# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Ramshorn snail with eroded shell



## imported_chrismisc (Jul 25, 2004)

Hi All,

Here's an question regarding the lowly snail. I have one ramshorn in my 6 gallon Eclipse that arrived by hitchhiking on anubias. He's an industrious algae eater the size of a dime, & the only one of his kind I've noticed in either of my two tanks. Just now I noticed that his shell has eroded areas round the whole spiral. On his rear end I think I'm actually seeing his gray soft interior body--the shell appears to be gone. Honestly, I don't check him out closely much, so I don't know how long he's been this way, but I wondered if anyone else has seen this in snails. Maybe it's a consequence of really soft water/low calcium levels? I don't have a calcium test kit, but my GH reads in the 50-75 ppm range, and my KH doesn't register in drip or dip-strip tests. Anyone have any thoughts? Thank you much.


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## imported_chrismisc (Jul 25, 2004)

Hi All,

Here's an question regarding the lowly snail. I have one ramshorn in my 6 gallon Eclipse that arrived by hitchhiking on anubias. He's an industrious algae eater the size of a dime, & the only one of his kind I've noticed in either of my two tanks. Just now I noticed that his shell has eroded areas round the whole spiral. On his rear end I think I'm actually seeing his gray soft interior body--the shell appears to be gone. Honestly, I don't check him out closely much, so I don't know how long he's been this way, but I wondered if anyone else has seen this in snails. Maybe it's a consequence of really soft water/low calcium levels? I don't have a calcium test kit, but my GH reads in the 50-75 ppm range, and my KH doesn't register in drip or dip-strip tests. Anyone have any thoughts? Thank you much.


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## imported_Piscesgirl (Feb 19, 2004)

I would agree that if your water is soft -- then that is what is contributing to his eroded shell. You may want to add a tiny bit of cuttlebone (in the pet store for birds), or a bit of crushed coral -- that should help him out.


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