just got 4 snails, their not happy...

[Jenny_RS]

I got them yesterday evening, acclimated them slowly...but they are still hiding in their shells. what should i do?

[supahtim]

flip them right side up. tempt them with some nori .

where did you get them from?

Tim

[reefer madness]

They look like they are still occupied! Try standing them up right. You know snails need to be acclimated for along time. I read one article by a specialist in mollusks and he said to drip from 5-10 hours.

Gary

[KevinFJB]

They look like astreas, and if they are, then they can't right them selves if they fall over. Try placing each one near the glass and such that the point of the shell is upward and they will likely come out and start moving on the glass. Astreas, they live in the rockwork of the reef and have not evolved with the ability to right themselves when they fall or are placed on a flat surface on their “side”.

[Jenny_RS]

wow 5-10 hours...i did it for 2 hours...oh boy. well for starters, what is nori ? i got them from big als. i think they called them turbo snails. their shells are pinkish and pointy.

[ajx22]

Are your water parameters still as stated in your signature? ie 20ppm Nitrate?

Re nori - see the glossary link.

[supahtim]

nori is seaweed. you can get it cheaper from grocery stores, just make sure it has no additives.

those are definitely astrea snails, and they are very sensitive to nitrates. try to avoid shopping at big stores like BA's. they do not name most of their livestock correctly. if you bought them as Turbo Snails, you most likely paid a couple of dollars more than necessary.

Tim

[jgillard]

BA name the astrea as turbos. They are NOT turbos. You need to make sure they are right side up as they can not right themselves. Try holding one to the glass for a few minutes. It should suck on and start moving. 2 hours is long for acclimation so that should not be a problem IMO.

[bigtyguyy]

ooooohhhh man don't get me started on BA's... Jenny_RS you live in an awesome spot for marine stores soo start hitting up our sponsors in your area because they blow BA's away.. you will get people that know what they are doing because they have been doing it for years not like BA's employees that just started 2 weeks ago..

But yea i had the same problem with my astrea's and i couldn't keep up with the flipping of them and then my darn hermit crabs ate them.. soo no hermit crabs and just keep an eye on them once an awhile.

[Jenny_RS]

ok so i tried to face them towards the glass before i left for work, they are still in the same place just not as closed into their shells. i tried holdin them to the glass for a few min and that didn't work either. should i do a water change to help with the nitrates? i did one last week, i'm due for another tomorrow. and yes i did another test and my parameters are as stated in my siggy. i'm going to do another one on the weekend to see how much the water change brings down my nitrates.

[Mugster]

Do you see any movement at all? Do they react to being moved? Take one out and smell it. They may have passed on.



:ehm:

[Malvado]

You might want to add some live rock to help battle your nitrate problem as well, a total of 20 Lbs would be ideal.

What are you running in your Aquaclear 10 filter?

[kgolem]

The white part that you see in the shell opening is like a trap door that the snail opens to extend its foot and mouth out. They won't open the trap door unless they can sense that the opening is against a surface.

Set them on the rock with the opening down on the rock surface. When the trap door opens the shell will rock a bit and might fall off the rock if it is in a precarious position. When the foot extends the snail will attach itself to the rock. They can make there way across the sand to the glass.

Put them on the rock for now, it is the most natural place for them, after all there are no glass surfaces on the reef. Remember where on the rock you put them, you can tell if they are alive by the change in position, rather than poking them with your finger. When the time comes, they will find the glass on their own.

[Jenny_RS]

Okay snails are on rock. hopefully everything works itself out, i will keep an eye on them and let you guys know when there is change. thanks a bunch.

[MEDICINEMAN]

Good luck and snail away?!

[Jenny_RS]

okay there has been no change yet, did a 25% water change so i'll test the water tomorrow morning. they have not moved from their spots on the rock yet. In my filter I am only running the sponges, no carbon. I have a question tho, in a ten gallon tank with a combination of both powerheads, i have a total of 186 usg/hr. What level of movement is that, low, medium, or high?

[RonPeter]

How often do you clean the sponges? If not kept very clean they are nitrate factories. I would also add about 5lbs more live rock to the tank to help filtration.

[ajx22]

With nitrates @ 20ppm - this tells you that the "cycle " has not been able to complete - and as such - you should not be adding any livestock. Especially with having no fish - all readings (nitrate/nitrite/ammonia) should be 0 (zero).

The snails are likely dead or close to.

You need to get your biofiltration working BEFORE adding animals. As mentioned - remove the sponges and other man-made media. You want to have 1.5 - 2lbs of live rock per gallon...so 15-20lbs total.

After adding the additional live rock, you then need to leave the tank alone for upwards of 6-8 weeks until ALL the water parameters have gone to zero (0). THEN - you can add one or two healthy snails - and see how they do - watching them for a few weeks.

Follow the instructions - you will succeed. Try to fast-forward = dead animals.

Read:
cycle <--
denitrification <--
cured <--


HTH and good luck,

[Jenny_RS]

so instead of having the sponge in the filter what should i use? i have not added my fish back yet, and i smelled the snails and they don't have any odors to them at all. I am going to be going to get more live rock today.

[RonPeter]

Just use the filter for water flow...the live rock will be your filter that is why you need 15-20 lbs of it.

[Jenny_RS]

AAARRRGGGG you know it's a good thing i didn't add my fish back yet. I do a 25 % water change once a week, i tested my water last week and everything was fine. now my nitrates are reading at 40 ppm! those snails are coming out now and going over to my friends house, hopefully she can keep them from dying on me. looks like i'm going through another cycle....ugh this is so stressful. nitrites are reading zero. now i just need to go out and buy a new ammonia test kit. anyone have suggestions on what brand is the best? the ones i have are seachem. oh and while i am at it what else should i test for?

[ajx22]

Doing water changes during the 'cycle ' is causing the problems.

LEAVE IT ALONE and only top-up evaporation with RO/DI water until all parameters have stabilized.

You need to test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH
There are many threads about which ones are good.

PLEASE - read:
cycle and denitrification <-- click BOTH links here, and read it all.

Until you understand that - you will not be able to keep a tank.

HTH

[Jenny_RS]

Sorry i forgot to say that during the cycle i was not doing any water changes, only topping off with ro/di water when needed. i tested 2 weeks ago and everything was zero, but to be safe i did not add my fish yet. maybe my test kit was wrong, i don't know, but it did read zero. i know i have a breakout of what i was told is cyano bacteria, not sure tho. then i tested my water last week and my nitrates read 20, now they are reading 40 one week later. everything else is reading zero.

[ajx22]

Detectable nitrates = Not enough biofiltration!

Needs more rock for bacterial colonization (~10lbs) - and then, it will be a 'cycle ' again. It will be at least 4 weeks before you can add ANY animals.


FYI - the 'cycle ' doesn't ever end...it's not a one-time thing --- it's like breathing. You don't take one breath and say ok - I did it.

[Jenny_RS]

i know and understand that. everytime i add something i go through another cycle because my bioload can't support it. so it's not like i don't know anything about the hobby. at any rate, the reason why i was frustrated was because my amm/nitrite/nitrates were all zero, i have not added anything to my tank and then all of a sudden my nitrates are at 40. thats all.

[kgolem]

Take one out and smell it. They may have passed on.


Try Mugsters test for life on one snail, believe me you will know right away. If is ok then wait till tomorrow and test again.

[Jenny_RS]

they don't have any odors at all when i smell them.

[jgillard]

They smell like GRIM DEATH if they are dead, so they may still be ok.

[Jenny_RS]

ok now they have a very suttle smell to them. i think i am too late.

[Mugster]

If they still haven't moved after 3 days....chances are they're done. :rip:



:tape:

[Jenny_RS]

i got them yesterday around 5 pm.

[RonPeter]

I got them yesterday evening, acclimated them slowly...but they are still hiding in their shells. what should i do?

Um yesterday you posted this



i got them yesterday around 5 pm.

And today you posted this?

If you got them 2 days ago or even yesterday and they haven't moved they are dead! If a snail hasn't moved in a few hours it is toast, especially with high nitrates.

[Mugster]

I got them yesterday evening, acclimated them slowly...but they are still hiding in their shells. what should i do?


According to your first post from yesterday you got the snails Wednesday evening. Any snail I've bought that didn't move after 1 day from being introduced to my tank was DOA. If they're not moving around after a couple of hours then something is wrong with them.



:tape:

[Jenny_RS]

sorry my mistake, i did get them wednesday. and yea they are probly toast by now. man do i feel bad. what is the best brand to get for ammonia test kits?

[Mugster]

sorry my mistake, i did get them wednesday. and yea they are probly toast by now. man do i feel bad. what is the best brand to get for ammonia test kits?


I prefer Salifert for all of my test kits.




:hi1:

[RonPeter]

Salifert are one of the better ones.

[Jenny_RS]

alright tomorrow i will look for salifert. thx for the help everyone.