Silly Newbie question - does my snail need help?

georgec · 11/16/2006, 09:46 AM

Well, tanks been up for 5 days now... cycling with cured live rock... it seems like there is something new everyday. Starting to see a lot of little mini-feather dusters?

Anyway, the main question - I had a large snail hitchhike on the live rock. He loves to clean... but every once in a while, he falls over on his side trying to cross the sand.

I've been helping him back up - do I need to do this? Or will he eventually be able to right himself and be on his way?

I assume that if they were unable to right themselves in nature, we probably wouldn't have any snails... but it doesn't look like he gets much of a grip when stuck on the sand bed...

Thanks!

andrewsmart · 11/16/2006, 10:01 AM

i would continue to right him he when you can if you got any predators in your rock he would be vunerable.

also if you introduce hermit crabs to the system they may take his shell. and they wont ask nicely.

in the wild they may never leave the rock to look for food also the current may eventually right him.

in such a new system he may be struggling for food hence the time on the substrate.

some nori seawood from and asian market attached to rock would help untill the system is more esablished. A very small amount would do.

Dubbin1 · 11/16/2006, 10:01 AM

Some snails can not right themselves so yes you need to give it a hand.

dc · 11/16/2006, 10:01 AM

Probably will always need help. Depends on what kind it is. A lot of the snails we put in our tanks are not evolved to flip themselves over on the sand. They come from rocky areas where they can grab on.

Sk8r · 11/16/2006, 10:08 AM

The pointy snails have to be rescued. If you have a long-handled glass scraper, you can probably do this without having to put your hands in the tank. Very few snails, actually, can cross the sand successfully. The little strombus grazers can, and nassarius, but the trochus, astraeas, even the big turbos, are just helpless.

blackheart · 11/16/2006, 11:24 AM

Also with a new system they are weak because there is not enough food so they have problems staying right up even on rock i recommend the nori as well if not you will be buying a new snail sooner than you want

georgec · 11/16/2006, 12:38 PM

If I just put a little Nori on a rock and weight it down, the snail will find it? Anything special I need to do to it?

Thanks!

blackheart · 11/16/2006, 01:49 PM

yeah that should be fine sometimes a rubber band works. If you want you can even put the snail on top of the nori and it will love you forever

good luck

11/16/2006, 09:46 AM	#1
georgec Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 73	Silly Newbie question - does my snail need help? Well, tanks been up for 5 days now... cycling with cured live rock... it seems like there is something new everyday. Starting to see a lot of little mini-feather dusters? Anyway, the main question - I had a large snail hitchhike on the live rock. He loves to clean... but every once in a while, he falls over on his side trying to cross the sand. I've been helping him back up - do I need to do this? Or will he eventually be able to right himself and be on his way? I assume that if they were unable to right themselves in nature, we probably wouldn't have any snails... but it doesn't look like he gets much of a grip when stuck on the sand bed... Thanks!

11/16/2006, 10:01 AM	#4
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	Probably will always need help. Depends on what kind it is. A lot of the snails we put in our tanks are not evolved to flip themselves over on the sand. They come from rocky areas where they can grab on. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

11/16/2006, 10:08 AM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The pointy snails have to be rescued. If you have a long-handled glass scraper, you can probably do this without having to put your hands in the tank. Very few snails, actually, can cross the sand successfully. The little strombus grazers can, and nassarius, but the trochus, astraeas, even the big turbos, are just helpless. __________________ 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%.

11/16/2006, 11:24 AM	#6
blackheart Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 892	Also with a new system they are weak because there is not enough food so they have problems staying right up even on rock i recommend the nori as well if not you will be buying a new snail sooner than you want __________________ I have been cycling my tank for a month now with 75lbs of live rock when do I add the salt???? click the red house to see pics of my old tank....the better pics are at the bottom :D Current Tank Info: Back to the drawing board!!

11/16/2006, 01:49 PM	#8
blackheart Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 892	yeah that should be fine sometimes a rubber band works. If you want you can even put the snail on top of the nori and it will love you forever good luck __________________ I have been cycling my tank for a month now with 75lbs of live rock when do I add the salt???? click the red house to see pics of my old tank....the better pics are at the bottom :D Current Tank Info: Back to the drawing board!!

11/16/2006, 10:01 AM	#2
andrewsmart Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: glasgow, scotland Posts: 369	i would continue to right him he when you can if you got any predators in your rock he would be vunerable. also if you introduce hermit crabs to the system they may take his shell. and they wont ask nicely. in the wild they may never leave the rock to look for food also the current may eventually right him. in such a new system he may be struggling for food hence the time on the substrate. some nori seawood from and asian market attached to rock would help untill the system is more esablished. A very small amount would do.

11/16/2006, 10:01 AM	#3
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	Some snails can not right themselves so yes you need to give it a hand.

11/16/2006, 12:38 PM	#7
georgec Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 73	If I just put a little Nori on a rock and weight it down, the snail will find it? Anything special I need to do to it? Thanks!