Some of us are interested and love this crawling invertebrate but there are some alarming signs which should we look forward to ensure that they are in perfect health condition, they can adjust to many adversities but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take care of them.
So let me get back to the issue -
Some days back ordered some different snails to add to my existing sulawesi poso snails collection and they arrived Bangalore on 28th November at 5pm, the operator closed down their shop at 6pm so wasnt able to collect it that day - next day early morning pick up so the wait started. And picked them up from the operator on 29th November at 8am. Checked all 10 were alive I was so happy
Now I dropped them to the quarantine tank where its a 1cubic feet with sugar sand as bottom to ensure they dont get into shock, because the main tank has high light. After I came back from office and checked them to my horror I found out that their outer shells are damaged to quite an extent due to mishandling!!!! It was not the crack of Mal-nutrition.
In situations where snails have a nasty break, they need to be kept in a humid environment to stop them drying out. It is amazing what kind of breaks snails can survive and repair naturally. There are times when action is needed though and you can repair the break yourself. I have decided to treat mines.
Treatment
Reading about them and talking with some snail experts decided that will put plaster of paris(pop) on the broken areas so that they dont dry out.
Things required
1. People suggest brush- I have used ear buds because of softness.
2. Plaster of paris - use the powdered one and make it as much thick with warm water cooled.
3. Nail Polish to ensure that the plaster of paris becomes water proof.
Procedure
1. Prepared the POP mix it will look some thing like this -
2. Now take out the injured ones mine one looked some thing like this -
3. Clean out the damaged area very calmly with a dry ear bud and then apply the POP there -
4. Now switched on the fan and let the POP dry up, please put a drop or two water to the mouth so that there body dont dry up
5. After an hour and an half when the POP get dried up then apply nail polish to make it water proof -
6. This is how they look after applying a coat of black nail polish -
7. After that dropped them at a place with little water to check if the nail polish is leeching or not or POP is getting off or not, once its ensured that's not happening after 15-20 mins dropped them in the quarantine tank.
8. As the water was very cold used a thermostat to raise the temperature to their optimum level of 28c. The movement yesterday night was very low.
9 Today morning have seen some of them are moving and sticking themselves to the glass of the aquarium I became very much happy and wish they recover soon.
10. And from tomorrow onwards will drop Cuttle fish bone for calcium supplement and will search for Fuller's earth to make sure their recovery is fast.
Please wish me luck to save my cute crawlies and I wish if this method works out for me then some will be benefited
