# What is causing my snails to turn white?



## Lupin

What are the pH and KH? What snails are they?


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## niptek

excel plus water change 3days for two/three weeks got rid of stag n didn't turn any of my snails white


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## Homer_Simpson

From what I have read, calcium deficiency will cause this as well as water with too low a PH. I cannot confirm or deny. I had the same thing happen in a 3 gallon tank at work but only MTS shells turned white and the MTS died 
amass. The amano shrimp and Pond Snails were not effected. In fact that pond snails kept reproducing to the point where I had to finally tear the tank down. I did dose calcium sulphate with every water change and even dosed Seachem Equilibrium at one point but it did not halt the MTS dieing and shells turning white. I never measured my PH so I don't know what that was, but I doubt it would have been a problem as the pond snails would have been effected too.


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## speedie408

Lupin said:


> What are the pH and KH? What snails are they?


My pH and KH are fairly high due to the hard tap water. I'd say 8pH and 12KH if I my memory serves me. They are ramshorn snails.



niptek said:


> excel plus water change 3days for two/three weeks got rid of stag n didn't turn any of my snails white


I've gotten rid of most my staghorn by vigilant pruning and spot treating with H2O2. Works better than excel for me. But could it have been the H2O2 that caused the snails to turn white? HummmmmmMMm :confused1:



Homer_Simpson said:


> From what I have read, calcium deficiency will cause this as well as water with too low a PH. I cannot confirm or deny. I had the same thing happen in a 3 gallon tank at work but only MTS shells turned white and the MTS died
> amass. The amano shrimp and Pond Snails were not effected. In fact that pond snails kept reproducing to the point where I had to finally tear the tank down. I did dose calcium sulphate with every water change and even dosed Seachem Equilibrium at one point but it did not halt the MTS dieing and shells turning white. I never measured my PH so I don't know what that was, but I doubt it would have been a problem as the pond snails would have been effected too.


I would think that my tap water is loaded with Ca. I'd have to double check my local water reports again.


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## jaidexl

Lack of Ca or acidic reaction (which would show through the pH). Are you injecting CO2? if not, acid can still build up in an established tank.

I think I remember reading somewhere that snails need to receive Ca in the form of good diet before they need it in the water column, ie substantial GH. I can't confirm that, I always let them die without trying to intervene. I've never had a GH lower than 5 and was using a properly mixed GH booster that should have had a good Ca Mg ratio to begin with. Have always suspected CO2 after that but also have non-injected tanks with snail issues, so I suppose diet could have been an issue.

FWIW, if I were to say Ca is the main culprit when CO2 is out of the question, my strongest ramshorn populations were around when GH was around 7 to 9 degrees.


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## connordude27

oh this happened ro my ramshrons once and the shells were getting weak so chrused up a cuttle bone and sprinkled it in the tank.... or you can put it in whole


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## bannh

There are two layers to a snail's shell. The outer chitinous layer is like what crab shells are made of. Genetics and diet affect how strong (or weak) that layer is. It's where the pigment is in freshwater snails. Abrasion (other snails or maybe BN plecos rasping on it) can damage it (more on apple/mystery snails) and acids in the water will also. MTS burrowing in a sharp substrate which is acidic will do it. It seems with common ramshorns, especially the fancy colored ones, genetics can be a problem, some have a naturally thin outer chitinous layer and it doesn't take much for it to be damaged. Once it turns white nothing can be done. If conditions (diet/water quality) improve, the new grown should at least be a little better.

The inner layer is mineral, calcium carbonate. The outer layer is meant to protect the inner mineral layer. Snails can add to the inside of their shell but nothing can repair the outside. Both calcium and some form of carbonate are needed. If both are not available, shells will be weak and may not be able to be rebuilt from the inside as fast as they are dissolving from the outside. That's how the shells get very thin and crumbly.

Cooked collard and dandelion greens are a good addition to the diet of many snails. A lot of fish like cooked collards too.


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