Mystery Snails

[Steve A]

I put 2 Mystery Snails in my 80 gallon yesterday, they are a bright yellow or gold color about the size of a quarter.

Today they are nowhere in sight, my plants are not that thick and I have looked over and under the decorations in the tank. I opened the HOB filter and did not find them there either.

So any idea how they can hide, do they bury them self in the substrate?? 

[GameCzar]

Do you have a lid?  They have been known to escape.

[Steve A]

On 7/15/2021 at 9:00 AM, GameCzar said:

Do you have a lid?  They have been known to escape.

Yes I have lids on both sides and largest gap around the HOB's is maybe .25" and they are wider than that.

 

[GameCzar]

Well they aren't escapees then, that's good news!    They can be good hiders, but mine has never burrowed in substrate.   He'll attach to plants, filters, logs, rocks, right side up or upside down.  
I'm sure they will turn up eventually, mine is more active in the evenings. 

Also I have read snails can take as long as a few days to acclimate and explore their new tank.  So wherever they are they may be in shutdown mode right now. 

Maybe @Guppysnail can offer more insight?

Edited July 15, 2021 by GameCzar

[Steve A]

On 7/15/2021 at 9:05 AM, GameCzar said:

Well they aren't escapees then, that's good news!    They can be good hiders, but mine has never burrowed in substrate.   He'll attach to plants, filters, logs, rocks, right side up or upside down.  
I'm sure they will turn up eventually, mine is more active in the evenings. 

Also I have read snails can take as long as a few days to acclimate and explore their new tank.  So wherever they are they may be in shutdown mode right now. 

Maybe @Guppysnail can offer more insight?

Thanks, I walked back in there and one showed up in the center front of the substrate.  I cant figure out where it might have been, still looking for the 2nd one.

there is a 3rd one but it is a baby not much bigger than a BB  "LOL"

[sudofish]

I've lost one in a 40 breeder and seen it the next day. No clue how they do it but I suspect it's something like hanging upside down behind and sort of underneath a piece of driftwood.

[Steve A]

On 7/15/2021 at 11:56 AM, sudofish said:

I've lost one in a 40 breeder and seen it the next day. No clue how they do it but I suspect it's something like hanging upside down behind and sort of underneath a piece of driftwood.

The other little rascal finally showed up, maybe I need to name them Hou and Dini. 😃

[Patrick_G]

They’re also faster that you would think. Sometimes I see one on one side of the tank and then seconds later it appears on the other side. 

[Steve A]

On 7/15/2021 at 12:25 PM, Patrick_G said:

They’re also faster that you would think. Sometimes I see one on one side of the tank and then seconds later it appears on the other side. 

I am beginning to find that out, one time I watch them they are just barley moving along and then they will scoot right along to get to a new spot to eat

[Guppysnail]

Look up inside your decorations. Look inside the top of your hob.  Put a blanched vegetable out for them or repashy with garlic guard or garlic veggies and wait. Check around your tank. Mine crawl up the intake to get inside the hob and lay eggs. It doesn't seem like they fit but somehow they do. Mine have also squished into tiny pleco caves. I had to pry one out. Good luck. I hope you find them. That’s why my hubby and I call them sneaky snails

[Guppysnail]

Being new to a tank they will bury themselves under substrate usual under the only plant in the tank you really do not want uprooted. 😳