Why Do Ampullaria Snails Die

[Woland]

Hi,

Actually subject is my question. Ampullarias dying without any reason. The same situation in two different tanks. They just close the flap and after few days are fall out of the shell. No ammonia or other toxic elements found. Water replaced every week 10%.

Maybe something wrong with water in Calgary?

Edited February 15, 2011 by Woland

[Ron]

So you've checked all your water parameters? Have you been treating the water for chlorine and chloramine before adding? I would change more than 10% weekly but that really depends on your bioload.

[Woland]

So you've checked all your water parameters?

Ammonia = 0, nitrates almost 0.

Have you been treating the water for chlorine and chloramine before adding?

Chloramine? I was sure that in Calgary are using only for regular chlorine. I just keep it for 1-2 days in a bucket, without any additive.

I would change more than 10% weekly but that really depends on your bioload.

My tanks are almost empty.

[BettaFishMommy]

i would agree with doing a larger change than 10% weekly. water changes don't just lower the nitrate level and remove poop, they also 'reset' the TDS (total dissolved solids) and DOC (dissolved organic compounds) by bringing these levels down. i'd go with a 30 to 50% change weekly at the minimum.

from what i have read, Calgary does use just chlorine in the water, not chloramine, but using a good dechlorinator is still a good idea to neutralize the heavy metals that may be in your water supply. also, copper is highly toxic to inverts, so if your tanks were ever treated with a copper based med at any point that copper will have leached into the silicone seals of the tank and will leach back out into the water over time. when buying second hand tanks, you can never be too sure what has been done with the tank before you get it.

i'd pick up a bottle of Prime (IMO the best dechlorinator out there), and start using that with water changes, if the issue isn't residual copper in the tank.

edit - where are you buying the snails from? if from a big box store, their snails quite often are not cared for properly and may already be 'on the way out' when you purchase them. maybe try finding another fish geek locally and get your snails from them instead?

Edited February 15, 2011 by BettaFishMommy

[gobies et al]

Here's a good site for care of Ampullarias.

http://www.applesnail.net/

I agree that the snails purchased from the fish stores often do not get the care they need. Ones I have observed are unable to feed, either because of the fish they are put in with or just not offered suitable food. You haven't indicated which species you have. The 2 most common have very different dietary requirements and could easily starve to death. Do you have them in with fish that could be picking at them when they do emerge?

Edited February 16, 2011 by gobies et al

[BettaFishMommy]

agreed! applesnail.net is a wonderful resource for anything 'apple shellkid' related.

from what i have seen, 100% of the larger pet/fish stores do not care for their snails properly. i have had to educate numerous big box pet store employees in the importance of a calcium rich diet for apple snails so many times i've lost count! lol.

i've raised about 7 generations of apples (briggs/diffusa - whichever name you go by) and have never had one die after being closed up in its shell for any length of time. i have had some close up for a few days, but they've always come back out after and acted completely normal.

for sure your snails were dead? next time it happens, do a sniff test. you will know for sure if it is dead or not, since a dead apple snail is the most vile thing ever to be smelled! another thing to do is pull very gently on the trap door. if there is resistance/trap won't open, then the snail is alive.

quite often they'll stay closed up in their shells if something in the water is irritating them, and it doesn't necessarily have to be ammonia. like i mentioned, copper is one thing they are highly sensitive to.

these snails usually only live about a year to a year and a half. i had a large ivory female live for about 2 years and i considered her a very advanced senior citizen when she passed on. she was also a very heavy breeder the whole time i had her and she was huge! almost the size of a golf ball. and no, she wasn't a cana snail, she was a brigg/diffusa.

maybe the snails you've bought have been older and the stress of moving tanks was a bit too much? or maybe the fish store had ammonia or other toxicities in the water and the snails had already been affected by that to the point of no return? larger stores are on a central system for their tanks usually and any meds used would circulate through the whole system, getting to the snails at some point or another.

and gobies, all ampullariidae snails require a calcium rich diet. the only difference i've noted in my snail experience and research is that cana and marisa snails will make a smorgasbord out of a planted tank, whereas brigg/diffusa snails will not.

[gobies et al]

BFM - I had Canna's. Their natural diet is living plants as opposed to the Brigg's cleaning up the dying leaves. That is what makes them such a problem in agriculture.

[BettaFishMommy]

yes, i know cana snails will eat plants. so will marisa snails. but all snails do need a calcium rich diet to enable proper/healthy shell growth and maintenance.

in my experience, my apple snails really didn't eat dead/dying plant matter, but then again, they were fed well with calcium enriched snail jello.

[Woland]

where are you buying the snails from?

from petsmart.

for sure your snails were dead? next time it happens, do a sniff test.

i did. smell terrible. it was open and didn't react to my touches.

Here's a good site for care of Ampullarias.

http://www.applesnail.net/

Thanks, good site. Actually i have never been dealed with ampullariidae before and it was my first time. i kept them in the 20g tank with Bamboo shrimp family and in my daughter’s tank 2,5g with only betta. And in both tanks they have died in almost same time. Maybe they were really not so “fresh” from beginning.

[BettaFishMommy]

i know for a fact that petsmart doesn't feed their snails the necessary calcium enriched diet. perhaps try posting a wanted ad in the classifieds here if you want to try again with these snails. if i was still breeding them i'd send you a few!

this was one of my babies, a beautiful female jade

a 2.5 gallon isn't large enough for an apple snail and a betta. these snails do make a good amount of waste when cared for properly and you'd be doing nearly daily water changes on a 2.5 to keep it clean enough for the snail and the fish.

if you do try again, here's a great recipe for snail jello:

1 jar baby food (i used the butternut squash variety, my snails loved it!)

about 10 Tums, crushed up into fine powder. flavour can be any, but i used the fruit ones. this is your calcium source.

1.5 packets knox gelatin (recipes i found online say only 1 packet, but i found my snail jello too runny with just 1)

crushed up fish food, if desired. about 2 tablespoons. (i used nls pellets, my snails were spoiled, lol, but flake or any other dry food would work)

nuke the baby food in a bowl in the microwave for a minute on high. stir in the knox gelatin, ensuring there are no lumps. stir in the crushed up Tums and fish food. make sure it is mixed well. spoon into an ice cube tray, filling each about 1/2 full. put tray in freezer until the cubes are set. remove cubes from tray (you'll need to dig them out with a spoon) and store in a ziploc in the freezer. they'll stay good a long time.

i found that a cube the size i describe above is about enough for 4 or 5 snails each, and i would feed the snail jello a couple times a week. if you only have a couple snails, then either make smaller cubes or cut the size i mention in half.

Edited February 16, 2011 by BettaFishMommy