Are My Turbo Snails Dead?

[ostrow]

Donya: did you notice any ill-effects on snails from that? I've had alk spikes too, and seen consequences on other animals but not my snails.

The point I am making, is, the snails we are getting here -- that whole list (not astraeas though, we agree) -- are nothing like Achilles Tangs. They are much, much sturdier creatures.

Conch and nassarius will crawl down rocks. It occurs to me one could prop a rock right to the waterline, rest the snails on that, and let them move as they will.

Note -- I've never done this. I float and introduce. The only species that I've had significant die-off with are the astraeas and I have no reason to believe that is attributable to the acclimation method (as the die-off is not immediate, but "normal" for these species in glass boxes).

You are correct on the poor fit of margaritas, but they do eat certain nuisance algaes which, when they get bad, make it hard to resist the temptation to get a few.

At the end of the day, obviously, there is nothing at all wrong with your doing a drip acclimation and it is without a doubt marginally safer for the animal.

All I am saying is the benefit in terms of the animal's success rate is marginal, if the destination tank water is within normal parameters and the source of the snails is at least a reasonable quality shop.

I am getting a shipment today from Premium Aquatics, which uses the wet paper method. I will be floating and introducing into the tank Pacific Striped Turbos (by far the best of the Turbos -- far better for our water temp than the Mexican ones), Trochus sp., Tongan Nassarius and .... uh .... I forgot what else I ordered. They have all done fine in the past with my method and I anticipate no problems tonight.

Now, when I add clams, that is a WHOLE different story!

 

[Donya]

Donya: did you notice any ill-effects on snails from that?

Not with the rise in kH, because it was due to using topoff water with a low kH (didn't know that at the time...I had a thread about that a while back), so it built up over at least a month. However, the snails showed odd behavior like leaving the water a lot when I lowered it initially, until I slowed down the rate I was lowering it.

are nothing like Achilles Tangs. They are much, much sturdier creatures.

I agree there, there is a big gap in hardiness between snails and a lot of other marine animals. But, hardier and sturider is a relative statement and a lot of people misinterpret that due to lack of experience and assume too much hardiness.

All I am saying is the benefit in terms of the animal's success rate is marginal, if the destination tank water is within normal parameters and the source of the snails is at least a reasonable quality shop.

Agreed, that's ideal when the two waters are basically the same.

Conch and nassarius will crawl down rocks. It occurs to me one could prop a rock right to the waterline, rest the snails on that, and let them move as they will.

That would work with Nassarius for sure I think. Conches hop though, so they would most likely just jump off the rock by accident. They are probably one of the more awkward snails to deal with for acclimation.