QTing snails

[kevsqn]

1. So i plan in quarantining some snails in a 15 gallon container tub with live rock and a small pump.
but how do i feed them since there wont be any algae except on the live rock.
once they finish off the algae in the rock. im afraid they might starve to death

2. can i put the cover on the container or i should run it without lid. would the live rock die if i put on a lid

 

[mcarroll]

Starving Snails
Concerns about the snails starving are warranted.

You'll have to see what (if anything) you can get them to eat in a quarantine situation. I think a lot of a snail's diet tends to be bacteria and other microbes though, so not sure how good any substitutes will be or how snails might subsist on them.

Live Rock
What about the lid is making you worry about the live rock?

QT'ing Inverts
I know there are some opinions floating around on the subject of QT'ing snails and other cleanup crew critters, but I haven't seen any literature on the QT of inverts like this. (More often snails are the pest being quarantined against.)

As long as it doesn't hurt/kill the snails, then do it if it seems like a good idea. But personally, I would be leery of doing this and actually counting on it. Make sure you're keeping your fish in the display as UN-stressed as possible and as WELL-FED as possible.

I did find a few similar topics like this....
Transfer of enteric pathogens to successive habitats as part of microbial cycles

As expected, pathogens are finding a way.