Re: DYING RED RAMS HORN SNAILS

["Tyrone Genade" <Tgenade at sun_ac.za>]

On 2 Jul 2002, at 9:39, Stoecker,Michael,FRANKLIN PAR wrote:

> Anyone notice that red rams horn snails kept with killies die off in
> some tanks and not in others? 

Adding salt?
I've seen in some of my tanks where I'm too lazy to add pre-disolved 
salt that the snails die. The salt falls to the bottom and while it 
disolves it forms a "density-phase" layer. This happens in the sea 
and large lakes. If there isn't enough water movement the salt 
doesn't mix and you get too layers forming.
The fish don't mind it as the salt concentration isn't all that high 
and they can quickly get out butslow snails die...

While I doubt this is your problem it is a very good reason to add 
predisolved salt and not just a table spoon now and again...

> The water chemistry, maintenance and food [to the
> killies] are all the same.

Check your pH. A drop in pH can hit the snails for a six. Because of 
their lovely mucus membrane exteriors and poor osmoregulatory ability 
a pH drop will kill them quick. Also, it eats their shells as was 
said by some one else. The snails can repair the damage more or less 
if fed well and there is still enough free calcium or digestable 
calcium/magnesium in the algae they eat.

Bottom line: do more water changes and add some oyster/shell gritt to 
the filter to balance the pH. The shell gritt won't raise the pH 
above 7-ish and the pH won't drop below 6 (i.e. exactly where you 
want it).

Bye

Tyrone Genade
tgenade at sun_ac.za
http://www.tyronegenade.0catch.com

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