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Common name: Aquatic Snails

Scientific name: many different species
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Habitat: most shallow freshwater habitats, including ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, and vernal pools
Size: less than 12.5 mm long

Description: Freshwater snails are not as colorful as their saltwater cousins. In general, their shells come in shades of gray, brown, and black, often with flecks of yellow or white.

Vernal pools have their own species of aquatic snails. Two aquatic snails are often seen in ponds and creeks of the Sacramento area. One is shaped like a flat spiral, and the other looks like a turban. Sticking out under the shell is the "foot". The foot is fleshy and muscular; it allows the snail to move around. The foot extends to a head, with two tentacles on it like antennae. The eyes are located on or near these tentacles.

Fun facts: In preparation for the dry summer, the snails burrow several inches into the mud and seal themselves in mucus to prevent water loss. They can stay like this for up to three years!

Life cycle: Eggs are laid in jelly-like capsules on rocks or plants at the water's edge. When the eggs hatch tiny snails emerge. They gradually grow to adult size.

Ecology: Using a long, rough tongue, the aquatic snail scrapes organic material, like algae and detritus, into its mouth. The snails serve as food for many different animals. Common predators include ducks, shore birds, amphibians, and aquatic insect larvae. In lakes and streams, fish often eat them.

Investigate

Little is known about the aquatic snail species that live in vernal pools. Do you think snails could travel across the grasslands from one pool to another without drying out? What ways can you think of that aquatic snails could get from one pool to another? Could other animals in the vernal pool grassland ecosystem carry them as they travel from pool to pool?

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Scientific name: many different species Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Habitat: most shallow freshwater habitats, including ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, and vernal pools Size: less than 12.5 mm long Description: Freshwater snails are not as colorful as their saltwater cousins. In general, their shells come in shades of gray, brown, and black, often with flecks of yellow or white.

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Whether you find snails slimy or fascinating, these snail facts for kids will help you learn more about the slow-moving critters. Are snails related to slugs? What do they eat? What eats them? (Hint: you might someday!) Here are the answers to all of the questions you never even knew you had about snails.

Snail Facts for Kids

Do you sit at home wondering about snails? Perhaps you would like to have one as a pet, or maybe you would just like to freak out your sister with a slimy snail. Read all of these snail facts for kids so you can impress your friends with your knowledge of gastropods.

Related Articles

Biology

As a part of the natural world, you can learn a lot about a snail by discovering some of its biology.

Snails and slugs belong to a group of mollusks known as gastropods. Next time you see a snail, you can make your friends think you are smart by saying, "Wow! Look at that amazing gastropod!"

Snails are also mollusks, which are a group of animals that have a hard shell. Other mollusks include clams, oysters and the octopus.

Scientists have found snail fossils from millions of years ago. In fact, they are one of the oldest-known animal species in the world. By most estimates, snails have been around for more than 600 million years!

While slugs and snails are both gastropods, they are not the same animal. Some people believe that slugs are just shell-less snails, but this is not true.

Snails cannot hear. To find food, they use their sense of smell.

Snails leave slime behind them as they travel. The slime protects them as they move.

There is no way to tell whether a snail is a male or a female because they are both! Snails are hermaphrodites, which means they can lay eggs (female) and fertilize them too (male).

Snails are largely nocturnal. They are most likely to come out at night or very early in the morning.

Snails can live for 15 to 20 years, but that is probably good since it may take them that long to cross the yard.

Snails are invertebrates, meaning that they don't have a backbone. Instead, they have their shell for protection.

Snails are triploblastic protostomes. Their bodies are made up of three parts: a foot, a head, and a body.

Habitat and Food

Where do snails live, what do they eat, and what eats snails?

Snails can live pretty much anywhere, although they are not fond of heat. When the weather is hot, snails burrow under the ground and wait until it is cool.

There are both land snails and water snails.

Snails prefer damp, dark environments.

Snails eat plants, algae, chalk, limestone, and, sometimes, each other.

Snails eat by gliding across a food surface. They have what is known as a radula in their mouths, which grinds up their food. A radula is like a tiny tongue with a whole bunch of sharp teeth coating it.

Birds, frogs, and other small animals eat snails. Some people also like to eat snails, as well. Snails are a popular french delicacy known as escargot (pronounced ess-kar-GO). Don't eat raw snails, though because they can make you sick. If you plan to eat a snail, have someone follow a recipe and cook it correctly.

Random Facts

Snails are interesting creatures. Here are a few more facts:

The largest snail ever found came from Sierra Leone in Africa. It weighed two pounds and was over 15 inches long.

Snails hibernate in the winter.

There are more snails on Earth than insects.

The Romans raised snails for food.

With all of these fascinating snail facts, what will you do with your newfound knowledge? If you are out in the garden and you see a snail, take a closer look to see if you can learn even more about this amazing animal by observing it in action.

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Whether you find snails slimy or fascinating, these snail facts for kids will help you learn more about the slow-moving critters. Are snails related to slugs? What do they eat? What eats them? (Hint: you might someday!) Here are the answers to all of the questions you never even knew you had about snails.

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BioKIDS - Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species, Gastropoda, snails and slugs: INFORMATION

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BioKIDS - Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species

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Oxygenating Pond Plant Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort)

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This is a very brittle oxygenating plant that is good for deepwater as it does not need to root in the sediment. Instead, it floats around freely and provides a good spawning location for fish. The plant dies back in winter and spends its time on the pond floor until it re-emerges in the spring.

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Hornwort scientific name is Ceratophyllum demersum. It is sometimes called Coon Tail. It looks similar to Tanwort but has a compact flower that does not rise to the surface.

Coontail

Hornwort is a rootless plant that will lie on the bottom of your outdoor Koi pond in 1-3 feet of water.

It earned its name from the narrow leaves along the stem that resemble the hairs on a raccoon's tail. It makes an excellent breeding area for Koi fish, and goldfish love to eat it.

Hornwort is unrooted so it doesn't require planting, and excessive growth is easy to eradicate. Depending on the water's hardness, Hornwort or coontail may form very soft, delicate leaves, or rather stiff, bristled leaves. This texture makes Hornwort less prone to snail predation.

Hornwort is one of the top oxygenating plants. It is tolerant of a broad range of conditions. In the fall the compact tips break off the hornwort and lie dormant for the winter.

The coontail has been known to release certain chemicals that naturally prevent some forms of pond algae growth, making it a prime addition to the garden pond.

Hornwort is a submerged plant, growing in still or very slow-moving water in ponds and streams. They have numerous side shoots making a single specimen appear as a large, bushy mass. The leaves are produced in swirls of six to twelve, each leaf is 8-40mm long, simple, or forked into two to eight thread-like segments edged with spiny teeth; they are stiff and brittle.

It is monoecious, with separate male and female flowers produced on the same plant. The flowers are small, 2mm long, with eight or more greenish-brown petals; they are produced in the leaf axils. The fruit is a small nut 4-5mm long, usually with three spines, two basal and one apical, 1-12mm long.

The hornwort is often used as a floating freshwater plant in both coldwater and tropical aquaria, though it may attach itself to the objects in the pond by it's roots. It's fluffy, filamentous, bright-green leaves provide excellent cover for newly-hatched fish. It will grow and spread out by pruning.

Duckweed

Duckweed is the common name for Lemna Minor. Opinions differ when it comes to Duckweed usefulness. I'm going to give you the facts (from Wikipedia Encyclopedia) and you can decide. I have never used this plant in any of my ponds. I included only for your knowledge of plant species.

Duckweed Plant is native throughout most of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, occurring everywhere that freshwater ponds and slow moving streams occur, except for Arctic and subarctic climates.
It is a floating freshwater plant with one, two or three leaves each with a single root hanging in the water. It propagates mainly by division, and flowers are rarely produced.

It grows in water with a high nutrient level. Growth of colonies is rapid, and the plant frequently forms a complete carpet across still pools when conditions are suitable.
It is an important food resource for many fish and birds (notable duck) it is rich in protein and fats. Birds are also important in dispersing Duckweed to new sites; the root is sticky, enabling the plant to adhere to the feet while the bird flies from one pond to another.
If you have Duckweed in your pond and you want to GET RID OF IT there are a couple of things you can do. Larger Koi and goldfish love to eat duckweed so if you reduce the amount of food you give them it will encourage them to eat it.

The active ingredients that have been successful in treating duckweeds are diquat and fluridone (fluridone is excellent for ridding your pond of Duckweed).

For more information on Duckweed Click Here for the Duckweed Page.

Reference: Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Reference: Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants

To see our list of Toxic Plants click here.

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Products to Control Duckweed

Redwing is a liquid diquat formulation that has been effective on coontail. It is a contact algaecide and herbicide. Contact herbicides act quickly and kill all plants cells that they contact.

WhiteCap is a fluridone compound and has been effective on coontail. It is a broad spectrum, systemic herbicide. Systemic herbicides are absorbed and move within the plant to the site of action. Systemic herbicides tend to act more slowly than contact herbicides.

GullWing contains the active ingredient, imazapyr, which inhibits the plant enzyme AHAS (acetohydroxyaced synthase). Habitat is a systemic herbicide that is effective on post-emergent floating and emergent aquatic vegetation. Imazapyr is effective at low-volume rates and does not contain heavy metals, organochlorides or phosphates, making it safe to humans and livestock. GullWing requires the use of a spray adjuvant when applying on post-emergent vegetation.

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Hornwort scientific name is Ceratophyllum demersum. It is sometimes called Coon Tail. It looks similar to Tanwort but has a compact flower that does not rise to the surface. Coontail Hornwort is a rootless plant that will lie on the bottom of your outdoor Koi pond in 1-3 feet of water.

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first video i'm uploading, it's simple and short

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Ghost shrimp, also known as glass shrimp, are of the more interesting types of aquatic creatures you could keep as a pet. Translucency is their most popular quality and they can most often be found dwelling at the bottom of a fish tank...

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Ghost Shrimp Video and Information

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Ghost Shrimp, also known as Glass Shrimp, are relatively easy freshwater aquarium shrimp to keep. Ghost Shrimp are almost always available for sale at local pet stores as well as at the larger chain stores. At the pet shop, they are frequently kept in a small tank with other shrimp of their kind. The small tank often has a sponge filter or air stone pumping bubbles. On display, the Ghost Shrimp tank often does not look like something other than a tank of murky water with tons of bubbles.

Ghost Shrimp are relatively inexpensive and are often purchased as "feeders" for larger more aggressive fish. Some Cichlids can eat them all day long. But Ghost Shrimp are more than a tasty snack. They are great aquarium cleaners and can be a lot of fun to watch. Many new hobbyists don't give Ghost Shrimp a second look, but they really can be an interesting invertebrate to keep in their own right.

Ghost Shrimp look good when kept in a tank with black aquarium gravel or substrate. It's also good to keep them in a tank with a black background. When the shrimp is up against the black gravel or background it makes them easier to see.

Ghost Shrimp Videos: Feeding Close Up

More Ghost Shrimp Videos:
Glass Shrimp Eating A Dead Amano Shrimp - Video Shrimp Feeding Closeup In A Freshwater Tank - Video Shrimp Tank Mates Are Very Important - Video Shrimp Eating, And Food Gets Stolen - Video
Ghost Shrimp Pictures Gallery

Ghost Shrimp Care: Tank Size & Habitat

Ghost Shrimp care is relatively easy. They are very active and busy invertebrates tirelessly scouring the tank for food to eat. Always on the go, these shrimp are in their element when kept in an established tank that is not "too clean". As scavengers, they search the gravel or substrate for little bits of edible material that is otherwise uneaten. To that extent, Ghost Shrimp are decent aquarium cleaners, almost in the same league as Amano Shrimp and Nerite Snails. Ghost Shrimp are small so they may not eat as much as larger invertebrates, but they are constantly picking away at nearly everything they are near.

Ghost Shrimp Tank Size

Ghost Shrimp can be kept in small tanks like 5 or 10 gallon aquariums and larger. With small aquariums, be mindful of the limitations of the tank in terms of low water volume and limited surface area. So be sure to not accidentally overstock the tank. Ghost Shrimp are small creatures but they contribute to the bio-load of a tank just like other living organisms. Overstocking a small tank with lots of shrimp will cause water quality issues and can create an unhealthy environment. So follow the typical fish stocking rules for community tanks and things should work out fine.

With small tanks like a 10 gallon, try not to add too many Ghost Shrimp. They may get aggressive and nasty toward each other if there are too many living together in a small space.

Ghost Shrimp Habitat & Water Parameters

Ghost Shrimp seem to enjoy establish planted aquariums with a moderate current of continuously moving water. An appropriately sized HOB power filter should do the trick and keep the water circulating properly. Additionally, an air pump with a fine air stone will create a wall of tiny bubbles to help keep water moving as well. With the bubbles, it's fun to watch the shrimp get drawn up into the current and have to move their hind legs ferociously to swim out of it. Ghost Shrimp are great swimmers.

Ghost Shrimp Like Live Aquarium Plants

Keeping Ghost Shrimp in a tank with hardy live plants can also be a good idea. Aquariums with lots of live plants are never "too clean" as the plants constantly shed plant matter into the water column. Ghost Shrimp seem to enjoy picking through the messiness and feasting on the parts they can eat. Keeping aquarium plants is also a good idea because they provide little places to explore and hide especially near the bottom of the tank. Other hiding places can be created with decorations or rocks built into caves and caverns. Either way, it's important that Ghost Shrimp have places to sneak away to from time to time.

Water Parameters

As far as water parameters go, Ghost Shrimp seem to be comfortable in the tropical community tank range. Water temperature can be 72 - 82 degrees Fahrenheit, with some suggesting that a slightly wider temperature range is also acceptable. Aquarium pH should be fine anywhere between 7.0 and 8.0 provided there are no sudden shifts, and the water should also be on the hard side. Standard aquarium lighting will do. And as with all freshwater aquarium shrimp, be very careful when treating the tank with medicines. Keep Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates in check. And most importantly, avoid copper as copper can be fatal to aquarium shrimp.

Ghost Shrimp Food, Size & Color Range

Ghost Shrimp food is broad as they will eat almost anything. They are great pickers and will eat like machines. Ghost Shrimp food can include some forms of algae, dead plant latter and detritus. These shrimp love fish or shrimp pellets, fish flakes, algae wafers or bits otherwise uneaten food. And its a good idea to find food supplements with Calcium, as Calcium is necessary for healthy shell growth. Ghost Shrimp food may also include their fallen tank mates, as they will even feed off dead fish or dead shrimp. Of course, it's important to take dead inhabitants out of the water quickly otherwise there can be an ammonia spike in the tank. It's fun to watch Ghost Shrimp swim up and pluck bits of food out of the water. And there is a pecking order with feeding as well. Bigger shrimp eat first.

Ghost Shrimp Size, Shape & Appearance

Ghost Shrimp size varies by age, but generally they grow to be about 1 1/2 inches in length. In terms of width, Ghost Shrimp size is generally about the diameter of a pencil eraser when fully grown. Ghost Shrimp tend to be thinner and more streamline as compared to Amano Shrimp. Ghost Shrimp have a little hump midway down the length of their tail. And like other shrimp, they resemble small crayfish. But there are some differences. One big difference is the size of the creature and the pliability of their shell. Glass Shrimp have much softer shells than crayfish.

A Ghost Shrimp has a pair of long antenna and a pair of short antenna. Their rostrum is on the top of their head right between their eyes. Behind the rostrum is a carapace area. Its in this carapace area where many of the inner workings of this shrimp can be seen, especially when feeding. The shrimp's front legs are attached to the underside of the carapace. The legs are long, slender and clear. When the shrimp is feeding on the tank bottom or on hard surfaces, its primary method of movement is to walk with its legs.

Behind the carapace, they have six abdominal segments that form a flexible covering. The area between the third and fourth abdominal segments comes together to form what appears to be a slight pointed area that juts up slightly higher than the other segments. Little clear swimmerets are tucked under the abdominal segments. These swimmerets can be seen fluttering back and forth as the shrimp moves up and down through the water column. And female shrimp keep their eggs safely tucked under the abdominal segments closest to the carapace.

The sixth abdominal segment connects to the tail. The tail is also made up of flexible, moving segments. But these segments are thin and flat. In the middle of the tail is the telson. Under the telson are the four segments of soft shell that make up the uropod. The uropod can expand and contrast slightly to make the tail more broad or more narrow as need be. And on the edges of the uropod segments, the shrimp has very fine filament-like "fringe". Similar looking "fringe" filaments also appear on the edges of the swimmerets.

When the shrimp needs to move very quickly, in case of danger, it can be seen becoming very streamline and quickly flapping its uropod under its abdomen. This causes the shrimp to propel itself backwards at very high speeds. Often, one quick thrust backward is sufficient to get out of dangerous situations like conflicts over a piece of food. But it's not uncommon for them to pump their uropod a couple times in a row to put some real distance between themselves and danger. When this happens, the shrimp can end up retreating to other side of the tank in an instant.

Color Range

Many people describe Ghost Shrimp color as a transparent shrimp, but I think they are more on the translucent side. Their bodies are generally clear with a hint of hazy grey, or sprinkled with green dots. Ghost Shrimp color ranges from translucent light grey to a translucent darker grey, but in either case one can see almost see through the shrimp, and certainly can see inside the shrimp. And that is one of the most fascinating aspects of a Ghost Shrimp: One can see the internal workings of its body when it feeds. It's really amazing to watch close up. Ghost Shrimp may also have little green dots on their torso, and orange rings on their feelers and front legs.

Ghost Shrimp Lifespan & Molting

Ghost Shrimp lifespan can be anywhere from a couple of days to 1 year. In some cases under good conditions and with a little luck, a Ghost Shrimp lifespan can be a little longer than a year. But usually not that much more that that.

Ghost Shrimp are at risk of dying soon after they are added to a tank. It's not uncommon for Ghost Shrimp to die within a day or two of being introduced to an established tank with healthy and stable water. Some will appear dead on the bottom of the tank and others will simply "disappear". At the same time, other Ghost Shrimp from the same batch acclimate well and thrive in their new environment. Maybe its the stress of being brought home from the store, or maybe they experience stress due to very slight differences in water parameters, but whatever the reason be prepared to lose a few shrimp with each batch.

Another consideration is that because these shrimp are considered "feeders" they may not be treated very well when transported to the store. They are often kept in overstocked, under-filtered tanks with poor water conditions. That may be why some are prone to dying when transported to a home aquarium.

Ghost Shrimp Molting Process

Ghost Shrimp are often kept in groups. It's difficult to say how often Ghost Shrimp molt because its hard to figure out which of the group has lost its shell. Most commonly a hobbyist will wake up one morning, check out the tank and see a couple of clear white empty shells on the bottom. As long as they shrimp are there, all is good. The important thing to know is that Ghost Shrimp molt as they eat and grow. So as long they are actively feeding and moving about, it's normal for them to molt often. Molting just means they are healthy and growing larger.

When Ghost Shrimp molt they are very vulnerable until they get acclimated in their new shell. That's why its important to keep them in a tank with lots of small hiding places. Live aquarium plants are good for this purpose.

After molting occurs, leave the empty shed shell in the tank for a few days. Other shrimp may take turns feeding off it. Re-ingesting the minerals in the old shell helps set up their next molting cycle.

Ghost Shrimp Tank Mates

Ghost Shrimp tank mates can be small non-aggressive community tank fish that are not large enough to eat them. Ghost Shrimp are not going to last long (meaning a matter of seconds) with Goldfish, Oscars and other cichlids, Frogs, Turtles, crayfish or other aggressive roughens.

Good tank mates for Glass Shrimp can include others of their kind, as well as: Bamboo Shrimp (aka Wood Shrimp), Vampire Shrimp (aka Viper Shrimp), Amano Shrimp, provided the Amanos are larger, Red Cherry Shrimp, Nerite Snails, Mystery Snails, Malaysian Trumpet Snails, Gold Inca Snails, Ivory Snails, and Ramshorn Snails. Ghost Shrimp can also be tank mates with some calm and peaceful community tank fish especially Cory Catfish and Otocinclus Catfish. As always, check with the clerk at the pet store about potential compatibility issues before purchasing Ghost Shrimp and adding them to a tank.

Berried Ghost Shrimp: Reproduction

Ghost Shrimp breeding is challenging. I have kept Ghost Shrimp berried, or with eggs, but I have never been successful reaching the stage where I've seen live babies. This may be due to the fact that the shrimp have always been in busy tanks with tank mates that could be interested in eating the offspring. That said, they can reproduce in fresh water and can be purchased carrying eggs. So have some fine sponge filters handy to cover power filter intakes in case you see larvae. And it may be a good idea to move the berried shrimp to a separate tank so the baby shrimp do not get eaten by hungry predators when they are first born.

Keeping Glass Shrimp As Feeders:

Its not necessary for Glass Shrimp to be kept in an elaborate tank if they are going to be used as feeders. Just about any size tank will do for this purpose. Gravel and live plants are not necessary either. Although some floating Anacharis may be useful in keeping the tank water somewhat healthy. One thing that should be present is a constant flow of air bubbles. Tiny air bubbles are necessary to keep the water moving and the surface area agitated. So a small air stone, a few feet of tubing and a small air pump are needed.

If Glass Shrimp are going to be kept for any length of time, a small sponge filter would also be a good idea. Unfiltered feeder tank water has a tendency to get dingy, cloudy and yellow-looking pretty quickly. A sponge filter will act as a mechanical and biological filter, and the bubbles will keep the water moving. A corner sponge filter with a weighted bottom will work well. A small net should also be on the accessories list. Finally, its probably not necessary to keep the feeder tank heated or covered. But a hood or clear cover may be a good idea to limit splashing from the bubbles aerating the tank.

First Appearance:

Images, media and content are © Aquariumcarebasics.com.

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Ghost Shrimp Like Live Aquarium Plants Keeping Ghost Shrimp

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Ghost Shrimp Food , Size & Color Range Ghost Shrimp

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Ghost Shrimp Lifespan & Molting Ghost Shrimp

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Ghost Shrimp Care, Food, Lifespan, Habitat & Videos

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Ghost Shrimp, also known as Glass Shrimp, are relatively easy freshwater aquarium shrimp to keep. Ghost Shrimp are almost always available for sale at local pet stores as well as at the larger chain stores. At the pet shop, they are frequently kept in a small tank with other shrimp of their kind.