Help With Dying Apple Snails

[Majica8]

First posted in the Tropical Fish emergencies, didn't notice this sub-forum was just in a hurry to find out what was wrong. Didn't get a reply so will try here.
Original post about first snail (now dead)

Tank size: Approx 20 UK gal/90 ltrs - Been set up for about 2 years
pH: 7.5
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10
kH: -
gH: -
tank temp: 25C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): I got an Apple snail on Monday and until yesterday morning he was fine. He was not active much during the day but at night/when it was dark he was going all over the tank. He had plenty to eat and was acting normal. On Saturday I woke up to find him floating at the top of the tank, being pushed around by the filter, almost completely inside his shell. I feared the worst straight away so took him out of the tank and put him into a small tub of water. When I looked at him a bit later I noticed he had come out of his shell a little bit. I put him back in my main tank but inside this hole filled container I have so he's seperated from everything and easy to keep an eye on. Since then he's been exactly the same for several hours at a time (enough time for me to think he actually is dead this time) but then he'll either come out of or go back into his shell a bit more. When he his out of his shell a bit he is all kind of curled up. When I woke up this morning he was still almost completely inside his shell but I've just checked again and he's out of it a tiny a little bit. However through all this time he's never been "stuck" to the side of the container, just either floating on the surface or sitting on the bottom. That's another thing, he goes from floating to being at the bottom of the container quite a bit.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 50% once a week. I did a water change just before I put the snail in the tank, but nothing since then.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Nothing

Tank inhabitants: The apple snail and 1 red tailed black shark, approx 2-3 inches long. Haven't seen him even take any notice of the snail, let alone bother it in any way.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): The snail is the only recent addition

Exposure to chemicals: Nothing - Edit: I do use Interpet Bioactive Tapsafe when I do water changes though.

Digital photo (include if possible): Can get one if it would help but don't have one right now.

I'm just hoping either someone can help or someone can point in the direction of someone who can help.

When I went back to the store with the dead snail yesterday they gave me another snail. 24 hours later and the new snail was floating around the tank like the first one did, 36 hours later and he's dead (I think he is anyway, motionless for 4+ hours, no resistance when I push gently on the shell door (which is loose anyway) No bad smell yet but as I said if he's dead it happened very recently.)
Tank water is still fine (same test results as above) The shark in the tank hadn't taken any notice of the snail, for the short time the snail was active he was eating. He spent an hour or 2 clamped onto an algae flake yesterday evening, ate about a third of it. Just tried taking him out of the tank for a bit but no change, still motionless and shell door is still loose/no resistance.

I'll go back to the store tomorrow if he definitely is dead but I won't get another snail, it's obvious something isn't right. Anyone have any idea what?

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Some simple questions:

Did you acclimitise him?

Were they moving around in the tank at the shop?

Have you used any medications/fertilizers in your tank?

Did you dechlorinate the water?

 

[Majica8]

Some simple questions:

Did you acclimitise him?

Were they moving around in the tank at the shop?

Have you used any medications/fertilizers in your tank?

Did you dechlorinate the water?

1. Yes I did. Sat the bag from the petstore in the tank water for 20-25 mins, checked the temps were the same. Added some of the tank water to the bag and left it for 10 mins, added a bit more and waited another 10 mins, repeated this a thrid time then added him to the tank.

2. They all were, although as soon as this one was put in the bag it went comepltely into the shell. By the time I got home (10 mins later) he was out and moving around the bag.

3. No medications or fertilizers

4. Yes, I use Tapsafe for every water change which gets rid of chlorine, chloramine and metals.

Today he's still floating, although when I woke up and checked on him he was out of his shell and sitting on the wire that goes from my heater. Think he went back in when I turned the lights on and he's been floating about since then. Currently his shell door is open a bit but he's not poking out at all, an hour ago it was shut tight.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Hmm I don't know, if it is eating then that is certainly positive.

It could just be that the shop have a weaker stock and the travelling is too much for them or that they are unhealthy from the shop.

I'll have a think on what it could be, they could just be old from the shop. Hopefully someone else will be able to help you

 

[Majica8]

The shell door is still partly open as it has been all afternoon, he's all kind of curled up though. Haven't seen any movement from him for several hours.
Will do another water test in a bit just to check everything is still OK.

Edit: Water still fine, pH 7.5, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 10. And at a steady 25C temp.

 

[Majica8]

Have just checked on him and noticed a small string of poop coming from him. Hoping this is a good sign, I'm guessing if he was dead he wouldn't be pooping?

 

[Littlemonkey]

Ap ple snails poop small pellets on the whole. I agree with the above poster that these may be weak strain. My apple snails will sometimes bob for a few hours, but then will go off around the tank as normal. If all the stats are normal, and you want to keep on with Apple snails try another supplier. They are easy to post if there is no-body local to you who has a good value / quality stock. I wonder if the store you bought them from uses dechlor. Were they in a tank of their own?

 

[Majica8]

No, there were fish in the tank, can't remember what exactly but they all seemed fine/lively.
I don't even know for sure that he is still alive. There was definitely some poop 4 hours ago, and there is no bad smell, but the shell door is loose and he hasn't moved in over 12 hours.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Give his trap door a slight prod see if he moves it. I did that to an apple snail I thought was dead and he curled it right up out of my way lol

 

[Majica8]

Give his trap door a slight prod see if he moves it. I did that to an apple snail I thought was dead and he curled it right up out of my way lol

I did that last night and it was lose/no resistance, he didn't pull it in himself or anything. This morning it's fully closed though.

 

[Majica8]

A bit of progress. This morning the snail was out of his shell and was actually sitting on top of the filter. First time he's been out like that since Tuesday night. Since then he's been moving a bit although hasn't left the top of the filter. I put an algae flake right next to him that should hopefully stay there. Hopefully he'll get better from now and it was just being moved/the new tank that was a bit of a shock to him.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

leave him alone hes just settling in. very common for apples to stay in their shell for a week when moved. Apples float to the top hoping the current will wash them along in wild. When he settels in you will see him go para snailing. he float to the top bob about and then suddenly empty his lungs and drop like a rock they love it. Throw in an algae wafer they cannot resist or some cucumber with the skin off that been in the microwave for 30secs