Mariza snail: features of keeping and breeding

The homeland of the mariza snail is the reservoirs of South and Central America. These are mollusks that prefer to live in fresh water, but can also settle in waters with a low salt content, however, in such conditions they do not reproduce. Currently, the mariza snail is known to most aquarists, because it can become not only an object for decorating an aquarium, but also benefit its owner.

The shell of this mollusk is decorated with 3-4 spiral coils. In adults, the shell has a flat shape due to the spine that does not rise above the whorls. In young snails, the spine is raised, so they can be distinguished by their globular shell. The transverse stripes on the shell are located next to the hole, which has a miniature plate that serves as a cover for the shell of the shell.

The colors can be different. Usually the color ranges from dark yellow to brown. The spiral stripes are always dark - black or brown. Sometimes there are specimens without stripes or with a monochromatic shell. The snail's body is whitish, yellow, gray or dark patterns are possible on it. A feature of the marise is its compact breathing tube, which is smaller than that of other ampullaries. These creatures exceed 5 cm in height and 2 cm in width.

These animals are appreciated by aquarists not only for their aesthetic qualities, but also for the benefits they can bring to their owner, namely:

• experts have not identified a single case of allergy to snails, so this is a great pet for animal lovers who do not have the opportunity to have a pet due to allergies;
• shellfish mucus is considered curative, for example, it is able to heal abrasions and scratches, you can let the snail crawl a little over the damaged area of ​​the skin, then the wound will heal faster;
• unlike cats, dogs or rodents, snails do not spoil anything in the house, do not smell or make noise; and the amazing appearance of the marize can be soothing - the mesmerizing sight of crawling black-and-yellow snails sets you up for positive emotions and makes you forget about your fears and anxieties.

In their natural environment, marises live in stagnant water bodies or rivers with very slow flow. They like to settle in shallow water, abundantly overgrown with vegetation. If such conditions are created in the aquarium, the snails will live a long and comfortable life.

Favorable temperature limits for marise are + 21– + 25 degrees, acidity - 7.5–7.8, hardness - moderate. If the water is soft, then the shellfish have problems with shell formation, so avoid too soft indicators. These creatures have a habit of escaping from the aquarium, so take care of a lid for an artificial reservoir. But keep in mind that there must be air space between the cover and the water surface. The fact is that these individuals can rise to the surface and breathe using a special tube.

When keeping the marise, avoid treating neighboring fish with preparations containing copper. - this element is fatal for both marize and other snails. If you cannot avoid using the product, then deposit the mollusks in a separate container for the duration of the treatment. In an artificial reservoir, the marises find their own food for themselves. Dead fish, decayed plant fragments, bacterial plaque on the walls of the aquarium and decorations become tidbits. But it is important to additionally feed these voracious creatures. Vegetables such as cucumbers, zucchini and lettuce are suitable as an additive. Mollusks will not refuse tableted feed for catfish.

They are peaceful and friendly snails that get along well with most of the aquarium inhabitants.

The marise can coexist comfortably with other snails, but do not let the predatory Helena snail fall into the general reservoir, for which the marise will definitely become its prey. Water turtles are eternal snail hunters.

The mariza itself will not touch its neighbors, but it is able to eat eggs of fish and other molluscs, so if you need to breed aquarium fish, put individuals in a spawning grounds. Peaceful catfish, neons, tetras, rasbora, golden barbs will not harm the snail.

Perhaps the neighborhood with goldfish, but these wayward creatures, in a bad mood, can bite the marise. As for plants, then mariza can be lodged with any representatives of the flora, but it is important to take into account the eternal hunger of the mollusk and try not to plant samples in the aquarium, with which the owner will be sorry to part.

Unlike many of their congeners, marises are heterosexual snails. In addition, males and females are fairly easy to distinguish from each other. So, males have a pale beige body with brown blotches, their lovers have a chocolate or dark brown body.Mating can take several hours. After that, the lady lays eggs on plant leaves or on hard surfaces. Outwardly, the eggs look like a jelly capsule with an egg inside. After 14–20 days, cubs will hatch from the eggs and crawl over the entire artificial reservoir.

The survival rate of snails is low. They often die, becoming prey for fish, falling into a filter or in the absence of food. In order to preserve as many individuals as possible, precautions must be taken already at the spawning stage. It is recommended to carefully move the eggs into a separate container and wait for the hatched marises to grow up. If the amount of caviar is too large, then the excess can be removed manually.

You will learn more about the mariz snail by watching the following video.