why my ramshorn snails eat each other like this? pls see photo.

[professorjimjam]

Hello there

I keep Ramshorn Snails in my tank, and occasionally, two of them attach to each other, as depicted in the accompanying photo. Are they consuming one another, or does this behavior indicate mating? I find it perplexing that sometimes two snails connect, while at other times three join together, appearing as though one is drawing sustenance from another.
Based on your experience, why they do this?

Thanks

 

[Cal Amari]

I always assumed they were cleaning/feeding on biofilm or microalgae growing on the others shell, but honestly have no clue.

 

[Deadeye]

I agree - I think it’s just them hitching a ride and eating some algae.
I don’t know too much about how these guys breed but I would guess its via external fertilization.
If they were eating each other you’d see damage to the one being “attacked.” There’s a few marine snails that will drill into others, but no few snail that I know of does this. The only predatory fw snail that regularly pop up are assassin snails (and I think they eat the foot rather than going through the shell).

 

[professorjimjam]

Thank you deadeye. appreciate it. do you still have your amazon puffers? I no longer have any puffer fish. I love to have, but I got too traumatized when I could not manage to control their teeth overgrowth.

 

[Deadeye]

Unfortunately I don’t. Lost them in a freak accident involving a hypoxic event from improper chemiclean usage. I really liked them but definitely not good if you want to avoid cutting teeth.
Now I have some dwarf puffers and a valentini puffer.

 

[professorjimjam]

Sorry to hear that you lost them.
with your new valentini puffer , i assume it is a salt water puffer. so did you change from freshwater to salt water?

 

[Deadeye]

It’s a fully marine puffer, so it has never seen freshwater in its life.

 

[professorjimjam]

wow, does this puffer also require trimming teeth? becuase the only thing i hate the most is the worry of their beaks overgrowing.

 

[Deadeye]

Any puffer (except dwarf puffers) have the potential to need beak trimming. That said, proper diet is generally sufficient for these guys. Natural foraging for amphipods lets them grind their teeth on rocks and some may nibble coral (mine doesn’t so far). Of course, this fish does come with all of the challenges of saltwater aquariums.

 

[professorjimjam]

Thanks