Mystery Snail bred, now sick?

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Levi the Leopard

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I have a 10 gallon that housed 3 mystery snails. 1 male (blue), 2 female (gold and blue). My blue male was breeding the golden female ALOT.. she began escaping looking to lay her eggs. For 3 nights in a row I would find "shelley" behind the dresser, by my clothes hamper and near my bed. I separated the male into a different tank and "shelley" laid her eggs on Thanksgiving night, on the filter tube. After she laid them she fell back into the tank and for a week resumed her normal behavior. After that week she stopped moving. My husband joked that she has postpartum depression lol. For 3 days straight she has not moved at all. She is slightly opened but if I touch her she will close tighter. It's not a "fast close" but she does close more. She has not moved other than that... What is wrong with her?? Will I loose her?? I don't know what to do for her?? I keep cuttlebone in the tank, I feed: gold fish pellets, tropical flakes, bloodworms, zucchini slices, collard greens, romaine, kale etc all in a varied rotation. (I love my snails)
Any help for me? Or suggestions?

I gave the male away and the blue female is still acting completely normal, eating, active etc..
 

BowandWalter

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Have you done a water test? Nitrite, ammonia, and pH are the main ones
 

Levi the Leopard

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Yes my water quality is always within acceptable ranges. I test pH, ammonia, nitrate.nitrites. I do a 3 gal water change every Friday.

If she is tired from laying is there anything i can give her? Any supplement to boost her? How long can a snail not eat?

Thanks for helping
 

BowandWalter

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Yay! Someone who actually tests water, you have no idea how rare that is! Could she have depleted calcium from laying? I'm not sure if there's a supplement that might help her, clean organic egg shells might be good. I have Nerite snails, I don't know if they'd be different diet wise.
 

Levi the Leopard

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I routinely supply cuttle bone. But maybe that isn't enough?
I checked her today. Still in the same spot, un moved and slightly open.i touched her and she slowly closed up...how long can she last without eating?

I hear you about water quality. I used to manage the aquatic department of a restaurant and was in charge of a 30,000 gallon and15,000 gallon salt water exhibit...you gotta know your water ;-)
I also have a125 goldfish tank. I love fish, snails and torts. They are the peaceful pets.
 

BowandWalter

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Could she be older then the blue female? The only time I've had the slow close was with an 8 year old Nerite snail.

I can't stand when people don't even know about water testing, it's so easy, and so many people just don't do it. It's my biggest pet peeve about fish keeping, so many people pull the "My ________ is sick" " Water tests? Those aren't important, the waters CLEAR".
 

Levi the Leopard

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The gold was small in size when i purchased her in sept or so....so she can't be too old. The blue was also little in Oct and is now the same size as the gold. I'm not sure about the snails you have and if they compare...
Let me see if i have pictures...


Here is a picture of the tank
11shutd.jpg


Here is the gold female and the blue female when i first got her. The gold female was this small when I got her, but grew to the size you see her in one month's time. I guess I feed them well!? lol

In a month the blue female also reached the size you see the gold female to be. They are both now identical in size.
k4j8jl.jpg


Thanksgiving day the gold female laid her eggs on the filter just above the water. This is the "best" picture I have of that..
29lbk1g.jpg


I read tons of information about their breeding. But none of my information mentions a dormant period after laying, which is why I think it isn't normal. ESPECIALLY because for the week following she was displaying normal behavior. Active, eating, and no longer leaving the tank.
However, today concludes day 4 of a closed up Shelley :(
 

BowandWalter

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Nerite snails are kinda the weirdos of the snail world, so my experiences with them probably won't help. I think the only time we had mystery snails at the pet store I worked at 85% died in shipping, the other 15% kicked it because the manager put them in the wrong temperature tank and they went into shock.

The fast growth seems strange to me, do you know for sure that the golden one isn't an apple snail? Pet stores mislabel things all the time, or guess. I know that apple snails need a ton of calcium or they go "weird" once they get big.

I hope you realize I'm mostly just guessing, Nerite snails are my one snail passion, but at least when some snail master comes along I will have already asked all the questions :p
 

Levi the Leopard

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Hey so far you are the only one helping so i appreciate all of it! Thanks
I did wonder if they were apple snails, but after reading tons and tons i do not think so...the growth has halted and now both my females are the same size.
This morning she is in a different corner, but still mostly closed. I'll try to upload a picture of her current state...is there a way to force feed a snail? Lol i doubt it...but i am getting worried she will starve


ok here is a picture of her from this morning
2wfmtz5.jpg


a closer picture. this partially open state is how she has been for 5 days now. it was always in the same spot until this morning i noticed it was in a different location. but i am not sure if she moved there, the other snail nudged her along or if ....i dont know ??
9k9mif.jpg


in this next picture i picked her up and tried to open her. not with the intentions of succeeding, rather to see if she would resist and close meaning she is still alive. she did not have a strong reaction to me...but slowly closed.
6tp79x.jpg


after i put her down she is fully closed. so she is still alive.
35k7785.jpg


since i know she hasnt eaten i placed her inside my little homemade kale bush. i'll see what happens with this
212u7bc.jpg


i know another forum member has an invertebrate tank with mystery snails. i hope they have some insight for me! if anyone has seen this happen before and knows what i can do please fill me in!

**to re-cap she mated, left the tank a few times and was found various places of my bedroom, finally laid eggs on the filter, spent 1 week acting normal and has now spent 5 days mostly closed, not moving and not eating.
Help to save her or know what is wrong??

Thanks!
 

Levi the Leopard

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at the end of day 5 look who opened up in the kale bush?
343tbg3.jpg


and then crawled to the top of the tank...
1z65pcp.jpg


go figure?!

maybe she was taking a long rest after having laid her eggs. unless someone else who has snails can explain this behavior to me, this is what i will assume..
she still isnt active and all over the tank like usual, but i am so glad to see she is finally doing something other than sitting still partially closed!!
 

BowandWalter

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Yay! Anythings better then half closed snail, I'm glad she's recovered.
 

Jacqui

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I have been reading this thread, as it went along but never commented as I have no real knowledge. I am glad she is seeming to be back to more normal. I would have also suggested to ask Kristina, but she has been absent for awhile. :(
 

Ashleigh B

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Well, I have a couple pond snails, one of them is a mystery snail too, he will often do that as well when I catch him out of the water too much because are chickens pull him out. It often means she is just de hydrated and is just trying to rehydrate. But I'll share this topic with my friend amy and get her opinion seeing as she likes breeding land and water snails.
 

Levi the Leopard

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Ashleigh B said:
Well, I have a couple pond snails, one of them is a mystery snail too, he will often do that as well when I catch him out of the water too much because are chickens pull him out. It often means she is just de hydrated and is just trying to rehydrate. But I'll share this topic with my friend amy and get her opinion seeing as she likes breeding land and water snails.

that is interesting... i hope that is all that she is doing.

i would love to know what your snail keeper thinks. on dec4th she moved. even went up on the glass. on dec5th was right back in the partially opened stage and has been in the same spot, same position since :( these past 4 days.


Shelley my female gold mystery snail has died :(
 
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