snails as an indicator species?

RockabillyChick

RockabillyChick

Kilt-lifter
Nov 5, 2005
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Washington state
i just got DIY CO2 working in my tank. my fish are acting fine, my plants are pearling, my pH dropped about .8 and i'm going to get a kH test tomorrow, but what has me worried is there are at least 11 MTS in my tank heading towards the surface. i read a while ago that if a bunch of MTS migrate towards the top of the tank it means theres something wrong with the water. other than my pH dropping from the CO2, everything else is normal. 0ammo, 0nitrite, 10 nitrate, 7.0pH. if my fish are acting normally (tetras are playing tag, the gourami is trolling around and found the algae wafer i put in for the otos, the otos are chilling around the middle of the tank in their "spot") should i be worried about the MTS as being indicators that there might not be enough O2?
 
You could try putting an airstone in your tank on a timer at night when the lights are off. Plants do suck o2 in the night. An Airstone would create surface agitation which should oxygenate the water. I have this on two of my tanks and it does seem to help on the one I am using the fluval canister on.
 
see, but the lights are still on, and i shut the CO2 off at night, and the snails are still heading for the surface.
 
Is this totally new behavior for them? I have pressurized CO2 and my MTSs hang out all over my tank during the day. But they have been doing this since before I got my CO2. I think it may have to do with the fact that they are over-populated...I think I have more MTSs then pieces of gravel!!! (not quite but I do have alot!) I would think that as long as your fish are not showing signs of stress and your parameters are good I wouldn't worry to much about it. It might just be the MTSs adjusting to the new CO2. Do you know your KH and CO2 levels?
 
as soon as petsmart opens i'm going up there to get a kH test. a few of the MTS always hang out above the sand during the day, but i've never seen that many all heading towards the surface at once. after about 4 hours of CO2 i clamped the line because it was making me nervous.
 
i know that, it just worries me....i also saw an oto go to the surface and grab some air, which i have seen them do a couple times before. no gasping though, and the tetras were at all levels of the tank like always.
 
Some catfish species do occasionally go to the surface for a gulp. My otos and corys do it. Nothing to worry about there. My pH drops 1.1 point when I inject compressed CO2 and don't have any problems except excessive plant growth.
 
Rockabilly..

Every night around 11 PM like clockwork my MTS start climbing to the top of my tank. Lights are out in the tank but still on in the room. I think they are nocturnal for the most part and just come out at that time for above ground feeding.

I don't inject and my paramters are perfect.

I never see them during the day.
 
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