Mystery Snail Shell

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Random Fishy

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 8, 2013
Messages
154
I really need help with my mystery snail. I have tried just about everything possible with my restoring my snail's shell. It just keeps deteriorating and it's getting really bad. Recently, I have tried to change half of my tank's water, then put a slow release calcium block in it. I even removed the drift wood I had in the tank so my ph wouldn't get too acidity. Now, I've run out of options and I.m worried my snail will die a slow death due to loss of shell.
 
Pics? Water parameters? I keep eggshell in my tank. What do you feed?

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Pics? Water parameters? I keep eggshell in my tank. What do you feed?

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app


As of right now, my snail's in a spot where I can't take a good photo of him. I'll take a photo once he come's out. But I feed my snail mainly fish flakes.
 
Ok. Parameters? I'm no expert, but the snail peeps on here suggest feeding a variety of veggies (zucchini, cucumber, spinach, green leafy lettuce) and adding some pure source of calcium to the tank (eggshell, cuttlebone, calcium tabs). Also, algea wafers. I quarter mine since I'm only feeding one snail. I give mine something different every other day. Whatever he doesn't eat I remove the next day. I will say, I thought mine was shedding his shell or dying or something too, but it turned out to be just his shell growing. So if your water parameters are good, I'd just adjust the diet and keep an eye on it :)

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As long as the PH stays no lower than 7 and all the other water perimeters are fine the shell should not be deteriorating. Mystery snails can get growth lines. They are white, flaky rings around the shell. You can feed them dandelion greens spinach, or other foods high in calcium. You can also use any type of antacid tablets like Tums, human calcium pills, eggshell, cuttlefish bone, or make plaster blocks to add to the tank. Seashells in the tank will also help with calcium. You can patch any badly deteriorated areas with pieces of eggshell and crazy glue. Do a Google search to learn how.
 
Random, as for calcium, I usually buy these little feeder "blocks" from a major retail store, just make sure that calcium is one of the very first ingredients listed, ingredients are listed in the order of content. People have suggested cuttle bone to me and it might work but once I got something to make the bone sink my snails said they were yucky and didn't want anything to do with them, but you might have different results. People have also suggested calcium vitamins (made for people) just try to make sure there aren't considerable amounts of anything that could hurt your snails (internet research is the only way I know to do this). I believe the reason I didn't buy any vitamins to try on my snails is because the vitamins I could find locally had some metals in them that I wasn't sure about. Also, if your snaily has any large areas of shell that need immediate attention, and are not too close to the opening of his shell I have used a product to patch one of my snails called Water Weld (made by JB Weld). You'll need patience and your snail will too but this works good and after a few minutes (read directions) you can put him (or her) back in the tank and the Water Weld will cure under water. I hope everything turns out okay for you.
 
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