Mystery snail eggs & inverts journal

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

For NERM week I threw this directions post up about the breeder box - and my post was snail-specific, of course.  It's basically a conglomeration of all the stuff I've posted in this journal. If anyone's interested in the read, it's over here:

 

On 7/15/2022 at 10:31 AM, Guppysnail said:

For feed even my new ones get commercial food one time per day what they can eat in just a few hours. It yucks water quality to fast.  Veggies always in tank they break down crazy slow and nano spirulina from aco I break up and make sure there is just a tiny piece always so if they are there looking for a cal mag source it there. 
 

Different foods yield different water quality. I drop however much I feed in a cup of water. Let dissolve for whatever amount of time I plan on leaving it in tank. Then test the big 3. Oddly enough some release all 3 in a drinking cup. Then I imagine that being spread the volume of my tank. If I think it’s reasonable for the tank to consume as it releases I use it. If not I cut back. If it’s bad and even cutting back I discard the entire package in the bin as poor quality food. 🤷🏼‍♀️  Right or wrong I’m not sure. You know me I have my own Gup style but it works for me. 😁

I don't think the food is really going out into the tank water much because within minutes snails are all over whatever food is there.  They have great sniffers. But the waste production of the snails is my concern.  Food always = waste always. I've been favoring repashy because Cory was saying it's very tank stable and it's fine to leave it for 24 hours.  But they eat it in like an hour.  And of course the beloved green beans.  They are now being consumed in a day.  I always have a chunk of cuttlebone in their dish, but sometimes I will add the calcium chip because they don't foul the water and the snails will get some of that calcium powder and spirulina when they cruise over them.  

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/15/2022 at 11:06 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

the big 3

the 3 main parameters?

[Guppysnail]

On 7/15/2022 at 11:13 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

the 3 main parameters?

Yup. I’m WAYYY to lazy to the out all three names 🤣

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

York playing in the bubbles ☺️
 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Snello time!

I cleaned the glass because the snails sure weren’t doing it. But now the limpets (all over the place now) have moved onto the snail shells and the tank decor. I hope they don’t cause any problems for the shells. 🧐 Also learned from Father Fish that the limpets didn’t come from mystery snail eggs. It was just a coincidence that they were the first things in the breeder box when snail eggs were hatching. Limpets come from other limpets. Most likely came into the aquarium on a plant. I’m not overly concerned with them other than they are cluttering all the glass and photobombing.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I’m going to regret this @Guppysnail

🤣

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I was in the big box store today because I ran out of ammonia test kit solution, and wouldn’t you know, I had to see what was in the tanks. Well, at the bottom of a swordtail tank is this snail with a pretty powder blue shell. But the snail had no friends, and every time he went to come out of his shell, a swordtail would go after him, nipping him again and again. 😢 I saw it happen multiple times; the poor snail couldn’t travel anywhere without harm. 
 

So I adopted him. After he was bagged, I talked to the sales associate (who is a very avid hobbyist who works at big box to try to improve their processes for the sake of the aquatic life, NOT the bottom line. ) He refers customers to the mom & pop shops all the time, if they are looking for something specific. He even gave me some bags so I can take my snails to the fish club meeting soon. While I was talking to him, the little snail was traveling around the bag peacefully, without any attacks, and I was happy. For lack of a better name, I have been calling him Dodger.

I brought him home and went against my principles of quarantining. My quarantine tank is fully dosed right now and has 2 fishies with columnaris. So he got a 45 minute drip acc, and then I discarded that water. From there he went into a “cleaning station” where I gently rubbed debris from his shell in my own tank water.

Now he is in a breeder box with a green bean and a piece of calcium chip. He ate some of the green bean right away.  He can leave whenever he wants. There is no lid on it.

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Katherine]

Aww, poor guy. That shell looks pretty gnarly.

We saw a blue mystery at our box store before buying Blue Soul at the LFS. But there was so much death in their tanks we walked out without it.

And why are you going to regret the carrot? Are they extra messy or something?

Edited July 17, 2022 by Katherine

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/17/2022 at 2:08 PM, Katherine said:

Aww, poor guy. That shell looks pretty gnarly.

We saw a blue mystery at our box store before buying Blue Soul at the LFS. But there was so much death in their tanks we walked out without it.

And why are you going to regret the carrot? Are they extra messy or something?

Fortunately the shell isn’t damaged. It is just surface marring. 
 

Well, carrots make every snail’s poop orange! So my tank is gonna look very “festive” later… 😬

[Katherine]

On 7/17/2022 at 1:15 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

So my tank is gonna look very “festive” later… 😬

Is it Halloween yet?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@Katherine what color is Blue Soul’s foot?

I guess you can’t really see the blue shell in the photos. Dodger has some algae and some surface lines. With a good diet, I think he will really become a beautiful snail. Even though I think he’s beautiful already..

Edited July 17, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Katherine]

On 7/17/2022 at 1:19 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

@Katherine what color is Blue Soul’s foot?

Very dark gray blue? Not quite black. I don't think I have a good picture of his foot and the lights aren't on yet today. I'll try to remember to get one later.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/17/2022 at 2:21 PM, Katherine said:

Very dark gray blue? Not quite black. I don't think I have a good picture of his foot and the lights aren't on yet today. I'll try to remember to get one later.

ORD!!  I bet he is a real looker! 👀

[Katherine]

That top down photo shows it pretty well, I think. Even in person I go back and forth on how blue I think Blue Soul actually is. (Also, can you tell my young children name my snails?)

Edited July 17, 2022 by Katherine

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/17/2022 at 2:22 PM, Katherine said:

That top down photo shows it pretty well, I think. Even in person I go back and forth on how blue I think Blue Soul actually is. (Also, can you tell my young children name my snails?)

I love your snail names😍

[Torrey]

That top picture really shows off Dodger's blue shell! How gorgeous!!!

Yes, krill flakes and carrots make for the brightest colored poo, lol!!! 

Festive confetti everywhere!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Dodger has already eaten the calcium chunk and the pellet of crab cuisine I had put in there. He’s only been here an hour or two but given his situation, I understand why he’s hungry.

[Katherine]

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea Here's a photo of Blue Soul's foot. You can see it's not quite as black as the heater cord. His little face is close though.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I just checked on Dodger, and he is snuggling with the green bean! Probably the first green bean he’s ever had. ❤️
 

 

On 7/17/2022 at 4:53 PM, Katherine said:

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea Here's a photo of Blue Soul's foot. You can see it's not quite as black as the heater cord. His little face is close though.

He’s so cool.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Now he’s napping in the breeder box. I was gonna put him in the tank but he’s had a hard day with them swordtails. I didn’t know they were so aggressive towards snails.  The lid is still off of the breeder box so he’s free to do as he pleases. Otherwise I will release him tomorrow morning. I just wanted him to have a little sanctuary where he could have some peace and enjoy dinner after his ordeal.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

He woke up and I gently placed him down on the sand. He had a few more bites of green bean and began exploring. None of the tankmates paid him any mind. Here’s a photo that shows his color more true. And a few I took after the light kicked into moonlight mode.

Pardon my plants. They are not too nice and need a trim!

Edited July 18, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@Katherine the carrot aftermath has begun! 😳

That’s 🐌💩!

I got a message about my snail sale on Nextdoor. A local hobbyist wants a few snails. She has a 20 gallon hex and she told me her 1 snail is lonely and bored. It’s nice that she is concerned for the social needs of the snails. 😌 She sent me a pic of the tank. She has like 1 glofish and the snail. Sponge filter looks like it’s got some nice crud and there is some algae on the walls which the snails will enjoy. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

For some reason I have a group of snorkelers today???
 

Also found clutch 10. You guys saw that clutch 9 was found rattling around in the intake tube? Weird? Must have fallen during maintenance, and I didn’t notice. Recent clutches have been pretty small. 
 

Dodger is doing well. Exploring.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Remember the little oddball snail? Still doing well. Not growing much, but does join the gang at the dinner table from time to time. 
 

And here’s a photo of York and Dodger having dinner.