Eroded Shells?

[JustKia]

I've a red ramshorn with an eroded shell.
Seems that a drop in pH and a water hardness issue is/was probably the cause.
With that corrected can the snail re-grow his shell? I'm thinking probably not.
Is there anything I can put on his shell to toughen it up a bit?
Or do I just let him carry on in his own little merry way?

 

[lordofthesea]

if he's showing no signs of ill health i'd leave him, but if you're worried you can get minerals on ebay.

 

[loraxchick]

you can add crushed up shells to the filter which will up your hardness. also raises the pH so dont be alarmed if you see that value increase. the erosion is most likely caused by low buffering capacity of your water. adding a carbonate source will add the buffer. folks recommend crushed coral but that can be rather expensive especially since you only need a small ammount. i use clam shells.
i eat the clams, boil the shells for 20 minutes, scrape out any leftover clam gunk that might be stuck on the shells, boil them for another ten minutes and then smash them up with a hammer or rock. then just add a small handfull to the filter! works a charm (and is tasty too
cheers

 

[JustKia]

Besides the shell erosion he doesn't show any signs of ill health, he's always pottering about minding his own business.
Odd water issue - GH is sky high but KH is very low, so I've learned that if I don't keep an eye on things the pH can drop.
Interesting idea bout the clam shells. Not on my dinner plate but my dad loves them, so I guess buy dad a treat and I can have the remains LOL

 

[loraxchick]

the low kh is pitting his shell...while he may be active and fine, its leading to brittle shell and potentially will eat HOLES in it
id try the clamshells (or oyster shells, or conch...really anytype of "seashell" will do).
cheers

 

[Littlemonkey]

Have you any friends who have pet Birds, ask for a bit of Cuttlefish, I've heard that will also do the trick.

 

[JustKia]

Cuttlefish? I've got some of that... somewhere.
I'll go dig it out now and I'll get my dad some clams for when I see him later this week.
Do I just plonk that cuttle fish in the tank or pop it in the filter, like the shells?

 

[Littlemonkey]

I think you can do either, but a more informed member may put me wrong, hope it helps.