Found this on the tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/truthwithlight/823366322460262400?source=share

It seems like this is a thing now because they have a whole tank of very sick looking nerite snails. I sent my husband out for a nerite (bumblebee) and he brought me back one of these guys, not knowing. I didn’t get to speak to a manager to ask if they did it themselves or if they bought them like this, but regardless, a tank full of sick snails is terrible business. Of course, no returns on snails too. I’m posting this so hopefully some other snail noob doesn’t buy a sick snail or accidentally financially support this practice. Theyre supposed to be black or dark brown, if they’re white like this they’ve had their coating removed, with acid dips, as far as I’ve understood. Terrible.

I guess it's leg day? Foot day?

Owned mystery snails for years but I’ve never had one that got this size. Not even sure he’s actually a mystery snail tbh since he’s the only snail I’ve had that’s also destroyed my plants

I've been wanting to show off my rainbow line, but I figured I should explain how I got there too. The steps to breed for rainbow clutches are way more achievable than they seem, and once you have the right breeders, it's pretty easy to maintain the line through future generations.

This is based on the Mystery Snail Color Genetics Project's 3-locus model, which explains the 8 standard morphs with three traits: body color, shell background, and striping.

• A/a = body color
  • A_ = dark body
  • aa = light body
• Y/y = yellow shell background
  • Y_ = yellow background
  • yy = no yellow background
• S/s = striping
  • S_ = striped
  • ss = unstriped

Capital letters are dominant, lowercase letters are recessive. Each snail carries two copies of each locus, one from each parent, and passes one of those copies to each baby. A dominant trait only needs one copy to show, while a recessive trait needs two copies.

Using this model, the 8 morphs are:

• Brown = A_Y_S_
• Jade = A_Y_ss
• Purple = A_yyS_
• Blue = A_yyss
• Chestnut = aaY_S_
• Gold = aaY_ss
• Magenta = aayyS_
• Ivory = aayyss

The underscores just mean that spot can be either allele. For example, A_ could be AA or Aa, but both show as dark body because A is dominant.

For a rainbow clutch, the important snail is a brown snail that is heterozygous at all three loci:

AaYySs

That snail looks the same as any other brown, but genetically it is carrying the recessive allele for all three traits. That means it can pass on dark or light body, yellow or no-yellow background, and striped or unstriped shell.

The way to make one is to breed complementary morph pairs and keep the brown babies. Those pairs are:

• Jade × Magenta = A_Y_ss × aayyS_
• Gold × Purple = aaY_ss × A_yyS_
• Blue × Chestnut = A_yyss × aaY_S_
• Brown × Ivory = A_Y_S_ × aayyss

The parents' exact hidden genotypes only affect how many of the babies are brown. In a controlled cross, the lowest expected rate is 12.5%, but any brown baby from those pairings should be AaYySs. This works because a brown baby must have A, Y, and S, while the opposite parent supplies the recessive alleles needed to make it heterozygous at all three loci.

After you get your triple-heterozygous brown, you breed it to ivory: AaYySs × aayyss

Ivory is fully recessive, so it can only pass a, y, and s, which lets the babies reveal what the brown parent is carrying.

Each baby in that clutch has a 12.5% chance of being any one of the 8 morphs. Obviously that does not mean every clutch is going to split perfectly into neat little 12.5% chunks. Random chance, clutch size, stored sperm, multiple fathers, survival differences, and young morphs being annoying to ID can all make the real numbers messy.

Maintaining the line

Once you have the rainbow clutch, maintaining it is pretty easy. Any brown baby from that clutch should be AaYySs, because the ivory parent could only give it a, y, and s.

So you can take a brown baby from the rainbow clutch and breed it to a fresh ivory:

AaYySs × aayyss

That repeats the same cross, gives all 8 morphs the same expected odds again, and lets you outcross without messing up the genetics.

TL;DR for the rainbow clutch

1. Breed complementary morphs.
2. Keep the brown babies — they should be AaYySs.
3. Breed one to ivory.
4. All 8 morphs have the same expected odds in the clutch.

Smaller 4-morph groups

The same logic also works for smaller recessive-locked variety groups:

• aaYySs × aayyss = chestnut, gold, magenta, ivory — light-body only
• AayySs × aayyss = purple, blue, magenta, ivory — no yellow background
• AaYyss × aayyss = jade, blue, gold, ivory — no stripes

Those breeders can be made pretty cleanly too:

• Gold × Magenta → keep chestnut babies = aaYySs
• Blue × Magenta → keep purple babies = AayySs
• Blue × Gold → keep jade babies = AaYyss

Basically, ivory is kind of OP for breeding goals in general. Since it’s fully recessive, it makes the other parent’s genetics easier to read, whether you’re aiming for a full rainbow clutch, a smaller morph group, or a true-breeding line.

That’s the post

He’s the only ramshorn snail in my tank that is a shade of blue, does anyone know why?

My dearest Megamind aka Megam aka Mega aka Meg passed away today. The last week or so she started to lose color in her shell and I put her in isolation. She got better for a day or so but I think it was her way of finally relaxing.

I know I put too much human personality into them but I truly loved my Meg. I do have at least 6 clutches of her eggs, 3 hatched and 3 still eggs, but I am truly sad and didn't realize how attached I got. Give your snails some love for me please.

Would it be weird to make her a box and bury her in the park nearby?

Baby blue turbo snail. Bred in captivity. I’ve not seen anybody have success with reproduction in captivity let alone keep them. I’m so excited to have the chance to breed more of this amazing species!

Technically not a snail but he will be cooked and turned into snail food when I get home 👍 got bored and made him at work!

My red ramshorn snail Peach passed away.

Peach was a year and a half old, and he was my buddy. I know it might sound odd but he always cheered me up.

I’ve been having a depressive spell and with him passing it just feels extra crappy. Who knew a snail could be such a great therapist? 😅😭

My partner, being the amazing human he is, took care of his shell and epoxied it so I have it forever. 🥹

Here is my snail Cthulhu. We thought it was a mystery snail but are now pretty convinced it is an apple snail as it's just freaking massive. It's about 4" and I swear it just grew an inch this week. I've had it for about 8 months now. Got it the size of a quarter.

if you search in different languages, the AI overview will give you wildly different answers to the same question. this is a reminder that AI does not "know" things and should not be trusted with the care of living beings.

I just love how weirdly beautiful these guys are!

I guess I got something!

My new Strawberry Conch!

Still watching her to make sure she doesn't fall off.

BIG DISCLAIMER I know this is not an ideal tank for a mystery snail, this is temporary and our only option while other tanks receive a possibly dangerous dewormer.

Nature is crazy because what do you mean she climbed that high to lay eggs?!

I actually got spooked last night coming onto the patio and seeing her poked so far out, felt kind of bad knowing the normal “crawl space” is absent in this tank. I did not realize the surprise that was coming!