Regular Member Inception Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 Hi its Inception I keep finding my mystery snails partly stuck in the intake tube. This has happened many times, so I put mesh over the intake tube. I still find snails stuck and I don't know what to do. Has this happened to anyone else before? What should I do? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member hotnickles96 Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 Use a prefilter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted October 9, 2013 Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2013 are you keeping snail count? sometimes they breed in the filter tubes or filter boxes and then come out when you least expect them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member kiwikacey Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 Mine do that occasionally - I don't think they've ever been hurt by it. When I notice they're stuck, I just pull them off the tube 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member hotnickles96 Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 I've had two snails die from being stuck on the intake tube... I now use a prefilter to prevent that . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member tithra Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 I've had two snails die from being stuck on the intake tube... I now use a prefilter to prevent that . this^ your snails can get hurt if they are silly enough to get on the filter intake. a prefilter will prevent this issue, but they can be a bit of a pain too because you need to clean them regularly or they will decrease filter flow. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Inception Posted October 9, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 Thank you, I'll get a prefilter for my three mystery snails. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member pawsplus Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 What is a prefilter? How big are these snails? It seems impossible for snails to get into the little holes in filters! But maybe they are really really tiny? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member tithra Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 A prefilter is basically a sponge that fit over the filter intake. The issue is not that the snails are getting inside the filter but that they crawl on the filter intake and get stuck to it, this can cause injury. Mystery nails are typically about the size of a quarter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member pawsplus Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 Oh, OK. I understand. I couldn't figure out how they were actually IN the intake! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member tithra Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 Oh, OK. I understand. I couldn't figure out how they were actually IN the intake! Smaller snails like common pond snails could definitely make it into the intake and breed in the filter Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member DieselPlower Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 I would skip the prefilter so the filter can do its job. As for the snail, survival of the fittest. I have snails crawling in, on, and around my intakes all the time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member number20121 Posted October 9, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 9, 2013 How strong is your filter, and how big are your snails? Are you sure they are actually STUCK to it? The filter intake sucks in a lot of waste and leftover food, plant material etc. Particles of this get stuck and snails find this to be a wonderful buffet. I see my ramshorn snails (MUCH smaller than mystery snails) crawling all over the intake of my 240gph HOB without problem. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helper FishyMandy Posted October 10, 2013 Helper Share Posted October 10, 2013 I've had so many snails die getting stuck to the intake. I turn the filter off and pull them off and their body ends up all messed up from the suction of the filter still x.x I ended up giving up having snails in my goldfish tank 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member kiwikacey Posted October 10, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 10, 2013 How strong is your filter, and how big are your snails? Are you sure they are actually STUCK to it? The filter intake sucks in a lot of waste and leftover food, plant material etc. Particles of this get stuck and snails find this to be a wonderful buffet. I see my ramshorn snails (MUCH smaller than mystery snails) crawling all over the intake of my 240gph HOB without problem. Yeah same. My guys aren't really "stuck"...they seem to just be trying extra hard to get inside the filter and chomp up any yummy food bits stuck inside lol...they're too big to get stuck in the intake, though. Guess that's a plus. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted October 19, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted October 19, 2013 (edited) I even have some baby Ramshorns now & two are milling around on the filter intake right now (I have Aquaclear filters withPenguin intakes....so powerful filters with wide strainers!) I would guess the strainer holds what could be a snail picnic on them! And yes, I do often find babies IN the filter boxes.....it's kind of a hatchery!!! Edited October 19, 2013 by Jeana727 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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