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Post by koppite on Feb 17, 2010 14:31:47 GMT
Hi team, just wondering when you get a lead of eggs that hatch that are different species, do you keep them together where possible (same housing requirements) to save on the space? Or do they need to be kept to there individual clutches so monitoring is easier, to make sure they are all thriving and that they all get there fair share of food etc i just have my Ovum eggs at present, but having around 12 different species for now, was wondering hw you die-hard pro's do things Lastly, how big do you tend to let the babies grow to before selling them onto buyers, and roughly how long do they take to reach selling size? (although i guess some species may grow quicker than others) many Thanks phil
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Post by Amber on Feb 17, 2010 16:24:21 GMT
I tend towards keeping mine seperately. Saves on getting breeds mixed up as many all look the same as babies. Obviously magies and fulicas you can tell the difference between due to size but if you intend on selling them i would keep them apart for sure. Also helps you identify if there is an especially low hatch rate in a particular breed. If i have low hatch rates i keep them til they are a bit bigger than normal because often as not some will die and you need to make sure they are taking in calcium etc. If they are mixed and one breed isnt eating calcium you wouldnt know because the cuttle fish and powder is still going down etc. If just for pets n theres not many and they have the same requirements then theres no harm keeping them together but if there are alot they poo up their tank pretty fast as hatchlings so the less in the tank, the cleaner it is for longer. As a rule i try not to sell or rehome any until i am happy that they are healthy, taking in different calcium sources and their shell is strong with good new growth. I don't wait for a specific size but i equally wouldn't send them within the first 6 weeks of hatching either. I have done with archachatina species but only in circumstances where i am sending them to people i know. In the case of selling on ebay........ i do it due to having excess snails at certain points but im still not confident enough to send abroad despite the fact i dont know of anyone thats sent them abroad and them not be totally fine, and i don't sell 'babies' i wait until they are small - med juvs. I know that most people wont buy odd breeds as feeder food but just in case they might i sell them after they are too big to be feeder food..... im pretty clear that they are pets and i want them to go as pets but have to say they are feeder food due to regulations. It's all totally down to what you feel comfortable with etc. Every person keeps their babies their own way and sells them when they are ready, you just have to find your comfort zone.
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Post by koppite on Feb 17, 2010 21:43:34 GMT
Cheers Amber, great advice, good points , all taken on board ;D I will keep any babies I get separate to enable them the best start in life, and to be able to monitor their progress etc so that people who buy/swap from me are getting good quality healthy snails, like all you good people on here have Cheers phil
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Post by AlienSnail on Feb 18, 2010 14:39:12 GMT
I tend towards keeping mine seperately. Saves on getting breeds mixed up as many all look the same as babies. Obviously magies and fulicas you can tell the difference between due to size but if you intend on selling them i would keep them apart for sure. Also helps you identify if there is an especially low hatch rate in a particular breed. If i have low hatch rates i keep them til they are a bit bigger than normal because often as not some will die and you need to make sure they are taking in calcium etc. If they are mixed and one breed isnt eating calcium you wouldnt know because the cuttle fish and powder is still going down etc. If just for pets n theres not many and they have the same requirements then theres no harm keeping them together but if there are alot they poo up their tank pretty fast as hatchlings so the less in the tank, the cleaner it is for longer. As a rule i try not to sell or rehome any until i am happy that they are healthy, taking in different calcium sources and their shell is strong with good new growth. I don't wait for a specific size but i equally wouldn't send them within the first 6 weeks of hatching either. I have done with archachatina species but only in circumstances where i am sending them to people i know. In the case of selling on ebay........ i do it due to having excess snails at certain points but im still not confident enough to send abroad despite the fact i dont know of anyone thats sent them abroad and them not be totally fine, and i don't sell 'babies' i wait until they are small - med juvs. I know that most people wont buy odd breeds as feeder food but just in case they might i sell them after they are too big to be feeder food..... im pretty clear that they are pets and i want them to go as pets but have to say they are feeder food due to regulations. It's all totally down to what you feel comfortable with etc. Every person keeps their babies their own way and sells them when they are ready, you just have to find your comfort zone. Sound advice. As for selling abroad I will only do so if I'm confident in the recipient. I've learned from experience on that one! But to be honest I'm not comfortable selling to anyone I don't know. I did have a stint of selling a few on eBay last year, as far as I know they went to good homes but I don't know for sure, I'm not sure that I'll be selling any on eBay this year. I'm not against it at all, but just as Amber says it's down to your own comfort level. With my own babies I have a similar method. I keep species seperate unless they are very distict. I have kept babies together and found that one has eated the other sort! I don't know how common this is, but I do wonder if babies require more protein. I place the babies within a ventilated tub, and put the tub within the adult's tank so the conditions are similar to that of the main tank. I leave the eggs alone now, I used to place the eggs in tubs but although sometimes they are disturbed and don't hatch, usually they hatch better left alone. Some folk put a tub over the area where the eggs are. That's a good plan really. I think I will have to adopt that one Yes, agreed with Amber - there are people out there who buy young snails to sell on as feader food, so it is necessary to place your feelings on this matter on your advert, unfortunately, even though eBay want the clause left in. Yeah, best to left your babies grow before rehoming them, they can be sensitive to change when they're young, even fulica.
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Post by crossless on Feb 18, 2010 18:40:07 GMT
Yes, I think some times have to be careful if selling snails as food, you can't really know does someome resale them as pets. I found trustworthy girl same that I'm feeling really confident that snails eggs/babies will be eaten.
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Post by koppite on Feb 18, 2010 20:05:34 GMT
Cheers peeps, again sound advice, taken on board The Ovum eggs that i currently have (my 1st ever) I have decided to leave well alone, just placed a plastic plant pot over that area to try and protect from any possible bulldozers Ness - how big/small a tub do you tend to use when you place babies in them that go inside the adults enclosure? (i know it depends on species, just so know approx so i dont use anything too small), or i may just use smaller versions of my big tubs for the babies, which i think are approx 24 litres capacity regards phil
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Post by muddydragon on Feb 18, 2010 20:38:34 GMT
good luck with the eggs
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Post by koppite on Feb 18, 2010 20:40:30 GMT
nice one muddy, cheers - everything crossed here
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Post by crossless on Feb 18, 2010 22:46:40 GMT
I think it's don't too much make difference with babysnails which size of tube they have. In bigger tank it's only harder maybe find food only thing is change tube when it seems to be little bit too small for snail. I have had my baby snail long time in 200ml tube still it's realy big place for it. When he "grows out" will change it bigger.
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Post by AlienSnail on Feb 18, 2010 23:12:52 GMT
A tub approx six inches by four inches is an approximation, it does of course vary and it depends on how many babies are in there, and how large you want to let them grow before releasing them into the adult tank If there are lots of babies then I have 10 inch by 6 inch tubs that I sometimes use. There's no hard and fast rule, so don't worry too much. starting off small is generally fine as the babies will always be close to food. You'll know when the babies grow out of their tub and require a bigger one
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Post by koppite on Feb 19, 2010 7:49:55 GMT
Cool, thanks team
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