# Can snails in a planted tank die of starvation?



## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Hello,

I am still thinking about my snail mistery with some more info.
I can't really get my snails to multiply in my 20 g planted. The opposite - they seem to slowly decrease in numbers which I don't understand. Yesterday I found another adult ramshorn dead.
Because of me not understanding what is going on, I started a snail breeding tank maybe a month ago. It is a 2 g, filtered, not that well planted, just two pots with sunset hydro and wisteria. The only difference - I put a bit more then recommended amount of Equilibrium there (in the 20 g I go by what the label says) and I feed A LOT! And they eat a lot, the tank is full of babies and they grow FAST. The pond snail I put there in the begining is almost 1 cm long now, I personally had never seen such a bit one.

The 20 g has only endlers and cories now. I got the shrimps and tetras out to see if that was the reason.
So, could it be the snails starve there? Is that possible in a well planted tank?
Sounds weird to me but I can't see any other reason for what is happening. I have babies ready to be moved out of the snail breeder, but I don't want to before I understand what is going on. Otherwise they will most probably die.

Oh, I have a 5 g with endler babies and shrimps, same kind of tank. I put some of the first batch of baby snails there and they grow, much slower then the ones in the breeder tank, but they are alive and growing. No such luck in the 20 g.

All the advice and suggestions are welcomed please


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Your snails could have been dieing in the big tank because of a lack of buffering capacity. I think the additional Equilibrium in the 2 gallon is the indicator. Snails can starve but typically they do reproduce in most aquaria. My pond snails used to die before I started adding Kent R/O Right and PH Stable to my tanks. Now I use assasin snails to keep the pest snail populations in check !

Best regards,

Stuart


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

I have Kent PH Stable, but only add a little bit of it in my guppy tank. When I think about it, I add Equilibrium in the shrimp and snail breeding tank with no measuring, meaning I put more then I should as the tanks are too small to measure (1 g at water change is almost nothing actually). So yeah, that makes sence. I hope I can't overdose Equilibrium in the 20 g. How much should I put then? Just more then right now? Currently I change 4-5 g a week and put 1/2 teaspoon. Maybe change to 2/3 or 1 teaspoon? Can it be TOO much for a planted tank and do harm? Everybody else there (but the snails) seem happy, the enders are a baby making machine, the plants are growing nicely with nothing else added.

Thanks a lot for the responce!


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## pistolpete (May 2, 2010)

Snails need calcium and other trace elements to build their shells, could be your tank is a bit deficient. Try adding some crushed coral to your filter media. My guess is that the corries are eating all the scrap food and there is very little left for the snails. Also corries will eat baby snails. I have always found that if there is not much food for them , snail populations stay at about a 1 adult/gallon level.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

I was thinking about corries eating all the available food too. But shrimps are probably doing the same in the other tank and babies are growing there. Also it is a well planted tank, there is always some rotten leaves, etc. Hard for me to imagine tha snails would starve in that kind of environment, but... Equilibrium contains calcium, so that should help the snails, I am just not sure if the level is high enough. Need to do some more research or get people's reasurance that I can use more Equilibrium there.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

i agree with pistlepete. corydoras don't really bother even small snails, but eggs and newly-hatched are a different story.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

So, making a snail breeder tank was a good idea then. I guess as they are a bit bigger now, I can safely put them with corries and hope it will be OK. 
Still wonder should I put a bit more from the Equilibrium?

Thanks for the input!


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

a scene from my assassin breeder tank. as you can see, I think a snail breeder tank is a good idea!


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Thank you 

All that still doesn't explain why adult snails die, so I guess I will go with adding some more Equliubrium, I wasn't able to find anything about the harm of overdosing it.
And I'll put some of the bigger babies there and hope they will be OK.

Thanks everybody!


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Oh, and while we're on it, how you clean the intake of the snail breeding tank? It was easy at first, but now it is all covered with tiny babies and LOTS of eggs, so it is impossible to clean it and the water gets a bit murky during last few days. What I was thinking was to use a second intake for a day or two and gently get the current one somewhere else in the tank, clean it off babies carefully. Not sure for the eggs though, can I gently get them off the spounge? Or wait till they hatch.. But if I wait, I may end up having many intakes laying around cover with eggs 
Please, share some experience. Thanks!


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## DBam (Aug 9, 2010)

What are you using for a filter? And the sponge you mention, where/what is that attached to?


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

It's AC30 with a sponge intake, like a prefilter. So it get all the garbage, but I guess that's why all the snails get there. And even lay eggs on it!


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## DBam (Aug 9, 2010)

I would just squeeze the sponge out and get in clean. If you lose any snails it will be better than having the water foul like that. They're gonna get everywhere, in the sponge, in the filter housing... Just my opinion.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Well, I am thinking of getting the sponge out, put a new one and leave that in water from the tank gently moving it till most of the babies get off it. What bothers me are the eggs. 
My husband suggested to leave it hanging from the topn in the middle of the tank till they hatch. Snails shouldn't be able to reach it to put more eggs there. I may try this


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Just an update. Couldn't wait till the morning, not that the water was bad, I just wanted to get it done. So, I put new sponge on the intake and got the old one out. Started pouring water and moving it between boxes. There were TONS of babies! I tried to keep the eggs attached, just moving it through water. When I thought it was clean of snails, I squeezed it gently many times and put it back in the tank. I hope the eggs survived, will see that on the daylight. I am happy there were so many babies that I put back in the tank.
Thought I'd share


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