Turbo trouble

[no1bubba]

This morning my two turbo snails showed up in the bottom of the tank...attached. I split them up and turned them foot down. Later they were back together. I split them again and placed them far apart in the tank. Now they just keep turning foot up. I had not seen them in the tank for 3 weeks, assumed the worst and now this may be the worst. Any one know about turbos? Bubba

PS doing a water change right now, last change was 6 days ago.

 

[jef4y]

depending on how big they are, they may be starving. The big turbos (golf-ball size) require a LOT of algae to live.

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

JeF4y is right. I had a golf-ball size turbo snail that I transferred from one tank to another for a couple of months to keep him alive, and the 2 tanks didn't have enough algae in them to keep him alive. Tanks were a 120g and a 75g thank that I had set up just for fun...

The good thing about the large Turbos is that when they die, they are too big to get lost in the rock, and can be found and taken out easily. The bad thing is that they need allot to keep them alive. Mine is in a ant bed getting cleaned out before boiling, and the shell placed in the DT for decoration.

Depending on the size of yours and the size of the tank, 2 large turbo snails may be too much for the tank...

best of luck...

 

[no1bubba]

125 gal, is there anything that I can force feed them. set them on a sheet of nori?

Edit: almost golf ball size.

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

The nori would be a good idea. Especially if you can confine him somehow to the nori and keep other grazers away. For some reason, these snails kind of like soemwhat unkept tanks. Clean water, but everything else dirty somewhat.

The 75g tank that I had set up for fun had hair algae all over the place. He loved that tank. Not sure if this is too much trouble, but you may try placing them in a smaller tank (10g) with an old piece of LR with algae all over it and supplement with some sea weed for a little while. It will give them something to eat undisturbed at their leisure and give your 125 some time to build up what they will want to eat when you put them back...

 

[no1bubba]

I am a clean freak about my tank. Maybe I will take them down to Smoothie for his million gallon tank........should have some eats there. I will try the nori now. Thanks too much, Bubba

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

+1 on the cleanfreak. That's probably why mine is ant food now. lol. I think he would'be lived forever in my 75g as it wasn't the cleanest tank around, and had no other inhabitants.

Best of luck!!!

 

[no1bubba]

It is working. I put them both in a container with a lid and holes with 1/2 sheet of nori and put it in the tank. They have eaten the entire circle around their shell. My husband mentioned that I should put them in the sump.....give that a try after I am totally sure they are on the mend. Thanks so much, Bubba

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

Good news. Glad it worked out for ya. Good idea about putting them in the sump. Within about another month, you can move them back to the display, and alternate them every month. This will give the bacteria time to rebound for their dining pleasure.

Best of luck!!!