snails i ordered are not moving.

i have 4 big mexican turbos and i ordered 20 astrea snails, and they don't seem to be moving since i put them in. are they gonna die??
water is fine, nitrate was at 20ppm, i did a small water chance... how my nitrate get up that high is crazy to me... i only have 2 fish... in a 75 TATAL gal setup and i do 5-10gal water change a week...
 

scotty37

Member
The mexicans I got were very active. However, I have had little luck with the astrea snails on here. i just got 20 and I think 2 lived. Its been like that since they started shipping in no to little water for me. However, if you read the email they sent you, it will say they will sit there for a few days, so that is normal. Mine just sit there until a bristleworm comes by and yanks out the carcass. Im giving up on them, and going mexican only. I got a handful at the lfs here that are much bigger than the ones on here... they are awesome!
 
thanks guys, and dude that blows only 2 lived... that sucks, why are these snails such weakasses?? everyone claims they are the best you can buy.. :(
 

scotty37

Member
I have invested into the nassarius snails. I bought 10 of them for my old tank, which is still running with just inverts, but its not at my house since I moved. All 10 are still alive, and as soon as you drop them in, they take off, no sissy act like the water is killing them. they are manly snails lol
 

renogaw

Active Member
I cannot understand why they ship snails without water. Hopefully you can get a credit or something.
i have probably 15 astrea's and have no problem, but i got them from the lfs.
how did you acclimate them?
 

scotty37

Member
The instructions they send on here says to take them out of the bag and drop them in, I did drip them this time tho.
 

renogaw

Active Member
Originally Posted by scotty37
The instructions they send on here says to take them out of the bag and drop them in, I did drip them this time tho.

that may be the problem as well. think about it, they don't have any water they are used to so how can you acclimate them? best way of adding snails IMO is to get them to stick to the top of the tank's glass and let them climb down as they are comfey with the water. i've only lost 2 snails this way.
 
i took them out, and put them into a 5gal bucket, and dripped them for 40min, and then i put them "Right side up" and i work up and they are all still on the same spot, i must have got a bad batch or something :/ oh well 90$ gone!
 

hwttdz1

Member
I just got a batch of 10 snails from the lfs. After two days there were 2 that had not moved. After a third day one of these still had not moved. They all made it though and now are going about their busy way. So sometimes they just take a long time to get going.
 
alright thanks guys, and i live in colorado, so the overnight temp in the state was 46 low. and they were delivered 10AM. i woke up and more seem to be moving
 

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Private_Pyle
i took them out, and put them into a 5gal bucket, and dripped them for 40min, and then i put them "Right side up" and i work up and they are all still on the same spot, i must have got a bad batch or something :/ oh well 90$ gone!
Snails are inverts, they need a few hours of drip acclimation. Try to get those nitrates down via water changes as well. There are no nitrates in the ocean, at the distributor or at the LFS. It is "OK" if they get used to some nitrate over time, but not after 40 minutes.
 
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