Astrea Questions

[Mike and Donna]

When doing water changes, my water level drops a few inches, typically leaving a few Astrea snails high and dry on the glass. Is that a problem for them? (I usually help them out by placing them down on the sand, but if they're OK, I'd just as soon let 'em be.)

Secondly, the other day, for the first time ever, I saw 5 of them congregating in a corner on the glass, virtually crawling on each other. They were there for seveal hours, then dispersed. Is this a mating ritual??? Never saw that before, though I have had Astreas for a couple of years.

Thanks.

 

[Mike and Donna]

OK. I may have found one of my answers: From National Geographic...

"Snail reproduction is a curious tale. Snails are hermaphrodites, but although individuals contain both male and female sex organs, they do not self-fertilize. The two- to six-hour marathon session that is snail copulation is actually an exchange of sperm between two individuals, combined with plenty of rubbing, biting and "eye-stalk" waving. Individuals use the received sperm to fertilize their own eggs—a process necessary to maintain genetic diversity in the population.

What makes some snail species particularly interesting to Chase is their use of "love darts" during copulation. About one third of snail species manufacture hard, sharp darts which they "fire" at the objects of their affections."

Now, about leaving them high and dry....anyone???

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, it could be mating or maybe a slick piece of detritus fell down there.

As for being out of the water, mine routinely crawl up to the water line and hang halfway out for up to an hour. I have no idea why, but all of my snails do it from time to time, except the peppermints and I haven't seen them in months anyway.

 

[Mike and Donna]

Well...here's the answer to the out of the water question! I did a water change. Three astreas were originally above where the lowered water line. One followed the lowering water. One stayed up and survived. One fell into the water and didn't recover.

Lesson learned...move those little critters and keep 'em wet!

 

[FishDaddy]

Mike & Donna,
I've never had any problems with snails left high and dry during water changes. I've always got my new SW ready and it goes in right after siphoning the old water out so the exposure time is usually only a very few minutes. I'm not aware that a few minutes out of the water will harm them. I understand that some MO vendors ship snails wrapped in wet newspaper, rather than in bags of water.

The Astraea that dropped; did it land "on it's feet"? Astraea are noted for their inability to right themselves; the classic case of "Help, I've fallen and can't get up"!

Dick

 

[Russ1]

hermits love to hear snails say "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!" Lunch time!

 

[Mike and Donna]

Yes, I put the Astrea back on his feet before the voracious blue hermits did him him! He just sat there for about 24 hours. Of course, now that I posted that he bit the dust, he got up and walked (crawled? slithered? wandered?) away. So I guess the rumor of his death was a bit premature...

 

[Michelle50]

It has never seems to hurt my Astreas, but like Dick said I have my water ready so the dry out time in minimal. Also, my hermits (what few I have) have never bothered my sails. I have had my Astreas turn themeselves over several times, even over night and they are fine when I upright them. I had a turbo bite the dust the other day and the hermits walked right by it, not even giving it a look. Mine seem more interested in switching shells than anything. Watch, now that i've bragged on the little guys i'll wake up in the morning and all my snails will be goners.

Michelle