Snails acting weird

[CaptainCooke]

So my snails keep flipping themselves over and just sit in the bottom like they are dead for long periods of time. Days sometimes. I keep thinking they are dead but... nope.
They eventually all seem to get up and get a move on.
Photos below. Anyone else ever experienced this? Are they just lazy?

Salinity 35ppm
Dkh 8.4
Ca 398
Ph8.47
Temp78
Phosphate.03
Mg 1250ish always hard to tell on the test

 

[shwareefer]

It fell off the glass.

 

[CaptainCooke]

It fell off the glass.

I have seen that happen many many times. Pretty sure this is something else... if it is anything at all. They stay flipped for days .

 

[shwareefer]

When my cat does that it's always a trap.

Seriously, if you catch one in the act doing a backflip you have to film it. Also I would fix them rather than waiting for them to do it.

 

[Scorpius]

Trochus snails are experts at righting themselves when turned upside down. Something isn't right.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Trochus snails are experts at righting themselves when turned upside down. Something isn't right.

I don't think those are Trochus, those are Astrea snails which cannot right themselves unless next to a rock or the like.
It looks to me like they might be falling off the glass, then getting stuck? I have had snails react strangely to temperature swings, has there been any recent changes?

 

[CaptainCooke]

I don't think those are Trochus, those are Astrea snails which cannot right themselves unless next to a rock or the like.
It looks to me like they might be falling off the glass, then getting stuck? I have had snails react strangely to temperature swings, has there been any recent changes?

You may have a point with this! What is the best way to tell the difference between a Trochus and Astrea? If they are flipping and just really awful at getting themselves upright.. I may be the bad actor here for not helping them along. Poor guys might be starving. No swings in temp.

 

[samnaz]

Could be Astraea snails, they are unable to right themselves if they tip over. They’ll die unless you flip them over. Makes me wonder why so many people choose to have them when every other kind of snail is capable of flipping themselves on their own.


The easiest way to tell them apart is the type of operculum: the Trochus has a dark one of protein or 'horn' like a fingernail, and the Astrea has one composed ofcalcareous material similar to it's shell. There are several species in each genus, so a Google imagesearch will show multiple animals for each name.

Good background reading:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/

 

[Dan_P]

It fell off the glass.

Likely starving to death

 

[ChrisNH]

Likely starving to death

I have had a few do a similar thing and given how little algae there is (tank in its third month) that is my worry..

 

[vetteguy53081]

Very common but likely due to low nutrition especially if there is no food source.
Some can turn themselves over while some cannot and need assistance.
Algae tabs make good supplemental food

 

[CaptainCooke]

Could be Astraea snails, they are unable to right themselves if they tip over. They’ll die unless you flip them over. Makes me wonder why so many people choose to have them when every other kind of snail is capable of flipping themselves on their own.


The easiest way to tell them apart is the type of operculum: the Trochus has a dark one of protein or 'horn' like a fingernail, and the Astrea has one composed ofcalcareous material similar to it's shell. There are several species in each genus, so a Google imagesearch will show multiple animals for each name.

Good background reading:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/

Problem solved. I thought I had Trochus but they are Astraea. I will start flipping them. Thank you everyone for the input!

 

[shwareefer]

You also might want to follow the advice to give some supplimental food. That tank looks a little too spotless for snails.

 

[Softhammer]

I’d put nori in there on a rock. They’re starving. once they die they also stink to high hell and will cause issues.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

You may have a point with this! What is the best way to tell the difference between a Trochus and Astrea? If they are flipping and just really awful at getting themselves upright.. I may be the bad actor here for not helping them along. Poor guys might be starving. No swings in temp.

I can see I'm a bit late to this, but the way to tell is Trochus snails have a black foot and a smooth, conical shell with black stripes while the astreas look... Well, you got them lol

 

[Dan_P]

I have had a few do a similar thing and given how little algae there is (tank in its third month) that is my worry..

I bought Mexican turbos to clean my tank of GHA. I bought 15 and the tank was clean in a week. So now they get half a large sheet of dry algae every night and it is completely gone by morning. And while they also have a reputation of falling and not being able right themselves, this has never happened in my tank, which might be a result of being fed or I am just lucky.