Is This Snail Poop?!

[thrujenseyes]

I'm in the process of cycling a 6 gallon fluval edge with three plants, one stow away assassin snail (who hasn't moved about in a couple of days) and one random unidentified snail that popped up about 4 days ago (super teeny).
 
I noticed this on these leaves about two days ago...
is it snail poop?!
 
 

 

[LyraGuppi]

Looks like it. They are poop machines! I have a lone pond snail in my 5g that I call Sir Poop-a-lot...for good reasons.

 

[thrujenseyes]

Awesome name!!! And good, I thought "****, are these dead worms"???!
And I'm fairly certain I've discovered yet another rogue snail ... No bigger than the tip of a pin.

Snails just pop up out of thin air!!

 

[Gruntle]

Regrettably (for some), most plants you buy will have snail eggs on them.

 

[NickAu]

I have 3 kinda large Apple snails and their poop looks nothing like that,. I have not seen Rams Head poop yet. I have about 6 Rams Heads.
 

 
They are poop machines!

Oh yes.
 

 
And I'm fairly certain I've discovered yet another rogue snail ... No bigger than the tip of a pin.

I do not see the problem with snails, They stir up the substrate, They clean up rubbish from the bottom of the tank. As long as your water params are ok I say don't worry about it, The assassin snail will take care of the stow away.
 
I now have 4 Clown Loaches in my 6 foot ( 400 Lt 100Gal ) tank and they are grateful for any snails I put in there.

 

[Akasha72]

yep, looks like snail poo. 
 
Just a tip for next time you buy plants. Run some hot water (not scalding hot, just hot enough for you to put your hand in) into a bucket. Add a good dose of salt (table salt will be fine) and drop your plants in. Leave them in the salt water as long as you can - I leave mine about an hour. Rinse the plants well with clean water and then plant them. The hot salty water kills the snails and any eggs. I've been doing this for a while now (it was a tip from my Dad who's kept fish for over 40 years) and it seems to work. I've not had any hitch-hiking pest snails for years

 

[thrujenseyes]

yep, looks like snail poo. 
 
Just a tip for next time you buy plants. Run some hot water (not scalding hot, just hot enough for you to put your hand in) into a bucket. Add a good dose of salt (table salt will be fine) and drop your plants in. Leave them in the salt water as long as you can - I leave mine about an hour. Rinse the plants well with clean water and then plant them. The hot salty water kills the snails and any eggs. I've been doing this for a while now (it was a tip from my Dad who's kept fish for over 40 years) and it seems to work. I've not had any hitch-hiking pest snails for years

My thought with adding these was "maybe they'll have some beneficial bacteria that will help my cycling along".
I didn't even think of snails and eggs.
I will definitely consider hitchhikers with any new plant additions from here!

 

[Akasha72]

the problem with pest snails (which is what it sounds like you have) is they breed rapidly and before you know where you are you're over run with them. The good news is you have an assassin snail and he will see these pest snails as food so hopefully he'll eat them all for you. 

 

[thrujenseyes]

the problem with pest snails (which is what it sounds like you have) is they breed rapidly and before you know where you are you're over run with them. The good news is you have an assassin snail and he will see these pest snails as food so hopefully he'll eat them all for you. 

 
 
Yes, the ones that have popped up over the last few days seem to be "pests" but hopefully the assassin (which I still find funny that there is such a thing) will take care of the poor unsuspecting little new comers.  He's been hiding the last few days.  I'm hoping the cycling isn't too hard on him.

 

[Akasha72]

well a good way to tell if a snail is dead is to take is out and smell it. Dead snails smell foul so if he smells rotten then he's not coped with the cycling and has passed away. 
Another way to tell is sometimes their bodies (the mushy bit) falls out of the shell. If he's hanging out of his shell he's possibly dead. When my assissin died the tip of his shell was broken and missing but I don't know if that's typical of assassins as I've only ever had one

 

[thrujenseyes]

well a good way to tell if a snail is dead is to take is out and smell it. Dead snails smell foul so if he smells rotten then he's not coped with the cycling and has passed away. 
Another way to tell is sometimes their bodies (the mushy bit) falls out of the shell. If he's hanging out of his shell he's possibly dead. When my assissin died the tip of his shell was broken and missing but I don't know if that's typical of assassins as I've only ever had one

Oh geez....that's so sad. I'll check tonight.
I've gotten quite fond of Sanford (I had to name him when I discovered him).

 

[Akasha72]

he's probably fine. Mine used to sit around and rest and I used to think he was dead and then I'd get up the following day and he'd moved so clearly wasn't! 

 

[thrujenseyes]

He has been moving around under the substrate for days (completely covered)?!  
Is that odd?

 

[LyraGuppi]

Assassin snails will do that, it is helpful though because they get any trapped air out of the sand.

 

[thrujenseyes]

Assassin snails will do that, it is helpful though because they get any trapped air out of the sand.

Oh great!! Glad it's normal!