Discolored snail shell

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Rach101

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
1,255
Location
Fargo, ND
Ive noticed that lately my mystery snails shell has been turning green, however this is most likely algae. but it looks like from the inside it is turning black. also the snail shell is chipped around the spiral part.
(( mystery snail shell was gold. so maybe apple snail? my lfs dosnt sort them into different types of snails, they all get dumped into the catagory mystery snail ))
 
My ramshorns are having the same problem. I have read that this could be from the lack of calcium or lime in the water or the water being too soft. I am trying to find information about helping the snails and not hurt the fish. All I have found is to add some sea shell or chalk but this can really raise the PH as I found out when I added a barnackle shell to my 55 gallon tank years ago and could never get the ph down.

They seem healthy but the their shells have a lot of "pits" in them and they are getting worse or so it seems. They are laying eggs everywhere over the last couple weeks and I am still waiting for the latest ones to hatch but they are less than a week old so it will be a while. My first cluster was lost as the larger one ate most of them. The newest ones are in a breeder and should stay safe in there.

Will let you kow if I find anything that will help
 
You can add liquid calcium to the tank without harming the fish (this is what I do). Another option is to float a cuttlebone for added calcium. Also, leafy greens like collard and mustard greens and high in calcium and your snails will love em.
If you have a pleco in with the snails, they could be helping the "pitting" along. My plecos are always rasping on the snails. Just a hazard of keeping the two together.
 
Or I read you can feed them crab pellet food. It has calcium in it, so that might help.
 
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