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Mystery Snail Erosion

52K views 51 replies 19 participants last post by  Lupin 
#1 ·
Well this one is a classic example of what not to buy when you look for a snail. I got this one 4 days ago and it didn't make it through today.

I wanted to show this to help others recognize what to look for when buying a snail. This is not a snail you want to buy, not in this condition anyway.


This erosion is the worst I have seen. The side of the shell is gone and the area where the door would close is so gone it could never seal completely.

This one I didn't see in the LFS. The end of the spiral is so eroded that the shell is almost transparent and there is a huge hole in it.

I hate to say it but don't try to rescue them. All the research I have done says they are too far gone when they reach this point. I tried to save them, even did special feedings but once the shell has degraded this far they are beyond saving. Hopefully this will help at least one person keep from making the same mistake I have made twice now. I am not mad at the LFS because this takes a long time to happen and the stock is new enough that it is not the LFS fault. The breeders take this poor of care of these creatures and gives LFS a bad rap. It is unfortunate that my LFS doesn't know better, but they will tomorrow.

If you have a snail in this condition even the slightest thing wrong with the water, trace amounts of copper that would normally be safe, any salt at all or anything wrong with the water any snail in this condition is a gonner.

Make sure to hand inspect any snail you are going to buy. Look at the shell through the light to make sure it isn't translucent. Check that the snail can completely close the door to the shell and it looks like it seals. Any serious divots in the shell or other erosion is a sign of a snail not taken care of and not a good purchase.
 
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#2 ·
A very useful and interesting thread. Hope to hear more information on this.:)

Notice:
Feel free to share your experiences and photos related to this subject. You can post here as the thread will be designed for open discussions and will not be locked.:)
 
#3 ·
Little chips of the shell around the operculum are ok. These will fill in with new growth and aren't a problem at all. Snails can reinforce some severe erosion to protect their soft bodies provided they have enough calcium. Your pictures show snails that must have been kept in soft, acid water for quite some time. Damage like this takes a long time to show up. I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

Now I can't get the name Blupin out of my head. Arghh! Lupin + Blue
 
#5 ·
I buy the occasional snail for my 30 gallon freshwater goldfish tank and have noticed that after several mos. (approx.. 6-8 mos.) their shells start to deteriorate and become a little brittle (they also have scratches and streaks on them almost like cracks). Am I not putting something in the water that they need? I have never added salt or copper to this tank. Is this something that is just to be expected in the natural life cycle of a mystery snail? Are they short lived creatures?
 
#6 ·
The nsails need some calcium and or a pH above 7.0. Otherwise they will suffer from shell deterioration. Almost every snail I have bought from my LFS had the erosions like the ones above just somewhat to a lesser extent. Within 3-4 weeks of adding loads of calcium and keeping the pH right aroun 7.6 the snails have healed and even laid eggs once.

So to answer your question, no. Snails should live much longer than they have for you and with the addition of calcium, which is good for the fish anyway and a higher pH you should get them to survive for 4-6 years.
 
#8 ·
Well I add crushed coral to all of my tanks and I also add calcium citrate to my snail tank every other day or so. Since I started doing so I haven't seen any shell erosion. I think the best way to "measure" what you need is to keep your GH and KH above 5 degrees or 80ppm.
 
#11 ·
When you add Calcium Citrate, in what form do you add it? I found several types of calcium at the local store in the vitamin/mineral isle but also found that some contain copper (lethal to our inverts). Would a regular calcium supplement for a human be alright to use (they also have a few trace elements and compounds in them i.e.. vitamin D, magnesium, sugars, etc.)? I also found one containing oyster shells (which I think would be just up our alley here). I'm thinking as long as it's NOT copper or sulfur, it should be OK.

If it is OK to use these, do you just drop 'em in, or do you dilute them in water 1st?

Thanks in advance. Need to help out the little guys.
 
#12 ·
I use the pure powdered calcium citrate from my health store. Any calcium suppliment should work I guess but like you said it needs to be free of harmful additives. I can't say for other suppliments for sure though because all i have ever used is Calcium Citrate, calcium sulfate and added crushed coral.
 
#13 ·
I just wanted to share a pic of a snail that was in pretty bad shape when I got her. She had a very large fissure that was fairly wide. This picture shows how well she has healed in favorable water conditions. I didn't think to take pictures when I received her but thought a healing in process pic would go well here.

 
#14 ·
Hi,
Can someone please tell me what is happening to my snail's shell? I've only had him a couple weeks. Below are some pics that could maybe explain better than I can. It's almost like the shell is peeling back.
Ph 7.5
GH 4
KH 4
Temp. 78F







And here is what he looked like when i first got him.
 
#16 ·
Not normal and not good. Looks like a seriously thin shell. pH looks good but GH and KH could be higher. The good news is it is not erosion and should be a simple diet/suppliment fix. I hope that our resident Guru will drop in and give more information and either confirm what I say or give some more helpful advice.

What do you feed them? Food rich in calcium would do a world of good for them. Kale and Romaine blanched lightly in boiling water. Green beans, lima beans, and I think zucchinin would also be good choices. Calcium suppliments of some kind. Algae wafers are ok but won't provide enough to help the shell heal properly. Be very careful with them as the shell is extremely thin and even the slightest pressure could put a finger right through the shell or crack it badly. I almost did this to one of mine that I "rescued" from the LFS.

Easiest calcium suppliment is simple daily calcium pills. I used Calcium carbonate with vitamin D at 600 mg every other day for mine. As well as fed them lots of green beans and romaine. If you can find them, snail biscuits wold be a great choice or get a piece of Cuddle bone from the LFS. Cuddle Bone is actually a piece of the Cuddle fish and loaded with Calcium. A small piece cut off and weighted down if needed so the snail can get to it. I would expect the snail to go right for either the cuddle bone or the calcium pill if it needs it.
 
#17 ·
Thanks for the info Fish_4_all! I will look for cuddle bone and calcium pills. Do I just drop the calcium pill in and the snail will eat it?
 
#18 ·
I have a sea shell in the bottom of my tank. I put a half a calcium pill (same one I take, I get it from a naturopath) in it and replace when it's gone. That's also where I put the 1/2 algae wafer and whatever veggie I'm feeding at the time. As the calcium and algae wafer disintegrate, the shell keeps them from getting lost among the gravel bits. You could use a small plate or just drop the thing directly into the tank. I'm not so sure that it matters. It's most important to get it to 'em right now.

Lots of snail owners also use the multi day feeding blocks to provide calcium (more expensive) or they make their own out of plaster of paris (less expensive but more time consuming & messy).

Lots of options out there.
 
#21 ·
I don't know about TUMS. I've read on another forum that people have done it, but I don't know if it really is a good idea or not. I don't have enough knowledge about it.

I don't think that school chalk is pure calcium carbonate. I'm not sure what the ingredients are and until that was researched, I'd stay away from trying it.
 
#23 ·
Cody said:
I have noticed my snails shell is getting thinner, so I will add some sort of calcium pill.

I can just add this to my community, right?

And it would just be a regular calcium pill that I would take?
Yep, you can just add it, it won't harm your fish.

You can get a calcium supplement from the lfs (expensive) or you can get tablets at a chemist or health store (inexpensive) like you would take. Just check that there are no hidden ingredients.
 
#24 ·
How about the calcium bones I use for my hermit crabs? I wonder how those would work? I bought 2 of them for around 2 bucks and they're 2 inches long each.
 
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