possible issue with new tank

[jamiya0727]

Okay, so I put two snails in the new tank last night (part of this conversation occurs in the thread on calcium: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203384).

They crawled all over the place and appeared content. This morning, they are both sitting on the bottom with their trap doors shut. One is open halfway. They haven't moved all morning. I did all the water tests I have (pH, GH, KH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates) and nothing has changed. The temp is 76 degrees. The filter is filtering. Tank has not cycled, but ammonia is still low enough.

Can there be something wrong? What should I check? Should I put them back in the baby snail tank? That tank is overcrowded and is having ammonia problems since it has not cycled either.

[blue2fyre]

Invertebrates are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrite. What do you mean ammonia is low enough? What are your parameters? Ammonia should be 0 anymore can potentially kill yours snails. I would do water changes until ammonia and nitrite are both at zero. You are pretty much going to have to keep doing daily water changes until the cycle is over.

[jamiya0727]

The ammonia in the new tank is a LOT lower than it has been in the baby tank. I have been doing 50% water changes in the baby snail tank daily, but it's impossible to get the ammonia to zero.

The new tank is brand new, so the ammonia is still very low - I'm not at home so I don't have the numbers with me, but it is a LOT less than where the snails have been living up until now. I also have one of those ammonia monitors that hangs in the tank (in addition to the testing kit I use) and it is reading safe levels. I picked the largest two snails of the babies (much larger than peas), so they were obviously thriving in the old tank despite the ammonia problems.

In fact, my original snail (momma) went through a fairly drastic tank cycle (we didn't know better at the time) and she did great.

So.....do I put them back in the tank with a ton of ammonia, or leave them in the new tank where they aren't moving?!

[jamiya0727]

Snail update:

My daughter called and one of the snails is out and moving a little. Maybe they are just sleeping....

[blue2fyre]

The only safe level of ammonia is 0. I think you need to get the ammonia under control in both tanks and the best way to do that is with water changes. Even if back to back changes have to happen. I'm glad one of the snails is looking better

[jamiya0727]

I was told when we cycled our first tank that if you do water changes, it will slow down the whole cycle process and drag it out.

We are almost done with the baby snail tank, so my main concern at this point is the new tank.

[blue2fyre]

The beneficial bacteria mostly live in the filter and not many live in the water column. Water changes don't change the length of the cycle unless you are doing a fishless cycle. It's going to take several weeks no matter what.

[jamiya0727]

Okie dokie - I'll do water changes on the new tank to get the ammonia to zero. I have some gravel from an established tank hanging in a media bag by the filter outlet, so hopefully that will help.

Should I use different hoses and buckets and everything for the two tanks (my established healthy tank and the new tank)?

Is there anything else that might be hurting the snails that I should check?