**** snails are tough ......

[Gee]

What a surprise i got !

Here is the story ,

My friend came back from Cuba sunday, she gave me a couple of shell and a snail shell, i tought it was dead since it as been in a plastic bag for about a week, and it seem to be empty, well i just got home from work and i look at this shell against the filter , i think it has been suck to it, no its a live snail moving toward the top !!!

I always look at the tank even if there is nothing living in it, i am only two weeks into the cycle, so the snail will probaly die, if he die do i have to take him out as soon, or leave it to help the cycle ?

Dont call me cruel, the only other home i have for him is a freshwater tank or the toilet ! so if he makes it trough the cycle, good for him .

I just had to share this little story.

[Kurt]

Very surprising to me. I understand that snails must be acclimated very slowly. How big is the snail?

[Gee]

he is about the size of a dime.

[Gee]

here is a picture :

This little guy is a rocket, he did two complete turn in 1 hour !!!

[Gealcath]

Not all snails are sensitive to rapid water changes, just like Glass Anemonies (aiptasia) will spread like wild fire in the worse possible water condution while a bubble tip anemone wont live a day.

[OrionGirl]

Actually, there are two different definitions of toughness here.

Tidepool snails can tolerate huge fluctuations in salinity and temperature, and can trap water inside their shell to avoid drying out. This makes them very hardy. This does not mean they can tolerate high levels of ammonia/nitrites--as with pretty much all animals, they are sensitive and can be killed by these toxins.

I'd say it's got about a 50/50 chance of surviving. In the mean time, you will need to feed the snail. I would probably go with small amounts of nori--easier to remove if the snail does not eat it.

[mogurnda]

Looks like a cool little snail. I wonder what kind it is. Do you see it trying to graze on the glass?

[Gee]

Thanks for help on the id, i think this guy is planing an escape, he likes to slide on the hood, maybe he is trying to get away from the water because of the amonia ?

I think i'll name him Fidel Castro, since he is from Cuba ! :D