Can't keep my snails alive :-/

[juliethegr8t]

I need some help! I just can't seem to keep my snails alive. I've had two and both were dead within a few days. There are no other clues! My fish are all healthy, ammonia and nitrites are 0, and nitrates are low. There isn't any salt in the water either. I'm pretty depressed, I really was loving having a snail, both times. I think they're so much fun, and goodness I'd like to have one that stayed alive. Anyone got any ideas what could be killing them? One was a "Golden Mystery Snail" and this last one was a "Golden Inca Snail". I don't want to get another one only to have it keel over right away. Anyways, thanks everyone!

 

[freshmike]

That's weird I have never had a snail die on me! Mine never get any special treatment either......as a matter of fact, they live with cichlids and loaches so they, I guess are pretty lucky to be alive. Are you giving them enough food to eat? They do like to clean up a bit and if there isn't enough food or your tank is just way too clean then they will probably starve! I can't see that happening in such a short time though.....sorry you have stumped me. )

 

[Ron]

I know of a lot of popel here in Wisconsin that love snails, they feed their's lettace, cucumbers, algae waffers, and of course they're bottom feeders. What do you feed them? What happens to them when they die?
Ron

 

[juliethegr8t]

The first snail I had died overnight, so it never even had a chance to eat! The second one I gave some wafers and it wasn't even alive long enough to eat lettuce or anything. The first one that died had been partway out of its snail for hours, so I pulled on its trapdoor and when there wasn't any resistance, I knew it was dead. The second one actually got partway eaten by my fish after it died, so it was mostly gone/dissolved - I didn't even know it was dead for awhile because it was hiding behind a decoration. *sigh* I'm stumped too, but thanks neway guys.

 

[Alien Anna]

I think they often starve snails in the LFS because they can go a pretty long time without food. I'm wondering if the stess of transport, on a starving animal could have been the last straw. To fatten them up, try catfish wafers.

 

[Liz05]

Just keep trying, I love having snails and I find that they die sometimes on me, too. But eventually you'll get a good one. I've always kept snails, I love them too, and over the summer I managed to buy one that reproduces like crazy, and its just a regular old mystery snail! But most of the eggs don't ever actually hatch, so I've got about six healthy baby snails, and one big snail. It's quite a spectacle!

 

[shewolf]

are your snails temperature compatible ?