# Snail Shells are Clear. Are they okay?



## Kay_333 (Jan 26, 2016)

So I have three snails in my 5g with my Betta. Two were moved from an established 20g tank and one showed on its own. All came with plants bought from a reputable dealer. It seems though that the snails shells are see through. Is this normal during the growth process? Or are the disintegrating? I do use API leaf zone and flourish root tabs for my plants, could this be bad for them? I don't have a kit to test for hardness, but I've included as much info as I could below. The form is from another forum for fish, but I figured it included all the necessary info for snails too.
Thanks in advance for any help!
1. Size of tank? 5.5g

2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? 0ppm
b. Nitrite? 0ppm
c. Nitrate? 0ppm - 5ppm
d. pH, KH and GH? Unknown
e. Test kit? API Master Kit 

3. Temperature? 76F or 24F

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? FW

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? Since Dec. 26 2015

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
One male Betta fish named Rudy. I've had him since last November and he's about 1.5" long. I have two snails that were hitch-hikers of a previous plant buy that I put in from my 20g at work (the two bigger snails) and one tiny one that must have come with the plants I bought for this tank.

7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? Yes and no. All snails were hitch-hikers so they weren't exactly quarantined but two were in another tank and seemed healthy (since last October) before I moved them.

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? Live plants. Crypts, Java fern, Anubias, Amazon sword, moss balls, etc.

b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? Fluval plant and shrimp substrate.
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? Big river rocks from the pet store, driftwood from the pet store and small stones from dollar store. All soaked in de chlorinated water and rinsed before adding to the aquarium. Aquarium also ran for about two weeks before I added anything living (waiting for plants to arrive).

9. a. Filtration? Yes, stock filter on highest setting but baffled.
b. Heater? Yes. Marine land 50watt. Set to 82F but it never gets that warm.

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? Stock lights are on for twelve hours total. On from 5am to 11am and 4pm until 10pm. The break is because my Betta is afraid of the dark  (he flares at his reflexion of his light is on but the room lights are off).

b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? None. My tank is in my kitchen that doesn't have any windows.

11. a. Water change schedule? Once a week on Sunday or Monday.
b. Volume of water changed? 25%
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? Take water
d. Water conditioner used? Prime added to water before adding to tank
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? Every water change 

12. Foods? Half a Wardly algae tab once a week and melting plants (new tank means lots of dead material).
How often are they fed? Once a week

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? Clear shell
b. Appearance of poop? Two small to see them poop
c. Appearance of gills? NA

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? No
b. What meds were used? No
























15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## thegirlundertherainbow (Aug 12, 2004)

Those types of snails are pretty clear. Not sure if the first is a ramshorn... will let someone else answer that,
but the bottom two LOOK like bladder snails.. granted the pics are dark.
If they are .. personally, I'd kill them before the reproduce if they haven't already or you will have hundreds.


----------



## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Both types can multiply uncontrollably. But that happens slower with the first type.
Just cull as many babies as you see, there will always be one hiding somewhere for another day.

As previously stated, it is quite common for them to be translucent.


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Lol'd at 13 b.

Lack of Ca tends to make the shells turn a whitish color. Those look fine to me.


----------



## Kay_333 (Jan 26, 2016)

Thanks! We had a huge mystery snail (inch in diameter) that just died in our 20g, but she would lay eggs frequently and Id just scrap them off the tank and throw them out. How do these types of snails reproduce? What should I look for when culling? I'd prefer not to kill something after its hatched...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

They're like little blob of clear jelly with dots somewhere around the size of a tic tac. They can be on the glass, on plants, anywhere. I'm not a fan of pond snails, but here's a very cool time lapse video of ramshorn eggs.

Click to see video


----------



## Kay_333 (Jan 26, 2016)

Thanks jrh! I'll keep an eye out. I've had these snails in my 20g since October and haven't had a take over yet. Hopefully my Betta will enjoy any hatchlings that I don't notice. If not, I'll do a tear down and bring any surviving snails back to my 20g. I'd rather do the work then kill needlessly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

If you crush up the smallest snails where the fish can see it, they sometimes learn to do it.
My angelfishes have completely eradicated the pond snails in their tank.

Many snails release gametes into the water, and some are even hermaphrodites, but they still need to find a partner to make offspring.


----------



## thegirlundertherainbow (Aug 12, 2004)

Out of curiosity is can someone tell (me) if the top one is a young Ramshorn (with speckles like that) as I have a few of those..

I once was like you and couldn't kill hatched snails, with the latter two you posted as a coincidence (bladder snails).
I had ONE hitchiker I found.. also in a 20g long. HEAVILY planted.
Now I curse myself every day that I didn't get rid of it because I have killed hundreds..
at first I threw them in vases thinking I'd throw them outside later.. thus not having to kill them.
And unfortunately I can't add any snails eaters to my tank as it has RCS and breeding peaceful, tiny, catfish.
SO every morning I get up and pick snails.


----------



## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

It looks like a ramshorn to me- I've had a few that hitchhiked in as babies and had spots like that. When they grew bigger turned solid brown. Look up pics of 'leopard' ramshorn snail and compare.


----------



## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

some people suggest floating lettuce or cucumber overnight as a bait, to ease collection.


----------

