Snails do poorly after transfering to a different tank?

My son has an ADF frog in a 5 gallon hex. I've been noticing some leftover food lately, so I moved one of my msytery snails from my 20 gallon to the 5 gallon hex. The next morning I noticed it floating with some slime hanging off of it. I removed it to the 20 and it took about a week to recover. I checked the water in the hex tank and all was well.

So, I was puzzled and waited about another week, did a 50% water change and tried adding a different snail last night with the same results. The odd thing about it is that when I remove them, they float, but will open up and act like they're trying to move around but simply can't stop floating. They'll even let me turn them over (while under water) without retracting into their shells.

I checked the water again this morning and the tank is cycled with less than 10 nitrates, so I just don't understand it. Can anyone think of why the snails are reacting this way? I used to have a snail in this tank with no problem before, so I don't believe it's an oxygen issue. It's as if something in the water is irritating them but I can't figure out what it could be. (there is a terra cotta pot, and two java ferns...and the adf is doing great.)

I like the idea of one of the snails in there to help with leftover food since it's hard to get into that tank easily to remove uneaten food daily. I really dislike this hex tank design for that reason alone.

 

If you're feeding the proper amount, there should be no leftover food, certainly not on a daily basis.

Does your pH differ between tanks?

 

I'm only feeding a tiny amount each day, but the current tends to scatter it as it is sinking and some of it doesn't land on the dish I have in there for its food. It only eats what is in the dish and not the other that gets carried away. The frozen worms are easier to get all in the dish and he eats all of those gone. Its the pellets that float everywhere instead of sinking directly. No, the ph is the same, that's why I'm confused. As far as I can tell all water parameters are the same in the tanks.

 

What about temperature, gh and kh?

I have the same experience with one tank. But the snails die.

I have mystery snails in a tank that all started floating. I ended up doing 2 weeks of daily water changes with little change. But in less than 48 hours after adding activated carbon the snails returned to normal.

I figure there is something in the water I don't test for.

Maybe my experience will give you an idea with your snails.

Good luck.

 

I'm not sure about GH and kh. The temperature in both tanks is 77-78. I've just been using sponges cut to fit in filter since it's odd, but come to think of it, when I had the other snail in it I had the original filter which did have carbon. I might try to rig something up and see if that helps. It's so bizarre since I have snails in my other tanks with no issues. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I'd go try to find a copper test kit. Usually copper has a lot to do with inverts not doing well.

 

Like Dena said, there can be something in there that you are not testing for. Snails are very sensitive and what may be ok for the adf is not for the snail. Excess slime indicates that the snail is irritated by something.

I would not keep the snails in there unless/until you figure out what it is. Like e_watson suggested, it could be copper.

 

I took the snail out this morning, so I'm not trying it again until I figure it out. I will definitely get a copper test. I can't think of how it might be in that tank and not the other, but you never know. Thanks for the advice!

 

I just have to ask ...this is for my benifit as well. Did u accimate the snails or just add them to the tank...????? I have had this problem before myself, but when I had gotten some snails from another member quite a while ago ...he told me to put the snails in another container (they were shipped to me in a bag)....using the water they came with....then slowly add some of the new water from the tank they are going into.....let them sit a bit and when they start to come out of their shells and move about it would then be safe to add them to their new home.......This has worked for me and I haven't had them die since doing this......I do this with any of my tanks. Sounds dumb,but even in all freshwater in my house some of the temps,and ph ect differ from tank to tank.....

 

First time, no I did not because I had tested the water and everything was similar, so I just grabbed him and dropped him in. This past time I checked the water and even though everything was the same, I thought I'd be on the safe side anyway and I did what you mentioned above. He was out and about crawling all over after I acclimated him so I transferred him and he crawled around for a while, and then made his way to the top of the new tank where he stayed until I found him floating this morning. I removed him and put him in a container with some of the water from his old home and he was out but floating. So, I moved him back to the 20 where he's simply floating around right now. I'm puzzled but I'm going to see if my lfs has a test kit for copper.