# HELP...Mystery snails are dying!



## rckstr1253

Help! i came home the other day to find my 2 gallon tank had hit 80-82 degrees with 13 baby mystery snail in it. They are about the size of a marble and I had been raising for the past 3 months. When i got them they were the size of a BB. I had no issues till this, but when I got home a bunch were floating at the top with themselves hanging out of their shells. At first I thought they were skimming the water but a few hours later they were still in the same spot even though I had thrown in algae wafers for them. I scooped out the ones I knew were alive and put them in my other 2 gallon tank(glass one) which was at 78 degrees(I put them in an aerated cup so they could acclimate to the new tanks temperature). All the others I through in another aerated cup just to make sure none were playing dead. Sure enough of the 13 of those snails I had been raising, only 6 made it. I was happy I had at least saved them. Fast forward a few days later to today, and I noticed a few of them were floating at the top like the others the other day. Sure enough, of the 6 I saved, only 1 or 2 are alive. THis tank is at 78 degrees. So what am I doing wrong? Also, both tanks have a couple big snails in there that are thriving.....so what am I doing wrong? I seriously don't want the last 1 or 2 to die on me and I am waiting for my 5 gallon tank to cycle before throwing anything in it.


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## Lupin

Could you please check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate where they are? What are the results? What species are the larger snails? Are you sure the babies are getting enough food?


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## rckstr1253

The nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels look fine. As for the species of them, I am not sure as mystery snails are made up of so many different species, but they are a purple/magenta that look similar to my blue mystery snail in appearance and shell appearance. So I assume they are bridgessi or so forth.

P.S. as for nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels, I thought the mystery snails are suppose to be hardier? I have a betta fish in each of those tanks(rescued ones) that are thriving so I assume they would drop dead before the snail or so I thought?


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## MinaMinaMina

Are you sure the snails were dead? Did they stink to high heaven?


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## Lupin

All colored mystery snails are the same species, Pomacea diffusa. They are very very sensitive to water quality. Bridgesii is their outdated name. Ken Hayes changed that around 2008.


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## rckstr1253

A majority of them stunk....but a few were just hanging out of their shell and when i would touch them they wouldn't recede back into their shells like a normal ones would.


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## SeaHorse

What is the PH of your water? and hardness? Ours is 8.2 for PH and we cannot keep snails alive here. LFS doesn't even bring them in cause they die on her too. Maybe something to do with it?


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## rckstr1253

I'll have to check again....but my ph is usually 5.8-7.0 max........it does seem to fluctuate here on Long Island. But even then I have a betta fish in the tank and they are doing great.....and the bigger snails are do fine as well. They are eating, getting bigger, and not one has croaked on me. Its only the babies from the same batch that I bought......pssible genetic defect or something?


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## rckstr1253

Well I brought water samples of all 3 tanks to the LFS and they confirmed my parameters are fine. I can't figure this out.....but as of late last night I only had 2 baby snails left......and one I found dead this morning.......so I don't know. What should I do with the last one? Just leave it in the 2nd tank I put them in or take him out and put him in his own little cup? I am stumped for sure!


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## Silverfang

Sorry to butt in on someone else's thread but I was wondering if I could bug you snail experts an issue I have.

I have a mystery/apple snail, black (not that that should matter) it's injured (I think), his shell is cracked, it has been since I got him, but he's still been a happy piggy snail. But I think Monday I found him not moving. I pulled him out and cupped him with a bit of algae wafer, still didn't move, at all. He doesn't stink, he acts dead, he plays dead. I was about to throw him out cause I thought he was dead, had him in a ziploc baggie with a bit of water, and I see the mouth poking out. He's alive.

Is there anything I can do for him (fairly sure its a him), and what would be the best course of action for treatment. He was in my 33 gal, I think the PH is 6.8 ish, live plants, 0 ammonia, I think the nitrites ates? were about 10. (not sure if the info was helpful).


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## Lupin

Jakiebabie said:


> What is the PH of your water? and hardness? Ours is 8.2 for PH and we cannot keep snails alive here. LFS doesn't even bring them in cause they die on her too. Maybe something to do with it?


the issue would have something to do with metal content in the tap, jakie. Have you checked with local watr company regarding this?



rckstr1253 said:


> I'll have to check again....but my ph is usually 5.8-7.0 max........it does seem to fluctuate here on Long Island. But even then I have a betta fish in the tank and they are doing great.....and the bigger snails are do fine as well. They are eating, getting bigger, and not one has croaked on me. Its only the babies from the same batch that I bought......pssible genetic defect or something?


what test kit was used? Were the shells not eroded at all? Your pH is too acidoc for the shells to be maintained properly.



Silverfang said:


> Sorry to butt in on someone else's thread but I was wondering if I could bug you snail experts an issue I have.
> 
> I have a mystery/apple snail, black (not that that should matter) it's injured (I think), his shell is cracked, it has been since I got him, but he's still been a happy piggy snail. But I think Monday I found him not moving. I pulled him out and cupped him with a bit of algae wafer, still didn't move, at all. He doesn't stink, he acts dead, he plays dead. I was about to throw him out cause I thought he was dead, had him in a ziploc baggie with a bit of water, and I see the mouth poking out. He's alive.
> 
> Is there anything I can do for him (fairly sure its a him), and what would be the best course of action for treatment. He was in my 33 gal, I think the PH is 6.8 ish, live plants, 0 ammonia, I think the nitrites ates? were about 10. (not sure if the info was helpful).


Your pH will not allow his shell to recover. Start increasing it beyond 7.6 in a separate tank and supplement him with calcium.enriched fiod such as kale and seaweeds. Then add caltrate or tums in his tank 2-3x a week.


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## rckstr1253

Lupin said:


> the issue would have something to do with metal content in the tap, jakie. Have you checked with local watr company regarding this?
> 
> 
> what test kit was used? Were the shells not eroded at all? Your pH is too acidoc for the shells to be maintained properly.
> 
> 
> Your pH will not allow his shell to recover. Start increasing it beyond 7.6 in a separate tank and supplement him with calcium.enriched fiod such as kale and seaweeds. Then add caltrate or tums in his tank 2-3x a week.



Wait I am confused I was told 6.5-7.5 ph is the safe route for the snails. Mine falls between 5.8 and 7.0 but I try to maintain it at 7.0. As for the shell erosion, the babies had perfect shells and the biger ones I bought at petland I bought since they were damaged. I kind of have a rescue thing going on for snails and betta's.


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## Lupin

Who told you that? Advice is mediocre. At that range, pH is very acidic and can erode the shells. PH should.not fall below 7.6 to minimize shell.erosions.


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## MinaMinaMina

rckstr1253, I don't know your situation, so I'm not necessarily aiming this at you. But your comment "_bought_ at petland I bought since they were damaged" (italics mine) made me think of this... So not aimed at you, but as a general statement...

If any one wants to rescue a critter from a pet store, *don't pay for it*. By paying for it, you're feeding money into the system that allows them to produce even more critters that will be treated equally as badly. I mean, for example, for every betta you purchase in a filthy cup amongst dead bettas, they'll just ship in another betta in a filthy cup to take its place. Feeding money into this situation just perpetuates the cycle! I know its hard to pass up a suffering creature, but trust me- that one creature may have to suffer, and that's absolutely terrible, BUT you'll save other creatures from suffering. The cycle will never stop until we stop feeding it!

This goes for aquatic creatures, or pet store/puppy mill puppies and kitties, or reptiles, or pocket pets, or exotics, or birds or whatever. Getting your creatures for real rescues would be the best option. The next best option is getting them from breeders that actually care about the lives they bring into this world.


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## Hanky

MinaMinaMina said:


> rckstr1253, I don't know your situation, so I'm not necessarily aiming this at you. But your comment "_bought_ at petland I bought since they were damaged" (italics mine) made me think of this... So not aimed at you, but as a general statement...
> 
> If any one wants to rescue a critter from a pet store, *don't pay for it*. By paying for it, you're feeding money into the system that allows them to produce even more critters that will be treated equally as badly. I mean, for example, for every betta you purchase in a filthy cup amongst dead bettas, they'll just ship in another betta in a filthy cup to take its place. Feeding money into this situation just perpetuates the cycle! I know its hard to pass up a suffering creature, but trust me- that one creature may have to suffer, and that's absolutely terrible, BUT you'll save other creatures from suffering. The cycle will never stop until we stop feeding it!
> 
> This goes for aquatic creatures, or pet store/puppy mill puppies and kitties, or reptiles, or pocket pets, or exotics, or birds or whatever. Getting your creatures for real rescues would be the best option. The next best option is getting them from breeders that actually care about the lives they bring into this world.


EXACTLY..... Well said, I cant tell you how many times I hear people say" I was at Wal-Mart and felt sorry for the dieing Betta so I rescued him" Your not rescuing, your putting more fish in harm by keeping the Wal-Mart fish dept. open. These places sell sick dieing animals because WE create a market for them.

OOOOhhh... and I'm sorry to hear about your snails


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## rckstr1253

Lupin said:


> Who told you that? Advice is mediocre. At that range, pH is very acidic and can erode the shells. PH should.not fall below 7.6 to minimize shell.erosions.


I was told from a gentleman who cares for snails at Petland and always has their tanks nice and clean(not the same petland where I bought the already damaged shell snails I bought). Most of my snails have a smooth shell and I do grind up egg shells into a powder to throw into the tank as a calcium supplement. Since you know a lot about snails, what would you recommend to get the pitted shells all nice and smooth and remove the algae on the shells? All info is appreciated as I love these guys and do want to nurse them back to complete 100% if I can. 

Thanks again for the info. As for the last baby snail, I moved him into another tank I had set up for a betta but he is the only one in it. He is moving around and eating so I think I am in the clear right now. 

On another note, one of my albino snails and blue mystery snails is mating so if I have any babies, does anyone on here want to buy a few. I am thinking charging 50 cents to a $1.00 for each one + shipping. 

Thanks!


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## Amphibianite

Snail are very sensitive to any copper especially in medications, that may be part of the problem.


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## Lupin

rckstr1253 said:


> I was told from a gentleman who cares for snails at Petland and always has their tanks nice and clean(not the same petland where I bought the already damaged shell snails I bought). Most of my snails have a smooth shell and I do grind up egg shells into a powder to throw into the tank as a calcium supplement. Since you know a lot about snails, what would you recommend to get the pitted shells all nice and smooth and remove the algae on the shells? All info is appreciated as I love these guys and do want to nurse them back to complete 100% if I can.
> 
> Thanks again for the info. As for the last baby snail, I moved him into another tank I had set up for a betta but he is the only one in it. He is moving around and eating so I think I am in the clear right now.
> 
> On another note, one of my albino snails and blue mystery snails is mating so if I have any babies, does anyone on here want to buy a few. I am thinking charging 50 cents to a $1.00 for each one + shipping.
> 
> Thanks!


Your albino snail is considered ivory.

Shell.erosion around the tip of their butt cannot be repaired. For fracture around the mantle, place the snail in tank woth temp no.more than 76 degreea Fahrenheit and feed woth calcium supplements. The slow shell growth will give time for shell to thickwn itself. Fast growing snails have dangerously brittle shells which can easily crack.


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## dramaqueen

Lupin is a snail expert as well as a goldfish expert so you're getting some great advice here.


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## rckstr1253

Lupin said:


> Your albino snail is considered ivory.
> 
> Shell.erosion around the tip of their butt cannot be repaired. For fracture around the mantle, place the snail in tank woth temp no.more than 76 degreea Fahrenheit and feed woth calcium supplements. The slow shell growth will give time for shell to thickwn itself. Fast growing snails have dangerously brittle shells which can easily crack.


Is it? I thought Ivory snails were snails with a white foot and white shell? These have a whitish/pink foot with brown striped shell. 

Well the erosion is like pit marks where the shell comes to a point. I am in the process of setting up a fluval ebi tank that will be specifically designated for plants and snails. How many snails can I keep in this 8 gallon tank if I do 2 water changes a week? I will have 2 filters running as well.


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## Lupin

I had the impression your snail was indeed white shell and white body which are ivories. My memory must be off but I cant remember ever seeing one with brown shell and white foot. Pics? I coul have sworn it sounded like burgundy to me.
If you want only mystery snails, only 3 at most.


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## rckstr1253

Lupin said:


> I had the impression your snail was indeed white shell and white body which are ivories. My memory must be off but I cant remember ever seeing one with brown shell and white foot. Pics? I coul have sworn it sounded like burgundy to me.
> If you want only mystery snails, only 3 at most.


Well I do have a few ivory snails....but I have a brown shell with black stripes that has a foot that is yellowish/white/pinkish and I even have a magenta/purple shelled snail with a white foot and orange eyes.


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