Melania can be found in every second aquarium, but people are so used to them that such residents do not attract special attention to themselves. As noted by experts, no one is involved in the breeding of snails of this genus. However, the snail melania cares little about this, it lives well in aquariums and is not going to change anything in its habitat. To protect your aquarium from such a living creature is almost impossible. Yes, this makes no sense, they are wonderful in the role of living drainage in an aquarium environment, and there is no harm at all from such snails. Aquarium snail melania is another name for sand.
The main living conditions of the snail melania
Shellfish is found almost throughout Africa, Asia and Australia, but the geography of the distribution of these snails is not limited to this. As a rule, snail melania settles in an ordinary body of water at a depth of 1 meter, but such cases are known when the settlement of such snails was at a depth of 3-4 meters. For themselves, these creatures make a soft bed, which includes sand, silt and clay sediments. It is in these living conditions that you can find huge settlements. On plantations with an increased dose of feed, you can easily find about 35 thousand mollusks.
The snail melania feeds mainly on lower algae, organics that are half destroyed. In a word, such snails can be called detritophages. It is not difficult for them to get food, since due to the fact that the soil is quite loose, they move along the bottom of the reservoir and dive deep into its thickness.
Melanias breathe with the help of gills, so they just need dissolved oxygen in the water. And reproduction requires special attention, this occurs in the process of live birth.
Varieties of snails melania
Literature on aquarium studies says that there is only one type of melania - this is Melanoides tuberculata. However, this opinion is erroneous, since in reality this genus is characterized by two more species, namely Melanoides granifera and Melanoides riqueti. Snails of the first species inhabit small rivers and streams of Malaysia, and snails of the second species are found in fresh Singaporean waters.
In addition to these species, snail melania Melanoides turricula is also known, but at the moment, scientists come to the conclusion that this is just a subspecies of Melanoides tuberculata.
Despite its diversity, all melanias have a conical shell. The mollusk can easily close the mouth of the sink with a lime cap. It is such a cover that contributes to the preservation of the microclimate necessary for the mollusk, and a favorable outcome when exposed to harmful environmental factors. But it is worth noting that melania is quite tenacious and can withstand fairly high temperatures and high salinity of the water.
Characterization of Melanoides tuberculata
Aquarium owners are still more familiar with Melanoides tuberculata. Snail melania in the aquarium settled for a long time. How they get inside is still a mystery to many. The most important version is the transfer of these creatures with plants and animals brought from other countries. It is almost impossible to stop such a relocation, since the newly born snails are so small that it is difficult to see them even with a magnifying glass.
According to its structure, the shell of this species of snails is elongated, its length reaches 35 mm, and its width is 7 mm. The characteristic color for the snail is gray, mixed with various shades of olive, green and brown.
The curls at the mouth of the spiral differ in particular contrast; they are more saturated in color. Here you can see bright burgundy touches that are individual for each mollusk. Such snails are rarely found on the surface, more often they live in the ground.
The difference between Melanoides tuberculata and Melanoides granifera
Melanoides granifera is another species of beautiful aquarium creatures. As a rule, these snails differ from their relatives in greater attractiveness. Their color includes brown and gray tones, which clearly distinguishes them from the rest of the snails.
Snails of this species love a warmer habitat, are moody in choosing the soil for living, but can live without it at all. Most often, this species is found in the sand, because it is quite difficult for snails to move forward due to the sufficiently large diameter of the shell in another soil. These snails are not fearful and spend enough time on the surface, they can often be seen on stones and snags. Also, these snails are particularly slow, which is expressed in reproduction, and in movement, and even in adaptation.