Help!!!!!

[idgy]

Just got a shipment from FedEx of snails and I am not sure how to acclimate this guys into the tank.

The instructions say to put them in a container and use a drip line to acclimate them. Not sure how to achieve this drip line.

 

[reedman]

take some airline tubing, tie a loose knot in the end and put the knotted end in the back/bucket with the snails. Run the other end of the line to your tank water. Start a syphon and get it dripping in the bag. You can adjust the drip rate by tightening/loosening the knot.

 

[idgy]

Thanks so much! Now when they have acclimated do I just pick them up by hand and put them in the tank. I assume I do not want to put the water I acclimated them in back in the tank.

 

[reedman]

that's what I'd recommend. You may have to remove some of the water from the bag during the acclimation anyway, but I would dump the water at the end and plop the snails in the tank by hand.

 

[CarlaW]

You can either do the drip line methid, or use a shot glass full of water every 10-15 minutes for about 2 hours. Either way works well.

 

[jetaero]

Shot glass method works better if you forget about it... less saltwater stains...

 

[idgy]

how long should I acclimate these guys, the place I got them from said 6 hours!
That is a long time.

 

[fishcrazy]

Snails and shrimp require a lot more acclimation time vs corals and fish. However, I've done them over 3~4 hours with no ill effect before.

 

[jetaero]

If it's just snails I would say about an hour, and using the drip method two drops every second. It should be about 2-3 gallons dripped. Its easiest if you put them in a 5 gallon bucket...

 

[jetaero]

BTW! before you put them in, float the bag in the water with the bag closed, alot of things can be very sensitive to changes in temperature. Snails for me though overall I have found to be very resillient.

 

[mattseattle]

for years i just drop the snails into my tank. i haven't ever acclimated a single snail in my tank over the past 3 years.

probably not the best way to do it but i haven't lost a single snail.

 

[MikeS]

I think with snails temperature is a big thing...you want to acclimate them to the temperature, and not too quickly. I'll float mine for an hour or so, and add some tank water, let them sit another hour or so, then put them in. I've never lost snails using this method.

MikeS

 

[jetaero]

yeah, snails can pretty much acclimate themselves to water by closing up, the only thing they can't control is temperature. So I would say that just putting the bag in there for about an hour maybe put a few shot glasses of water in and then throw em' in.

 

[NaH2O]

If snails are shipped with wet paper, instead of water, I float the bag, then drop them in. There is some more information about snails in this thread: Let's Talk About ~Snails~

Let us know how they do idgy! What type/types did you get?

 

[Forestal]

i am as above , not doing as recommended and just acclimate to temp then toss em in, no losses yet (don't necessarily do as i do )

 

[wrightme43]

I dont show snails any love either, just toss them in.

 

[KimPossible]

Ditto ^^
Temp and Toss

 

[NaH2O]

Kim - Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!

 

[Scooterman]

I once read somewhere that someone would just stick them right above the water line & they would move in at their own pace, you just hold them to the glass until they stick, worked for me.