs thinking they are snail poop.
Fertile mystery snail eggs are light with dark spots at the base. The darker shades are young snails usually visible through the egg covering. Their eggs are transparent, while their poop is opaque and will mostly have a shade of brown, black, or any of the dark colors.
Difference between mystery snail poop and eggs
Mystery snail poop is usually C-shaped and often presents as small dark pellets. They are usually granular and may often appear as dry matter. However, you might fail to notice the dryness if the poop is submerged in water.
The snail’s poop clutters and settles at the base of the tank upon absorbing water. Under normal circumstances, the poop is supposed to float on the surface.
The eggs may differ slightly from their poop as they will always be white and turn paler as they approach hatching. Snail eggs are opaque, so you’ll notice the tiny snails in them, and if you’re keen enough, you’ll see motion as the embryo grows.
Snail poop will appear in a long slimy string that may resemble beads held together by a string, while the eggs are laid in a single cluster.
The eggs often appear bigger than the poop and grow in size as time progresses. On the other hand, their poop will maintain its size, and the longer it stays, the darker it gets.
Mystery snail stringy poop
Mystery snails deposit their poop in a string formation. The stringy poop’s length is determined by the amount of food the snail eats. Snails poop almost as soon as they eat. For this reason, they are likely to deposit long chains of stringy poop that resemble beads held together by a string.
You must note that the slow movement of the snails is another contributor to their poop appearing in a string-like form. They rarely move long distances before pooping as long as the food is abundant. The poop is usually slimy and sticky. Hence, each poop pellet holds onto the other like glue.
Is mystery snail poop dangerous?
The poop is rich in minerals that are beneficial for aquarium plants. Snails eat organic foods, making their poop nutrient-rich for plants.
Mystery snail poop is not toxic and may not cause any harm to humans if touched by bare hands. However, touching snail poop may not be the best experience due to its slimy nature.
You should also note that leaving snail poop in the water for too long can cause ammonia toxicity.
Clean the water and remove the stool regularly, as mystery snails are freshwater organisms that require fresh water for their survival.
How to get rid of mystery snail poop
The best way to remove the waste from your aquarium is by vacuuming. The suction action of the vacuum cleaner will pull off the poop from the tank’s floor and substrate.
Begin by vacuuming from one end of the poop string as you follow the string’s channel to avoid leaving anything behind. You may need to scrub a little to scrape it off if the poop does not detach from the surface easily.
If the poop is floating on the surface, use a net to scoop it off the water. Take care not to scoop too deep and remove other critical components of the aquarium. For instance, you may scoop out snail eggs in the process.
If the poop is embedded in the sand, rake it off gently to separate it from the sand before scooping it gently with a net. Use a vacuum for deep cleaning.
Finally, consider installing a sump filter to help in cleaning surface water. It is the safest and most efficient surface cleaner for aquariums.
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