snails getting stuck to filter intake

[Greenphantom]

I have lost 3 in a couple weeks I tried to save one this morning but he was so stuck I ended up ripping his head ugh what do I do snails are a big part of my community

 

[siva]

What kind of filter? What kind of snails? Only dead or already dying snails should get stuck to the intake.

 

[LyndaB]

+1

Healthy snails would be able to hang on the filter, if they chose to, to eat. They wouldn't get stuck.

What's the stocking in this tank and is it cycled?

 

[Greenphantom]

Oh yes this is a well established 120 gallon tank with community fish some synodontis bgk killies no aggression at all except the cats the fight over hidey holes but these snails bread once laid eggs every where and then seem to one by one get stuck to my aquaclear 110 and they are apple snails

 

[Greenphantom]

Only the aquaclear I have a magnum 350 canister filter they never get stuck to

 

[siva]

What's the pH? I've had this issue with snails in my tanks that run a lower pH (6.0 - 6.5). Other than that...if there isn't any ammonia in the tank..I'm really not sure why that would be happening. I would add cuttlebone to help assure they are getting the calcium they need. Break one up and bury it in the substrate around the tank, and leave some sticking out in a hidden spot where it won't bother you so the snails can feed on it.

 

[Greenphantom]

Ph is 7.5 maybe a little less

 

[siva]

Well that's not it then.

 

[Greenphantom]

The only thing I can think of is the suction is so strong they get parts of there body get in so far and they cant get out????

 

[siva]

No way. No snails have any issues with my AC 110.

 

[MABJ]

I honestly think if they're small enough they can get stuck to a filter. I turned mine off when I saw one or two get stuck.

I had a lot that liked to crawl on the surface and they'd eventually get pushed down by the filter output. Eventually some of their shells got stuck and they'd struggle to right themselves.

I will admit it is a little fishy, no pun intended, that youve lost 3. I never lost one. Just had to pull a few little fellas off.

 

[maxwellag]

Are they pond snails? I have had pond snails get stuck in the filter intake of my Tetra PF-10 (90gph) before. They were fairly small snails, though.

 

[Coursair]

Turn your filter off before removing snails.
You can add large cell foam over your intake, but you'll need to make sure you clean it before your flow slows down too much.

Your snails may be dead or dying, which could be why they are "stuck"

Or they could be happily eating and you are killing them when you try to "save" them ??

 

[Greenphantom]

Well it seems as though there eyes and part of there foot was way to far in and I did shut the filter but he was really wedged in there though. Another thing I was wondering is how old these snails were the guy at the fish store said the 3 snails I bought were there for more then a year. Anyway something good came from the ones that died. There are several more just like the one in the pic that I can see

 

[Niki]

I have ramshorns and assassin snails, once the assassin is done the empty shell usually makes it way to my intake, I probably have like 10-15 stuck in my intake at any given time...are you sure they are not getting eaten by a fish in your tank? And it's not just the empty shells?

 

[Greenphantom]

Definitely not they are alive and I left the first 2 alone and they died so I tried to pull the last one off and ended up tearing its head off

 

[MABJ]

Well it seems as though there eyes and part of there foot was way to far in and I did shut the filter but he was really wedged in there though. Another thing I was wondering is how old these snails were the guy at the fish store said the 3 snails I bought were there for more then a year. Anyway something good came from the ones that died. There are several more just like the one in the pic that I can see

That looks like a bladder snail to me lol. Someone correct me please. I hope they aren't, because most people pay to get rid of them.

I think they're a good part of any tank, but I also think they shouldn't be sold lol.

We have no way of knowing how long those snails have been alive for :/

 

[Greenphantom]

No there apple snails for sure

 

[MABJ]

No there apple snails for sure

Then the one in that picture is sickly and dying. Sorry thought you were asking for an identification.

Didn't know this was about apple snails, but apple snails should never really get stuck on smaller filters. Maybe bigger ones. Certainly not 1-20gallons.

 

[Greenphantom]

The one in the pic is a baby and the filter is a aqua clear 110