peckham125 Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 one of my apple sails is acting weird ! for a couple of days now it has been hidding in its own shell and floating ? and also what does it mean when a snail does this ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonNeko Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 I'm not sure about the floating bit, but the thing that last snail is holding up is what it uses to get air (I'm pretty sure that's what it is). I don't know why it'd be doing that under the water though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 (edited) the floating one is a defensive mechanism where if there isnt enough food in the area then they will try to float to a new area to find a better food source. I would put an algae wafer into the tank every couple of days for now. the tube on the other one is how they get air if there isnt enough for them. Its trying to get the air tube to the surface but obviously that wont happen. I would try to get more o2 into the water soon Edited May 4, 2011 by Neesmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peckham125 Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 (edited) i have a bubbler disc in there. do i need another ? also what should i do with the snail ? dont want to trow it out if its not dead ? Edited May 4, 2011 by peckham125 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingin' It Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Just leave it alone...these snails will eat lots so offering food is a good thing...mine eat almost non stop it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 the snail thats floating will be fine just throw in an algae wafer every once and a while and as far as more o2, you can just agitate the surface some more or if you have a HOB filter then just leave the water level a little lower. That being said, if thats the first time you've ever seen him put out the tube then i wouldnt even worry about it. Only if it becomes really often.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 (edited) i'm seeing a bit of erosion and shell thinning on your apple. for apple snails you need to feed a high calcium diet to ensure healthy shells. if you search the board here for 'snail jello' you'll find my recipe in a thread or two. it's really easy to make. you can feed them solely on the snail jello, or you can mix it up with the algae wafers and pellet or flake food too. my apples would literally hug a wafer each to themselves and nom on it til it was gone, lol. your snail is possibly reacting to something in the water that is bothering it, and by the looks of it, something is bothering it really bad! i've never seen one of my apples suck themselves up so tight. they are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrite. high nitrates don't really bother them much. another reason is that the fish in the tank are harassing the snail, nipping at its foot and tentacles, and it is sucked up in its shell in self defense (what little apple snails have). you still have your apple snail(s) in with your big/predator fish? that's the reason if so. the long thick tentacle is the breathing siphon. apple snails have both a gill and a lung, and need to access the water surface on occasion to breath. seeing that siphon out often is not a problem, and it sure can stretch! lol. i would often find snails with siphons out that were up to 3 or 4 times the length of their shell. i would highly suggest setting up a tank just for your snail(s), as your main tank is not a suitable environment for them, especially with predator fish in there. a 5 gallon would work well for the snails if you only have 1 to 3 of them, and you would only need a small filter, like a mini hob or the smallest size hydro sponge. substrate isn't necessary. apples poop A LOT when fed and cared for properly, so make sure you do frequent water changes in a small tank like a 5. i used to breed and raise these guys. if you need any other info on them, just holler. this is what their shells look like (this one is a jade variety), and how big they get, when fed snail jello :thumbs: Edited May 4, 2011 by BettaFishMommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayba Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Well, apple snails can be very inactive for days and if they have a lot of air in their lung, they float (sounds logical isn't it?). Floating of an apple snail doesn't indicate that there is something wrong or that he/she is dead. To check if the snail is alive, take it out of the water and see if you can get it moving by touching the shell door. If the shell is closed completely, then you can be sure that the snail is alive because once the snail is dead, the muscles are relaxed and the shell door stays at least partly open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peckham125 Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 (edited) somebody gave me these apples and there shells were pretty bad, as for the predators they dont bother them what so ever, did water tests aswell as half a tank water change. but as Jayba said to touch the shell door i did notice it tighten up, so i think its fine. but its been like that for 3 days ? now. thanks everybody for your input and help Edited May 4, 2011 by peckham125 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peckham125 Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 also i heard these guys can breed like crazy ? this true ? if so why havent mine ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ty_s Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 (edited) lack of food? they eat trash in your tank left over food and such i know if am hungry i do not want repopulate the world. i know with MTS the numbers stay low inles there is a lot of food for them then there like rabbits in edmonton. i believe snails are smarter then some people no food why add baby's. do you not have some bottom dwellers in the tank that pick up the scraps? what is your current stock list ?maybe some one is picking on the snails when the lights are off Edited May 4, 2011 by 55gallon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peckham125 Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 yeah maybe your right, everything seems cool when lights are on i have a common pleco white tip shark black shark royal clown knife tin fiol barb 2 tiger oscars 3 apple snails jaguar cichlid & dovii which are separated by a divider untill he is picked up by the owner ! did water test everything was fine so i went ahead and did half tank water change anyway but iv never seen any of these fish bothering the snails at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingin' It Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 also i heard these guys can breed like crazy ? this true ? if so why havent mine ? They do breed like crazy, but you need to have male and female to reproduce. Sometimes it just takes time and being well fed. I had a pair in my 5 gallon and then I sold them, but I forgot to remove their clutch...so BAM! I now have 200 baby apple snails I have to remove...uuughhh...what a chore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 the best way to tell if a snail is dead or not is to smell it. if its passed away you will know! lol. it is the most vile smelling thing ever. i've smelled my share of dead apple snails and every time i nearly have to run and hug the porcelain throne, lol. as Cate said, apple snails need a male and female to reproduce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neesmo Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 the best way to tell if a snail is dead or not is to smell it. if its passed away you will know! lol. it is the most vile smelling thing ever. i've smelled my share of dead apple snails and every time i nearly have to run and hug the porcelain throne, lol. as Cate said, apple snails need a male and female to reproduce. a dead apple snail is about the worst thing ive smelled in a LONG time haha :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.