If you’re a snail lover, and you keep some of them, especially mystery snail, from time to time, they will exhibit some actions that will make them look as if they are fighting or attacking each other. When this happens, you will be confused and will be wondering if they actually do attack each other.
Do Mystery Snails attack each other? No, they don’t attack or harm each other. Mystery snails don’t have the organs to fight and harm other snails.
If Mystery snails don’t attack, fight or harm each other or other snails, then what do their violent actions mean?. Will explain them later.
When I say ” snails don’t attack nor harm other snails, it’s true, but with the exception of few like assassin snails, which does eat other snails because it has a mouth and rasping radula that they can extend into the shells of other snails.
The radula acts as a scouring pad, slowly grating away flesh and blood and weakening their prey.
But Mystery snails and other species does not have such organ which they might use to harm others, so snails don’t attack each other!.
If they don’t attack each other, then why would they climb on each other, and sometimes will roll over, as if they are fighting or attacking one another?
5 reasons for Mystery Snails Attack one another:
They are mating:
It might sound very strange, but it’s true.
Snails are known to climb on top of their fellow snails when they want to mate.
The male snails do climb on top of the female ones when they want to mate. By so doing, they could be able to access the female’s sex organs with their own.
Sometimes, you might see the male struggling violently to climb and stay on top of the female, and many times, the female will loose balance and send both of them rolling on the floor of the aquarium.
If you are not familiar with snails method of mating, especially mystery snails, you did say they are attacking each other or fighting, but in the actual sense, they’re just mating or trying to mate.
Snails sometimes use each other as vehicles:
Does it sound strange?, well that’s the fact!.
If you are very familiar with snails, you must have noticed this, unless you don’t pay attention to their behaviors.
This is very common in all aquarium snails, especially mystery snails.
At some point, you might notice a snail on top of another, as if it is attacking the other snail, but it isn’t, it is just getting a ride.
It is very common to see smaller snails riding on a bigger one, and the bigger snail might not care or seems to mind.
It’s just normal and there’s nothing odd about it.
They maybe fighting:
Mystery snails and other non carnivore snails do not attack each others, but in some occasions, they might seem to be aggressive and to each other, but can they attack themselves, well, the answer is No!.
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The aggressiveness might arise when there are few females and more males in the tank. The males will try to get a female for themselves for mating, and in the process might seem to be aggressive to other males that might try to get him off the female.
Although they might seem aggressive, maybe by trying to push their fellow males off a female’s back, and even climb on top of the male, when he is already on top of the female, apart from this, they can neither harm nor attack each other.
They are looking for food:
Although this might not make sense to you if you’re not really used to snails, but it’s a fact.
We all know that aquarium snails, especially mystery snails are ferocious eaters, they eat both leftover fish foods and algae in the tank, including rotten plants etc.
When they eat, some particles of foods do stay on their shell, and when others notice this, or when they become hungry and notice there are some particles of foods on another snail’s shell, they will climb that particular snail and eat up that food.
Sometimes if the food is much, then, other might crowd on that particular snail, and the scene might look aggressive or violent, but in the real sense, it’s not.
Snails do sometimes climb and stay on top of another in order to rest or sleep:
This is common among smaller Snails, it doesn’t mean they are attacking or trying to harm each other.
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These are some of the reasons why snails do climb on top of other snails, which might seems as if they are attacking each other for some people, which is impossible.
Can Snail Harm Each Other During Mating?
You might be thinking, if mystery snails and other species could be aggressive when they have limited number of females, can they really harm one another during mate?.
Yes, the male snails may harm both the male and female during intercourse, by pushing both of them and sending them rolling which as a result may lead to breakage of shells and death.
It is not in doubt that mystery snails and other species do get aggressive when there is a limited number or little number of female in the tank.
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This do make all the male to try to grab them, and thus leading to aggression and hostility.
They do fight by pushing themselves, which may not harm them, but in some cases, especially when a male is on top of a female, and they are being pushed, they may loose balance, resulting in rolling and hitting the tank wall, which might break their shells or cause forceful separation of their organs, which might cause great harm or even death.
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Another scenario, which is very rare is, ” the males sometimes stress the female ones to death if there are more male than female.
The mating process of Mystery snails and some other species could last between 4-12 hours, which is enough stress for the female, but in a case, where there are far more male than the female, and almost every male will want to mate.
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This can only end up stressing the female to death.
Do Mystery Snails Eat Each Other?
Have you heard that there are some snails that do feed on other snails, you may be interested to know if the Mystery snail is among them?.
Mystery snails are not carnivores, and so, do not eat other snails. They do feed on leftover fish foods, insects, rotten plants, and vegetables.
As you might have known, snails are not aggressive, especially mystery snails.
Although they are bigger than most snails, they neither kill nor eat others because they don’t have the ability to.
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They don’t have the organs to harm, even to think of killing another snail.
Only assassin snails have such organs, and they use them to kill any type of snail they meet, including mystery snails, although big, but vulnerable to assassin snails.
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How do Mystery Snails Fight?
Mystery snails, just like other snails fight by pushing others with their shell.
Although they’re very peaceful and harmless, sometimes they might get aggressive due to mate or food and will start pushing each other.