Mystery Snail Shell Deterioration

[Random Fishy]

Hey guys! It's been a while! I have a problem with my Mystery snail at the moment. You see, his shell has been deteriorating for some time now, and I'm not sure on how to fix it. I've been adding calcium to my tank for a while now. I use my cuttle bone, and scrape it with a butter knife above the open fish tank lid,to create a powder that I let just fall into the tank. It land on the surface of the water and just floats around with the current that my filter generates. Then it sinks and floats around the water until it disappears. Anyway, I can say that I probably don't put the calcium in as frequently as I should be. (Don't kill me please!) So how often do guys think I should put calcium in the tank? Also, my current theory at the moment for his shell to be the way it is is the chemicals possibly? I read somewhere that the water maybe too acidity and it can corrode the shell.I don't have the best gear when it comes to measuring the chemicals, I have test strips. (Again, don't kill me) So what could possibly cause my snail's shell to go this bad? I put lots of calcium in the tank and I have driftwood to balance it out too. I'll add a pic as soon as I can. (tomorrow most likely) Then you'll have a better idea if what I mean. (And how bad it looks too) Thanks and goodbye!

 

[Brilliant_Barbs_21]

Yes your water is too acidic. That's usually what causes the breakdown of a snail's shell. It'll be easier to tell with a picture.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Driftwood makes water more acidic.

 

[Random Fishy]

Ok here's the pics. Sorry for the quality. It was taken by my iPad's camera. (Yes, I know how bad it is)

 

[Fishlover3578]

I give mine the fruit tums it seems to help

 

[Random Fishy]

I give mine the fruit tums it seems to help

does that effect your chemicals or fish at all? Or at least if does, in a positive way?

 

[Fishlover3578]

Raises ph some depending on how many I use but fish seem fine ... Someone on here suggested it to me once

 

[Random Fishy]

Do you just drop it in the tank and it dissolves? Or do you turn it into a powder and put it in the tank? (Basically is there a method for putting it in the tank?)

 

[Fishlover3578]

Yeh I just drop it in and snails crawl on it and eat it. Clouds water for maybe an hour more or less but clears up

 

[Cactuspixie]

Hey guys! It's been a while! I have a problem with my Mystery snail at the moment. You see, his shell has been deteriorating for some time now, and I'm not sure on how to fix it. I've been adding calcium to my tank for a while now. I use my cuttle bone, and scrape it with a butter knife above the open fish tank lid,to create a powder that I let just fall into the tank. It land on the surface of the water and just floats around with the current that my filter generates. Then it sinks and floats around the water until it disappears. Anyway, I can say that I probably don't put the calcium in as frequently as I should be. (Don't kill me please!) So how often do guys think I should put calcium in the tank? Also, my current theory at the moment for his shell to be the way it is is the chemicals possibly? I read somewhere that the water maybe too acidity and it can corrode the shell.I don't have the best gear when it comes to measuring the chemicals, I have test strips. (Again, don't kill me) So what could possibly cause my snail's shell to go this bad? I put lots of calcium in the tank and I have driftwood to balance it out too. I'll add a pic as soon as I can. (tomorrow most likely) Then you'll have a better idea if what I mean. (And how bad it looks too) Thanks and goodbye!

I have the same problem, and I have cuttlebone and coral frags in my tanks and filters. My tanks are all between 6.5 and 7.2 ph.

 

[Random Fishy]

Is tums supposed to help over time or something? Because if anything, my snail's shell looks worse.

 

[Fishlover3578]

It's supposed to help

 

[Random Fishy]

I really don't know. My snails, shell looks worse and slightly better in certain places. I don't know what's causing the the deterioration to excel. I also don't know how to raise my ph to a level that won't corrode my snail's precious shell.

 

[Brilliant_Barbs_21]

I really don't know. My snails, shell looks worse and slightly better in certain places. I don't know what's causing the the deterioration to excel. I also don't know how to raise my ph to a level that won't corrode my snail's precious shell.

Baking soda raises ph.

 

[Random Fishy]

Well, the tums are seeming to work a little. Thanks fishlover! I'll try to add more tums in the water, like one every couple days. Also, about the baking soda, can you tell me more about it Brilliant?

 

[Brilliant_Barbs_21]

Well, the tums are seeming to work a little. Thanks fishlover! I'll try to add more tums in the water, like one every couple days. Also, about the baking soda, can you tell me more about it Brilliant?

You just add a little every day and it raises it... Temporarily. I only recommend it in an emergency. If I were you I would add some crushed coral to you tank. The coral can bring it to a safe ph. You just have to add a little more every week until it's at a zone you're comfortable with. If you add it all right away, you'll have a major ph swing.

 

[Cactuspixie]

I found this website:
http://www.applesnail.net/content/various/snail_disease.php

I found one of my mystery snails dead yesterday. He looked like the 2nd pic. The damage to the growth of the shell must have occurred before I bought him, and since they are all super well fed, he had grown quicker and that was the result.

Does this mean that it would have been better to continue under feeding?
Then again, maybe they had been kept in cold water prior to me buying them. My tanks are all around 27C in the daytime without heaters.

 

[Fishlover3578]

Sorry about your snail

 

[Cactuspixie]

Sorry about your snail

Yeah, I hate it when I can't keep something alive
On a positive note I have a bunch of baby mystery snails in that same tank. I had seen eggs a while back, but thought they had either not been fertilized or had gone bad. The babies are all yellow, and about 5mm across.

 

[Random Fishy]

Yeah, I hate it when I can't keep something alive On a positive note I have a bunch of baby mystery snails in that same tank. I had seen eggs a while back, but thought they had either not been fertilized or had gone bad. The babies are all yellow, and about 5mm across.

I don't even know how well mine is doing. I mean he crawls everywhere in the tank everyday, so he's fine on that part. I'm just really worried about his shell. It looks thin in some places, ok in others, then the back has a lot of what I think are called pits. I'm hoping that with time, patience, and any tips you guys give me, his shell can slowly heal.