# Need help! Please!



## mamadoo (Aug 27, 2008)

My last post was about my snails dying and having weak shells......
Poor snails are going to the top of the tank, read up on this and it says serious water issue. What is the issue? It cycled, and they are alone in there with plants. So, I did a 10% water change, with de-chlorinated water, when should I do more? Should I do a massive one? Rinse out filter media?
Just figured out it's not ph, in my daughters tank they are all buried, where they should be.
I am terrified that this tank is not going to get up and running, that the plants are going to die and all the snails will too.
Any suggestions.......please


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Do you have a test kit if you do what are the readings. I would to another 25% water change.Also what is the temp of your tank is your heater working ok.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

yea definatly come back with what pat asked. D: Hope they will be okay


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## mamadoo (Aug 27, 2008)

PH 7.6 (but on the high ph test it is 8   
NO2 0ppm
NH3 0ppm
NO3 10ppm
As of this morning, not very many up on the walls of the tank, and looks like some have dug down, which is good. Going to do a 25% in a bit.
When I looked at the top of the water last night, there was a "film" (like oil) over the surface and some tiny bubbles in the corners. Can't figure out how soap could have gotten in there, or anything else. 
Should I do a 25% every other day for a few?


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

mamadoo said:


> When I looked at the top of the water last night, there was a "film" (like oil) over the surface and some tiny bubbles in the corners. Can't figure out how soap could have gotten in there, or anything else.
> Should I do a 25% every other day for a few?


It's a protein buildup and you will be able to get rid of it if you can move your filter intake just at the water surface so it sucks the surface water in for about an hour or so. Or an old method is to take a clean sheet of paper and let it lay on the surface and pull it out. Repeat with more papers until the surface looks better. The protein should come out on the paper. The filter method is best.


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## mamadoo (Aug 27, 2008)

Anything else I should do? Will the snails be okay? Can I safely add my shrimp on Sunday?
I did another 10% change, and it made more snails come out and climb the walls again, hoping they go back down soon.
Going to do the filter thing.......as soon as I can figure out how to keep it at the surface!!
Thank you


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Your welcome 
The protein buildup is probably from the dead snails. I get it from feeding frozen bloodworms to my puffers. Maybe not doing water changes may help. Watch the snails for their reaction and base it on that. Move some of the snails into a plastic container with fresh dechlorinated water or water from another aquarium and see how they do.


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## mamadoo (Aug 27, 2008)

The snails in my daughters tank are from the same source, same time, so I know it's not the snails, it's my tank. Hers has been running longer than mine.
Trying the filter close to the surface now, some of the film seems to be gone. Hopefully it'll clear up this way.
Didn't take the bits of duckweed out, sucked up half of it . Salvaged what I could, hopefully it's enough to get it going again.
Should I rinse the filter media after this?


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

No, leave the filter media as is because the bacteria should be there to break down the protein.
Next time try pantyhose over the end with a rubberband to prevent larger particles from entering the intake. How does the water surface look now?


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## mamadoo (Aug 27, 2008)

Only a few bubbles, no film!!! The snails are still very active, you can see a ton of them, but after giving it some thought, maybe they aren't buried because there is nothing in the substrate yet for them to eat?
The ones on the glass are looking for food, not climbing to get to the surface.
Woohoo!!
Thank you so much for the suggestions!


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