Luzhanka snail

A fascinating addition to any aquarium is the Luzhanka snail. It is well-known for its unusual behavior and appearance, which adds beauty and a hint of mystery to aquatic settings. These snails contribute to keeping the environment in the tank tidy and in balance in addition to being attractive.

Luzhanka snails are easy to take care of and can flourish in a range of aquarium conditions thanks to their gentle nature and unique characteristics. They assist in controlling algae and debris, which helps maintain the vibrant, new look of your tank. Additionally, their presence can spark discussions among other aquarium enthusiasts.

You can improve your comprehension of aquarium ecosystems by learning about Luzhanka snails, regardless of experience level in fish keeping. They serve a purpose in the tank that extends beyond aesthetics; they maintain the stability and general health of your aquatic ecosystem.

Habitat

Puddles that are livable can be found in fresh, transparent water, such as lakes and rivers with moderate currents. They can live down to a depth of seven meters. Exist in all of central Europe, as well as in the east and west of the continent. They were restricted to the southern parts of Sweden and Norway in Northern Europe.

Appearance and structure

Luzhanka shell – cone -shaped, with thin walls. The stoves on the shell are located in a spiral. The painting of the shell – brown. As an option-there can be a greenish tint, three bright brown stripes pass along the main background. During life, the shade of the sink may change. Between the turns of the shell – contrasting stripes of yellow tones. When the meadow snail hides its body in its shell, the mouth of the oval-shaped shell is tightly covered with a lid, which also has clearly visible concentric stripes. The lid itself can be carved, figured or rounded. The body of the mollusk is dark, with golden dots scattered across the entire background.

Meadow snails have these dots, which novice aquarium keepers occasionally confuse for an illness.

The head of the meadow snail is with a noticeably protruding lobe-shaped snout, on which are located long tentacles (they are also called antennae or horns) – at the base of them the mollusk has eyes. When moving, the meadow snail puts them in front of itself. In females, the tentacles are of the same thickness. And in males, the right tentacle is of a characteristic shape. It is rounded and wide, shorter than the left, this is the copulatory organ of the snail – with it the male copulates with the female and fertilizes her. The meadow eats with a mouth located on the proboscis, in the mouth – a long narrow grater with three rows of teeth. Males of the Luzhanka are smaller than females. In females, the whorls on the shell are more convex, so females look more rounded. The leg of this mollusk is powerful, muscular, flat and wide. There is a groove on the lower surface of the leg. This structure allows the Luzhanka to move slowly but confidently along the bottom relief. The Luzhanka snail belongs to the comb-gill mollusks – with this structure, the respiratory cavity is located on the back, and is enclosed in one large gill and one small – rudimentary. Water passes into this cavity through the respiratory tube. These snails are often overgrown with algae, a green coating appears on the shells, which completely hides the pattern of the shell. Sometimes the algae grow so much that the shell is covered with green fluff. By the color, size and relief of the shell, you can judge the age of the Luzhanka. Young individuals have shells with well-defined edges covered with bristles, and mature ones – rounded and smooth.

Behavior

The meadow snail constricts its lungs to save air when it is afraid. Because of this, its specific gravity rises above that of water, causing it to descend rapidly to the bottom. On the other hand, when it’s underwater, it relaxes its lungs to take in air, which causes the mollusk to rise to the surface. When a snail is removed from the water, it will immediately hide inside its shell, shut the shell’s lid, and wait to return to the water.

Varieties

• river (River Snail) or true meadow snails – they are quite large in size, with a shell height of 4-5 cm, have a dark brownish color;
• swamp or striped – with a shell height of 2-4 cm and a greenish tint of the shell. This gives the snail sophistication and decorativeness. Therefore, this variety is more popular among aquarium owners. Sometimes it is even confused with tropical species of mollusks.

Because of their ease of care and aesthetic appeal, aquarists adore both meadow and coil snails. However, because they are bottom mollusks and breathe oxygen that has been dissolved in water, the former do not surface to breathe. Meadow snails depend on the quality of the water in this way. These snails perish if there is insufficient oxygen enrichment in the aquarium water.

Not more than +24°C should be the minimum temperature of the water.

The ideal aquarium configuration is shallow and has a thick layer of soil at the bottom, which meadow snails burrow into to obtain food.

Meadow snails become sick and pose a threat to the home aquarium’s entire fauna if they are not properly cared for.

Recommendations for purchase

The best places to purchase meadow snails are from seasoned aquarists or pet stores. The snails do not need to be kept in quarantine in these situations. In a nearby river, though, you can also catch them yourself. In order to accomplish this, you’ll need a long-handled net that you can run along the bottom of to collect more dirt, which will hold multiple snails at once. However, the mollusks in this instance will undoubtedly require quarantine.

Quarantine conditions

Viviparous mollusks frequently harbor parasites and infections that are harmful to every aquarium occupant. You must make a weak potassium permanganate solution as a quarantine. One liter of water should have a few crystals added to it so that it becomes slightly pink.

Potassium permanganate can be substituted with streptocide tablets (3 pieces per liter of water). They are pulverized and agitated until they dissolve.

For seven to ten days, snails are submerged in an antiseptic-filled bath. They can then be securely moved into the aquarium.

Feeding

Being nearly omnivores, luzhankas obtain their sustenance from the earth, where they find decaying plant parts and leftover food. They are self-sufficient in food.

However, vitamin-enriched fish food can be used to treat them. It is necessary to occasionally feed pharmaceutical chalk and finely crushed raw eggshells because they contain calcium, which helps to grow and strengthen the shell. They shouldn’t be given school chalk because it contains glue.

One benefit of owning Luzhanka snails is that, in contrast to other mollusk species, they do not consume live ornamental aquatic plants. That is to say, they do a great job of cleaning the surrounding aquatic environment and the soil without damaging the owner’s meticulously designed aquarium interior.

Reproduction and life expectancy

Luzhanka snails are viviparous, dioecious mollusks. Future offspring grow inside the female and are born as fully developed, tiny snails that are ready to live and feed on their own right away, rather than as eggs. Every tiny snail that emerges from the mother’s body is submerged in an enlarging gelatinous mass. This is the egg’s shell, which the baby is released from right away. The hard bristles that cover the babies’ shells eventually fall out. Ten to twelve babies are born to a female at a time.

The meadow snails only need to purchase two individuals of different sexes in order to procreate. Inappropriate maintenance conditions may be indicated if the couple is childless. In this instance, all you have to do is clean the aquarium and replace the soil entirely.

The entire year is the breeding season. Luzhanka snails yield a lot of offspring. In the event that the aquarium is overly crowded, artificial population control is required. Add their natural enemies to the aquarium or capture some of the snails and release them back into the wild.

The lugworm has a longer life span than other members of its class of gastropods. This snail can live for eight to ten years under ideal circumstances and with regular maintenance.

Natural enemies of lugworms

The majority of ornamental fish species kept in aquariums do not interact with adults. However, a lot of fish that are well-liked by aquarists enjoy devouring their young. These consist of geophaguses, cichlids, marbled loaches, clown loaches (macracanthas), and gourami.

However, Helena, the freshwater predatory snail, is the deadly opponent of the harmless meadow snail. These mollusks can devour even a large adult luzhanka. Helena takes the luzhanka’s body out of its shell and eats it, feasting on it.

A fascinating addition to any aquarium is the Luzhanka snail. Both novice and seasoned aquarists like it because of its distinctive appearance and kind disposition. You can guarantee that this snail flourishes and enhances the beauty of your aquatic setup by being aware of its requirements and creating the ideal habitat.

Providing a varied diet and keeping the water clean are essential parts of caring for Luzhanka snails. Maintaining your snail’s health and preventing problems can be achieved through routine tank maintenance and water condition monitoring. These snails can coexist peacefully in tanks with other inhabitants and support a healthy ecosystem if given the right care.

The Luzhanka snail is a rewarding species to keep, regardless of your level of experience. It’s an excellent option for adding interest to your aquarium because of its low maintenance needs and unique behaviors. Take pleasure in observing your Luzhanka snail develop and prosper in its new habitat.

The Luzhanka snail, prized for its distinct look and useful function in preserving a healthy tank environment, is an intriguing addition to any aquarium. This snail is a useful option for both beginning and seasoned fish keepers because it feeds on algae and debris, which keeps the aquarium clean. Luzhanka snails add aesthetic and functional value to your aquatic setup with their low maintenance needs and laid-back nature.

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