Pond Plants - Pond Supplies - Japanese Koi Koi, Pond Plants and Pond Supplies - All Credit Cards - PayPal eChecks Pond Plants Shipped 365 Days a Year!
*Except Seasonal Water Lotus No added fees at checkout! Continental US Only Shipping Info*
*Residential Motor Freight Delivery Extra for
Oversize/Overweight Products.
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Black Japanese Trapdoor Pond Snails
- Will Survive Harsh
Winter Climates in Ice Covered Ponds!
These snails give live birth,
and are not egg layers that
overwhelm your pond.
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(Viviparis
malleatus)
Close to Actual Size
The Black
Japanese Trapdoor snail (Viviparis malleatus)
is the preferred species of water gardeners
world-wide. This snail is black in color,
body and shell. We ship them when they
get close to the size of a quarter. Trapdoor snails are one of
the few larger varieties that can survive
the winter in Northern climates. This
snail is a great asset in keeping algae
under control as they groom your plants,
planting pots and watergarden walls. They
also cruise the pond bottom and consume
decaying matter such as leaves and fish
food. These are live bearing snails. They
only breed a couple of times a year so don't
expect them to multiply fast like regular
egg laying snails. Full grown snails are
around 3" long.
Order
according to the size of watergarden
or pond you have. For ponds and watergardens
use at least 1 snail per 3 square feet
of pond space. For snails to have a
positive effect on algae growth you
should have 20 for small watergardens
and 50 or more for larger watergardens.
Farm ponds should have at least 200
to have any positive effect.
When
your snails breed and give live birth
(perhaps twice a year) pick the tender
baby snails out of the pond and rear
them in an aquarium if you want to save
them. Koi and other creatures find the
tiny snails to be a great treat. Once
they grow to an inch or so you can release
them back into your pond or watergarden.
Algae's Worst
Nightmare!
TRAPDOOR SNAIL FACTS
Survive in tropical ponds:
Yes
Algae eating capacity:
Moderate
to High
Survive in winter climates:
Yes
Plant eating capacity:
Low
Breathing:
Gilled
Breeding:
Sexual,
live-bearing
How many do you need?
- For ponds and watergardens
use at least 1 snail per
3 square feet of pond space.
Example: You have a 9 x
12 pond. 9 x 12 = 108
108/3 = 36 Pond Snails
DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS: Open the bag of snails and let the
bag fill about 1/2 with pond water.
Float or hold the bag for a few minutes
and then let them into pond water after
they adjust to the temperature change.
They are not happy campers when they
arrive! They will appear lifeless from
the shock of shipping like a scared
turtle in a shell. They will have some
algae attached to their shells as they
are grown in algae rich ponds. One or
two may get a cracked shell during delivery
as they get bounced around like little
ping pong balls, but they will mend.
We cannot guarantee live delivery
on each and every one of the snails
due to shipping conditions out of our
control. We ship healthy and active
live snails. When the weather is hot
we strongly suggest you upgrade to one
of our shipping
options below. We do everything
in our control to get them to you in
good condition.
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ALIVE OR DEAD? If the trapdoor is
in place, and the meat is in the shell,
the snail is alive. The only true test
of a dead snail is an empty shell with
no meat in it. The very nature of snails
can lead a person to believe they are
dead. Just like a turtle they suck everything
in and play dead. If they float, they
are not dead as long as the meat is
in the shell. They somehow got air trapped
in the shells and will work it out.
However some snails have a tough time
getting the air out. Some people mistakenly
interpret floating snails as dead snails.
This is not the case at all. Have patience
and in a few days they will work the
air out.
RACCOONS: If you have raccoons that
visit your pond they may eat them. Most
county animal control offices have traps
you can use to relocate the raccoons.
It is not unusual for raccoons to live
in the middle of very larges cities.
I have seen raccoons live inside city
storm drains during the day and come
out of the steel curb drains at night
to feed.
WHERE DID THE SNAILS GO? We sometimes
get email from people who put snails
in their pond and in a few days cannot
see them after they disperse. The fast
answer to this is that the snails are
still in your pond and you cannot see
them. They are almost impossible to
spot as they are the same color as the
rocks and gravel. One way to check is
to get a fishing pole and put a lettuce
leaf on the hook and lay it on the pond
bottom. Come back in an hour or two
and you should have snails at the lettuce.
Note: If you want air
shipping select it now.
You will not have a chance
to upgrade at checkout.
WEST COAST, SOUTHWEST AND DEEP
SOUTH CUSTOMERS: The snails are shipped from
Mid-America (Ohio). We
cannot guarantee the live delivery of
each and every snail with our free ground shipping
due to hot cargo area temperatures when traveling
through the desert, or in heat waves
anywhere in the US. Please consider
purchasing the 2nd Day Air, or Next
Day Air option below
if you want to insure they all arrive
healthy. High heat
encountered
during shipping
can exhaust and
potentially kill
snails. Snails
have very little
ability to
tolerate heat;
just like
earthworms they
will become limp
and lifeless if
left in the heat
or sunlight. If
the trapdoor
that covers the
shell opening is
still attached
to the meat of
the snail, the
snail is not
dead and may
have a chance at
recovering.
You will NOT have
the option at
checkout to upgrade
shipping. You must
select now!
Example 1: You order
on a Thursday...
Snails will leave
on Monday and arrive
Tuesday.
Example 2: You order
on Tuesday...
Snails will leave
on Wednesday and
arrive Thursday.
Price: $47.00
POND SNAIL
PACKAGES
FREE GROUND SHIPMENT INCLUDED!
Compare
at $3.99 to 2.99 each PLUS shipping
and handling at other websites.
LARGER POND SNAIL PACKAGES
FREE 2ND DAY AIR SHIPMENT INCLUDED!
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RESTRICTED PLANTS:
Some states have bans on certain pond plants. Check the
USDA Noxious Plants website
prior to purchase. The buyer needs to beware of any regulations
on plants that may be restricted. If your order gets confiscated
by your state agriculture department we cannot be held responsible.
CLIMATE VARIATIONS:
We guarantee our plants will arrive alive and healthy. Pond Plants
grow differently depending on where you live. If you took pond plants
of the same type, and planted them in different parts of the USA,
each plant would grow differently. This is Mother Nature at work.
We cannot guarantee that your climate will support long term growth
as this varies by location. With experience you will find which
pond plants thrive in your
USDA Zone. Join our
Pond, Watergarden
and Plant Forum and ask some questions before you buy
is the best advice we can give you.
SUBSTITUTIONS: We
reserve the right to substitute similar plants of equal or greater
value unless you specifically request otherwise in the remarks section
of your order. This happens almost never though, and if it does
happen it is usually in regard to floating and submerged oxygenation
plants.
