)*&*(^(^(*&%^^$ snails!

[thefatman]

ok these stupid snails are really get my bloodpressure going.

i picked up 20 astrea snails yesterday to take care of my cyano and diatoms. i aclimated them for two hours in the bag, adding tank water a little at a time, then removing bag water and so on. i gently placed them in the tnak and they did nothign for two solid hours. i could see them think about coming out of the shell, but then just go back in.

last night during chat, i gave each sanil a rubdown for about 2 minutes each (long story, you dont wanna know) anyway afterwards about 2 or three started showing some life.

this morning, there is still only THREE snail actually doing anything on the glass. al lthe rest are still sitting right where i put them.

i know they are alive, because if i put my hand in the water near them, they hury and pop back into the shell to hide. but they aren't coming out and doing anything..

how long should it take for these guys to start doing thier job? did they just not read the book or what? between this and the snail massage, i'm not real happy with them right now.

[Spanky]

Jay, Mike had me laughing so hard my stomach hurts today!

Anywho, I would just leave them alone for a while. Be sure they are sitting "face down".

Jerel

[thefatman]

oh had me laughing too. the sad thing is that i thought he was SERIOUS and i REALLY was rubbing those stupid snails! al ltwenty of them for a few minutes each!

i never knew it was a joke till afterwards!

and everytime i came back to chat to ask a question i had to dry my arms off and saltwater was dripping into my arm pits. i had both of my freakin arms in the water, one to hold the snail the other to rub it. and my stand is so high my arms were in all the way to my shoulders to get to the snails on the bottom. i felt like the lfs worker on duece bigalow!

and then to find out it was a joke!!!!!!!

oh well doug said, it was my initiation!

(for those not in the know.. during chat last night i posed this same question.. and mike (mojoreef) told me i had to rub them as part of acclimation. the drip method isnt enough for snails. he said i had to hold each snail and massage the shell to get thier hearts going. so i did! afterwards they still werent doing anything, and i came back to ask why and mike said "did you rub in a circular motion? so i went back tank diving to rub them all again, in a circular motion this time. it still didnt do anything. ad after an hour or two of rubbing snail shells i found out the whole thing was a joke. yeah it was reeeaaaal funny )

anyway.. i've got them sitting open side down towards the rock, some are laying with the open side faing the glass.

[JennM]

OMG that's tooooooo funny

Glad you've got a good sense of humour, Jay - or you might be a bit steamed!

Perhaps the massage just relaxed them so, that they will sleep for a few days...

Glad I wasn't sipping tea when I opened this post...

Jenn

[Spanky]

I have to show you how to use private message in chat. I was sending you messages but I don't think you knew you were getting them.

[Jacy]

Hello,
WHen I put snails in the tank, they usually start climbing on the rocks and glass within a few minutes. The problem I have is they have all died off except 1 or 2, out of 10, within a few weeks.
Todd

[Jeremy1973]

I was there, and I have to say, I havn't had a good laugh like that for a long time. I to thought he was serious at first, which baffled me, but with mojo's experience, who was I to question. Glad yyou have a sense of humor Jay. Me, I just acclimated my snails for 20 min, and then just held them up to the glass and they clinged on themselves. I say rest the snails right next to the glass...they might smell or taste the algae on it, and will be coaxed out. Just an idea.

[Doug1]

Todd are you acclimating them by slowly dripping tank water into the bag thru a peice of airline tubing. Instant hctic activity followed by high mortality rates is a sign of excessive Nitrogen(ammonia or nitrite) levels or something else out of whack ie radically different pH or salinity
Snails seem sensitive to water chem changes and echinoderms(sea stars,etc) are really intolerent of suden salility shifts

[Doug1]

Also be sure to cleanse your hands well when rubbing your snails, leave no traces of tobbaco , soap, paint or stain, etc

[cath]

Initiation was a success, I'd say!!!




(cath with ice cubes in hand....)

[Alice]

(Visitor looking in Jay's tank) "Oooh, look at the shiny snails!"

Thanks for being a good sport, Jay.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Jacy
Hello,
WHen I put snails in the tank, they usually start climbing on the rocks and glass within a few minutes. The problem I have is they have all died off except 1 or 2, out of 10, within a few weeks.
Todd

Todd, that sounds like a collector, shipper, wholesaler, retailer, thing. At least the time line would be right.

Question, now that Jay has passed his initiation does that mean we get to keep him?

[Mrs Smith]

If you aren't careful, you're going to end up with massage-demanding snails. (And I don't know if we want to go there A snail massage parlor?)

[Doug1]

Danielle we have decided to find coweries that have a wild side anyway, can't change em but keep em off the beach and self supporting

[Jimmer]

Massaging your SNAIL??!!! Aaaaaccckkkk... TOO...MANY....JOKESssssssssssssssssss

Sorry Jay, I HAD to jump in on this one...