Getting a snail to release the glass. FYI

Sk8r · 07/25/2020, 12:38 PM

Now and again there are snails that, until you can get your final position on a coral, may 'help' just a bit too much. Really big chestnuts and turbos are in that category.

Pulling on a a snail is not the best way, and may injure them seriously. Instead, get a fingernail under the edge of the mantle (an old credit card will also work) and push a little, while maintaining a hold on the shell. It's kinder and also more effective. Usually they'll turn loose before you've pushed more than 1/8" into their footprint.

Works to a certain extent on anemones, too, but be very gentle: injury to a nem's foot is life-threatening. If you want them just to move, redirecting the tank current (without blasting the nem) is often enough to say 'the food may be better over here.' That also works if you've had a nem go walkabout behind the rocks. A current change often prompts a nem to move to a more advantageous position. Then make it happy before you try to move it again. In general, like the 800 lb gorilla, the nem camps where it wants to be.

While I'm on the topic: pointy top snails are incapable of traveling on the sand: they fall over, and crabs will consider them lunch when they do: not the crabs' fault: they view a tilted snail as a dead snail, which without owner intervention is what happens. They just want to be the first crab there. Also margarita snails, though pretty, are not for us: they're a cold water species, and they're a goner in our tanks.

tswizzle · 07/29/2020, 01:06 PM

i usually just hit it with my algae scrubber haha, usually on accident but gets the job done to get them to release too

07/25/2020, 12:38 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Getting a snail to release the glass. FYI Now and again there are snails that, until you can get your final position on a coral, may 'help' just a bit too much. Really big chestnuts and turbos are in that category. Pulling on a a snail is not the best way, and may injure them seriously. Instead, get a fingernail under the edge of the mantle (an old credit card will also work) and push a little, while maintaining a hold on the shell. It's kinder and also more effective. Usually they'll turn loose before you've pushed more than 1/8" into their footprint. Works to a certain extent on anemones, too, but be very gentle: injury to a nem's foot is life-threatening. If you want them just to move, redirecting the tank current (without blasting the nem) is often enough to say 'the food may be better over here.' That also works if you've had a nem go walkabout behind the rocks. A current change often prompts a nem to move to a more advantageous position. Then make it happy before you try to move it again. In general, like the 800 lb gorilla, the nem camps where it wants to be. While I'm on the topic: pointy top snails are incapable of traveling on the sand: they fall over, and crabs will consider them lunch when they do: not the crabs' fault: they view a tilted snail as a dead snail, which without owner intervention is what happens. They just want to be the first crab there. Also margarita snails, though pretty, are not for us: they're a cold water species, and they're a goner in our tanks. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/29/2020, 01:06 PM	#2
tswizzle Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 13	i usually just hit it with my algae scrubber haha, usually on accident but gets the job done to get them to release too