White Strings On Glass

[notg2009]

Hi all. I noticed white strings stuck on my tank glass (inside of course), mostly where the snail sits. I was wondering if these are snail eggs or not. The snail has been stuck to the upper part of the glass at the border of water for some time now!

Please see my signature for a list of my fish and water conditions.

I uploaded a couple of photos here: http/www.flickr.com/photos/notg2009/


Thanks

 

[notg2009]

Anyone?

 

[nicklos]

That doesn't really sound how your snail should lay eggs.
Inca snails usually lay eggs right above the water level in a massive clump.
Can you describe the "Strings" better?
A pic would really help.

 

[nicklos]

I just thought of something else. It could be hair algae. Is it possible you just did a water change or the aquarium is cycling? Also, too much light can cause this.

 

[saltynay]

You posted twice I answered the one in the snail forum.

 

[notg2009]

That doesn't really sound how your snail should lay eggs.Inca snails usually lay eggs right above the water level in a massive clump.Can you describe the "Strings" better?A pic would really help.

I don't see any egg clumps above the water level. The strings are like pale white ...um...strings Check the links at the bottom of this post.

I just thought of something else. It could be hair algae. Is it possible you just did a water change or the aquarium is cycling? Also, too much light can cause this.

I do a 50% water change on Saturdays only. I use treated water and I feed small amounts only twice a day. My tank should be cycled by now, since it has been setup for about 2 months now. As for the lighting, I have LED lighting that is on about 10-12 hours a day. I know it's too much but I heard that LED light is not as powerful as fluorescent bulbs.

You posted twice I answered the one in the snail forum. (YOUR ORIGINAL POST:Are we talking about an apple snail here? The pics look like slime so possibly sperm packets or it just discharge to much slime. Its not an egg clutch that would be laid if they were fertilised eggs and breeding the snails. )

Thanks for your answer in the snail forum, but I had to post twice since for some reason I am not getting answers very fast. YES, it is an apple snail (inca snail, member of the apple snail family). These white strings are attached to the glass doing nothing but I have recently noticed a pale white film has coated all sides, are these bacterial growth (bio filter?)?


SOME PIX:
http/www.flickr.com/photos/notg2009/5472633292/
http/www.flickr.com/photos/notg2009/5472632924/
http/www.flickr.com/photos/notg2009/


Again, thank you all

 

[loraxchick]

Does the snail spend a lot of time near the surface in that particular spot? Looks like mucous trail to me. Like stringy stringy snail snot (almost like a slug trail). That might be from bad water. Snails are very good indicators of water quality and hanging near the top is a good indication it isnt happy with something and perhaps its body is producing more mucous to compensate(unless laying eggs of course in the case of apple snails would be near top and out of water actually). What is ammonia and Ph most importantly. Ammonia bad for obvious reasons but low pH with a snail is asking for trouble. Will start eroding their shells. Do you know what your water hardness is by chance? Can also affect snail shells/snail health.
let us know
cheers
ps certainly NOT algae!

edit cause i cannot spell

 

[saltynay]

+1 lorax. God my original post was poorly written. I was suffering from a heavy head yesterday.

 

[notg2009]

Does the snail spend a lot of time near the surface in that particular spot? Looks like mucous trail to me. Like stringy stringy snail snot (almost like a slug trail). That might be from bad water. Snails are very good indicators of water quality and hanging near the top is a good indication it isnt happy with something and perhaps its body is producing more mucous to compensate(unless laying eggs of course in the case of apple snails would be near top and out of water actually). What is ammonia and Ph most importantly. Ammonia bad for obvious reasons but low pH with a snail is asking for trouble. Will start eroding their shells. Do you know what your water hardness is by chance? Can also affect snail shells/snail health.let us knowcheersps certainly NOT algae!edit cause i cannot spell

The situation is exactly as you described! My ammonia is under 0.02, but the pH is around 6 which is low for the snail (7-8). My fish are happy with the current setup. Here is the confusing story: I got a decorative stone from an LFS and tested it with vinegar--> no fizzing. After I added the stone, the pH dropped and ammonia always shows up when testing with my API master kit (shows 0.25 ppm, but in the safe zone since pH is low). This is what I was told on another thread: "I really don't think that the rock lowered the Ph. In fact I have never ever heard of a rock lowering Ph, it should increase it actually. The Ammonia is probably from the rock seeing as alkalis in water will try to neutralise acids. Ammonia is produced when an alkali and ammonium salt are heated (seeing as your tank is tropical this makes sense)." I like to keep the stone in the tank as it brings the high pH of tap water down from ~7.8 to ~6. DO YOU GUYS THINK IT IS BETTER TO TAKE THE STONE OUT to have a high pH with a happy snail or is it better to keep the stone in to have low pH for the fish. I researched my fish requirements and they should be fine between 5-7 and/or 6-8 (but they were fine in 7.8 before adding the stone).

MY SETUP: (CLICK ON THE LINKS TO SEE FISH PROFILES)
Fish: 1 male gold gourami, 7 neon tetras, 7 harlequin rasboras, 5 peppered corys, 1 inca snail (apple family)
NH3<0.02, NO2=0, NO3=will keep under 40 (usually 5-10) ---- pH: ~6.2 ---- hydrometer reading: ~1.002 ---- Vegetation: Elodea densa 2 batches, water lilies 2, cryptos 2, anubias 2 ---- Filter: Active carbon+bio wheel (penguin 200)

I will do my weekly water change today, so let me know if you think I should take the stone out and have a pH around 7.8.


THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP

 

[notg2009]

UPDATE: I took the stone out and still the pH has gone low to ~6!!!!! What the...? I'm guessing parts of the plants that die off cause this, but how can I be sure? This way my pH will never stay up for the snail