Supporter Helen Posted August 2, 2010 Supporter Share Posted August 2, 2010 hi guys.. i have had Mr franky and sprocket for about 4 years now.. going well, shells a bit thin, but added crushed coral to the filters and i have a cuttlefish bone in the tank for them.. i have noticed some significant repairing to their shell. but this is not my problem.. a few days ago, i added two new snails.. now i thing from 4 years of owning these two and no eggs that they were probably the same gender.. well, i wanted to get them some friends, so i added two. at first, everything fine. then within the first half hour, i noticed Mr franky had a hold of one of the newbies and wouldn't let go, then sprocket came from the other side and between the two of them, they'd sandwiched the newbie.. this continued for approx 1 hour. after an hour, sprocket took off. then it was just frankie & newbie.. (for 6 hours straight and still going!!) much to my surprise, a half hour after i took those photo's i looked over and sprocket had latched himself onto the other newbie and they're still stuck together like glue: how long will this go on for? and what exactly IS going on.. did i by pot luck come accross two opposite genders? are they mating?, are they dominating for territory? this is making me feel quite odd!.. should i separate them from the main tank? why are my guys latched onto the newbies? are they just getting to know them? but for 6 hours and still going? i am sorry for all the questions, i have the all the answers for health problems, but i don't know much about their social skills with other snails.. any insight will be greatly appreciated.. helen 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hidr Posted August 2, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 2, 2010 I would pick them up out of the water. Most the time they unstick when you do that. Hate to say it but one could be dead and the other is dare I say it no I wont I am sure you know where that is going. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 2, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 2, 2010 hi hidr, thanks hun.. they're all alive.. they're all moving. they're just stuck together.. so should i still take them out? perhaps i should do that and take the opportunity to feed them some spinach.. that might get them to unlatch? i don't want to pull them apart.. i tried to nudge them (both couples ) with the tongs i use to move things around in the tank, it didn't matter how much i moved them (pushing along) they continued to behave as i described. infact, they weren't the slightest bit distracted by it.. very puzzled here.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member mardaokansi Posted August 2, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 2, 2010 Lupin might have a good idea as to what they are doing. This is interesting to me as I've never kept more than one snail at a time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member devilduck Posted August 2, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 2, 2010 I've never kept more than one snail at a time either, it is odd that it's the two oldies on the two newbies, and that the oldies never did it to each other. Something that just occured to me...your new snails have nice new shiny calcium rich shells...and snails have very sharp teeth... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member mardaokansi Posted August 2, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 2, 2010 oh my I hope they aren't taking a sampling of the noob's shells! D: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 2, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 2, 2010 Something that just occured to me...your new snails have nice new shiny calcium rich shells...and snails have very sharp teeth... i thought that too... atleast for franky & newbie.. as i had to force them to detatch.. i noticed franky had a long something inserted into newbies softer area so, perhaps baby frankies? but sproket detached because his newbie forced him off by traveling under the driftwood!! now to think of a getaway plan like that, that newbie has to be a LADY!! but, i too would like Lupin's insight to what may have been happening here.. could have been mating, or could have been calcium stealing.. or, a bit of both.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kateana Posted August 2, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 2, 2010 @ devilduck- Oh dear. I would recommend you try and separate the pairs to see what is really going on. I really hope no one is eating anyone elses shells! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 2, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 2, 2010 oh my I hope they aren't taking a sampling of the noob's shells! D: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted August 3, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 3, 2010 They're copulating. But sometimes, females need a break. I had a male cana jailed after I found to my outrage the female cana suffered a V-shape fracture on her mantle from the constant copulation. Keep a watch on your new snails. Too much copulation can stress and kill them and males do not stop once they get started. Please do not detach them next time! You can only injure the male's wee wee. Leave them alone if they keep this up for hours. The female will eventually attempt to either dislodge him or close tighter which can prompt the male to withdraw. If you feel the female is already stressed (after detaching), then separate the male. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 3, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 3, 2010 They're copulating. But sometimes, females need a break. I had a male cana jailed after I found to my outrage the female cana suffered a V-shape fracture on her mantle from the constant copulation. Keep a watch on your new snails. Too much copulation can stress and kill them and males do not stop once they get started. Please do not detach them next time! You can only injure the male's wee wee. Leave them alone if they keep this up for hours. The female will eventually attempt to either dislodge him or close tighter which can prompt the male to withdraw. If you feel the female is already stressed (after detaching), then separate the male. thank you lupin.. i appreciate that you stopped by.. i need to clarify that my forcing to detach was not as brutal as stretching an elastic band..LOL wee wee in tact all i did was bring them out from the water and they self detached to close up.. since then franky has found his new squeeze several times and several times i have interveined. how long does this carry on for? ie, how long is their mating period? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted August 3, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 3, 2010 Ummm... Like I said, the males don't stop once they get started. It's up to the owner now when the females needed a break. They'll show stress when they refuse to open and move actively around for hours especially in the dark. A single mating will permit the females to lay several batches of eggs within a span of few months so good luck with the new snailettes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 3, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 3, 2010 Ummm... Like I said, the males don't stop once they get started. It's up to the owner now when the females needed a break. They'll show stress when they refuse to open and move actively around for hours especially in the dark. A single mating will permit the females to lay several batches of eggs within a span of few months so good luck with the new snailettes. thanks lupin.. it looks like i might be the next new snail mumma! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted August 3, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 3, 2010 Or grandma. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 3, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 3, 2010 Or grandma. hey, i ain't got a problem with that comment, as even at this age, i still have a sxy 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lupin Posted August 3, 2010 Regular Member Share Posted August 3, 2010 I just admire your confidence, Helen. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporter Helen Posted August 3, 2010 Author Supporter Share Posted August 3, 2010 I just admire your confidence, Helen. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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