My Ph For Mystery Snails

I just tested the water and all is ok but my PH is 8.4 is that good for mystery snails? If not what scan I do. I have a cuttle bone in there. No room for plants

 

Plants wouldn't help with ph but driftwood could. Pic of the tank?

 

I don’t have much room for anything else. There isn’t anything else that would lower it.

I do have some wood that the pet shop said it was cured. But I’m not sure if it’s driftwood or not it’s wood all I know.

 

Did you test the ph from your tap water? Cuttlebone can raise ph and isn't required. You could remove that

What is your tank size and what all do you have in it?

 

I have mystery snails not fish. 20 gallon

 

How many? Can you post a picture?

 

I only have 4. There small

I have cuttle bone cause it’s suppose to help there shells they say

 

I have cuttle bone cause it’s suppose to help there shells they say

It can but with your ph that high it might hurt more then help. Can you test your tap water ph?

 

Here some pics

I did test it just now really hard to tell for the last two are close in color. Looks like 8.4

Ok removed cuttle bone.. the snails seem happy. They eat and travel around

Ok I put that wood back in the water. Is this driftwood?

Is this driftwood in my tank. Just put it back.

 

Your pH is perfect. No need to mess with it. Continue adding cuttlebone; it's aasolutely necessary. What'sthe water KH?

 

When I tested GH was hard
When I tested KH was ideal

Everything seemed ok was just worried about this PH as it was like 8.4 that is alkaline,

Not sure if alkaline is good for snails or not. I do have some stuff that keeps it at 7 is that good?

 

Don't use the stuff that keeps it at 7. Snails like alkaline water as it's better for their shells. Do you have a numerical value for KH? What test kit are you using?

 

Using tetra strips I have a chart that shows colors and the numbers

I tested my tap water and it was 8.4 also

My snails are not dying so I guess I’m doing something rite.

 

I would quit using the strips and switch to the API Master test kit & API GH/KH kit. They are WAY more accurate.

 

Ok once I run out I will buy api

 

What are you feeding the snails? They need the calcium (in cuttlebone) and protein. They won't live very long on just algea.

I second leaving the cuddlebone in. A small piece in a 20 gallon isn't going to mess with your ph too much, if at all.

 

I feed crab cuisine, algae tablets, shrimp pellets, cuttle bone back inside tank,

 

That's good. The crab cuisine and shrimp pellets are meat based. They also love frozen bloodworms

 

Should blood worms be alive or dead. Also this crab cuisine has sulfate copper in the ingredients. I was told it’s probably only 1 per cent. So some say use it some say won’t use copper.

 

Personally, I avoid copper like the plague. That's a low percent, but id rather be safe than sorry. I don't have crabs so I'm not farmiliar with the food, just knew it has meat in it. I just feed frozen bloodworms, you can buy a package at any pet store, it's about $7 or so. If your only feeding 4 snails, it should last you months.

 

Even Algae wafers have copper sulfate. Thank god the shrimp pellets don’t. Well I sure won’t use the crab cuisine often. But if blood worms are safe will get some.

 

Even Algae wafers have copper sulfate. Thank god the shrimp pellets don’t. Well I sure won’t use the crab cuisine often. But if blood worms are safe will get some.

Hmmm.. My algae wafers don't have copper in the ingredients. I kinda freaked out for a minute so I ran in and checked, lol.

 

Mine is by Aqueonmcalled Aqueon rounds. Will look for one next time that don’t have copper

 

Mine is by Aqueon. Will look for one next time that don’t have copper

I have the tetra brand ones. No copper. Also, forgot to mention earlier, snails love veggies.. Blanched zuchinnI and kale are usually a big hit. Variety is key!

 

When I first got spinach, kale, made a mess all over tank. Couldn’t keep them Dow. Floated all over, mess.

 

Canned spinach is no good, I agree. It floats and gets all over the place. I only use it in snail jello. 1 decent size kale leaf or a zuchinnI slice can be poked with a fork and dropped in the tank to hold it down.

 

It was fresh veggies. I blanched them. oh I need to make that snail jello. Do you boil the kale?

 

Small, trace amounts of copper in those pellets are not harmful. Some people are scared by the mere word being in the ingredients yet they feed spinach, kale, zucchinI etc.....all contain copper.

 

It was fresh veggies. I blanched them. oh I need to make that snail jello. Do you boil the kale?

I don't usually boil it. Mine munch on it as is. Ill admit, though, they don't get kale often because no one in my house likes it. They get zuchinnI once or twice a week though. If its refrigerated I blanch in the micro for 30 seconds, I've never had it fall apart. And snail jello is great. I add calcium to mine as well. I have 20 some odd mystery snails so the jello is a staple around here. Combines a lot of their food so less work for me

 

Small, trace amounts of copper in those pellets are not harmful. Some people are scared by the mere word being in the ingredients yet they feed spinach, kale, zucchinI etc.....all contain copper.

Thank you so much. As I do realize some people can go overboard.

I don't usually boil it. Mine munch on it as is. Ill admit, though, they don't get kale often because no one in my house likes it. They get zuchinnI once or twice a week though. If its refrigerated I blanch in the micro for 30 seconds, I've never had it fall apart. And snail jello is great. I add calcium to mine as well. I have 20 some odd mystery snails so the jello is a staple around here. Combines a lot of their food so less work for me

I appreciate your help. Being new on mystery snails we panic at first. I definitely will make this snail jello when I shop again. I do have another question. Some mention tums as a source can that go in snail jello?

 

I appreciate your help. Being new on mystery snails we panic at first. I definitely will make this snail jello when I shop again. I do have another question. Some mention tums as a source can that go in snail jello?

Always happy to help when it comes to snails

You can use tums, but they have to be unflavored. I couldn't find them anywhere, so I bought just plain calcium pills. The ones I bought have a smooth coating so I just soak them for a minute in warm water to get it off, then rinse and crush them in. If you go that route make sure they don't contain phosphorus. Spirulina algae is a good addition too if your going to make your own jello.

 

Copper sulfate is not the same as copper. Just like sodium chloride isn't like chlorine. They have different properties and if it's in commercial fish food, I doubt it's unsafe for snails.

 

Copper sulfate is not the same as copper. Just like sodium chloride isn't like chlorine. They have different properties and if it's in commercial fish food, I doubt it's unsafe for snails.

Good to know! Mine get some fish food. Would hate to think I've been slowly poisoning them this whole time. I know they're not good with copper in medications and such, but I've never really thought about it even being in food, tbh. I'm figuring any small amounts of copper found in veggies, is kinda like how there is arsenic in certain foods and we don't die from eating them...

 

Copper sulfate is not the same as copper. Just like sodium chloride isn't like chlorine. They have different properties and if it's in commercial fish food, I doubt it's unsafe for snails.

That’s great to know as buying stuff and can't use it is expensive.

 

I have the opposite problem my tanks ph is 6.5 after doing a water change the tap water I tested was a 6 . I'm trying to make the water more alkaline because it's dissolving my plants.

 

Kale is a great source of calcium it's great for they shells I feed mine kale once a month for they shell growth used to use cuttlebone but the snails never bothered with it