lazy snails?

[lilismom1]

i just purchased some 30 turbo snails from lfs 2 days ago. when i put them in the tank some of them flipped over onto their backs. i had the canopy off so i flipped them back over no problem. well, yesterday i noticed some of them had fallen off the glass onto their backs again. i just left them because i figured they'd right themselves. they stayed like that until just a little while ago when i had my other half help me remove the canopy again so i could get to them. are my snails lazy or what? this is a major pain in the butt. i have a 10 month old baby, and no spare time to babysit my snails! will they eventually get it together or do i need to replace them for a more athletic species?

 

[fishtender]

Hi Lili,

I have about twenty of them in my tank and would not trade them. They do a great job on my LR. I have found that after they got into the routine they stay pretty much connected to whatever they are grazing on. I have ( i know it sounds silly , but I find new uses for everything) 3 bamboo skewers taped together, and slip them through the nearest convenient hole, and give them a little flip till they upright themselves. If there is an easy way I will find it. Give it a try.

Howard

 

[bizzybeas]

My cerith snails do this also, when they fall off of the glass. Today I found one sitting up vertically on a piece of LR. 8) My bumblebees and my narrisus (sp?) do not have a problem righting themselves.

 

[bizzybeas]

Oops. Nassarius snail.

 

[lilismom1]

so i guess i'm going to have to keep pushing them over, huh? however, i will be buying bumblebees and nasssssaaarius for the rest of my snail minions. thanx!

 

[two11devan]

Try some Astrias....i have four of them in my tank and i have never had to flip them over, er....well if you don't count the times i have accidently knocked them off the glass when cleaning the filter.....any way, they seem to do a great job on my LR and the lines for my fluval filter. They hang out mostly on the glass and they are never in the same spot for more than a couple of hours!

 

[lilismom1]

astrias you say? i'll keep them in mind. the problem is my lfs, the "good" one doesn't carry a big variety and i'm scared to death of contracting some weird disease from the local petworld stock.

 

[gooyferret]

Turbo snails are not able to right themselves off their back. From what i have read and IME turbos are somewhat lazy when it comes time to clean the glass although they do a fine job on the LR. Be careful with them you have to keep them upright or they will die or the hermit crabs will kill them! Cerith snails also have a tendency to not be able to right themselves off their back...Astrias and nassarius are good snails and able to right themselves. Good Luck and happy flipping!

 

[lilismom1]

astrias you say? i'll keep them in mind. the problem is my lfs, the "good" one doesn't carry a big variety and i'm scared to death of contracting some weird disease from the local petworld stock.

 

[gooyferret]

everyone in here is online....lol

 

[lilismom1]

they'll die?!?! i thought they might just be inconvienced for a while. how quickly do i have to flip them before death?

 

[lilismom1]

they'll die?!?! i thought they might just be inconvienced for a while. how quickly do i have to flip them before death?

 

[steve-s]

Turbo snails are not able to right themselves off their back. From what i have read and IME turbos are somewhat lazy when it comes time to clean the glass although they do a fine job on the LR.

I would have to disagree with the first part. Astrea's are more prone to toppling and do not have the ability to right themselves properly often starving or become a tankmates dinner. A turbo can right itself very fast.

As to the "better' choice for cleaning, I have peronally found turbo's to be exceptional. They are however much more active at night than the day. It also depends on what fish you have in the tank to how often you see animals at the tasks chosen for.

Cheers
Steve

 

[lilismom1]

they seem to be doing a great job with the algae, even eating some i wanted to keep. they aren't doing very well flipping over. maybe my sand is too soft? it sticks to their "belly?" as they struggle. no resistence.

 

[gooyferret]

Steve,
Sorry for that post but in my experience and knowledge I have found that turbos are not able to right themselves if completly on their back.
lil my turbos are the same as me and you must just have a bad batch of turbo snails.... :?

 

[lilismom1]

guess so!

 

[gooyferret]

From what i hear there are different types of turbo snails though...not sure how many different kinds but i know there are different ones.

 

[steve-s]

There are many different types of snails that resemble true turban sp., not that I am implying someone made a mistake but are you sure what you have is a turbo?

Cheers
Steve

 

[gooyferret]

lol steve you online too i just typed almost the same exact thing steve do you have msn messanger or yahoo?

 

[Ghettopunch187]

Try ordering from a place such as saltwaterfish.com They have free shipping and the prices will be around any prices you are going to pay at your LFS. I have never ordered from this place but maybe someone in here has?