Where has he gone?

[lisajane8482]

I had 2 baby white jades in with my Fulica over night whilst i waited for the coir to be ready for their home (i thought they were coming the next day), when i went to take them out the next morning, one of the babies had disappeared.

I took everything out of the tank to look for him (i even removed the coir in case he was buried) but he wasn't to be found anywhere.

I know he couldn't of escaped because the door was locked and Anya was staying at her Nana's that night so she can't of opened it and then locked it again.

Is it possible that Pixie and Joe have eaten her???
or is she just really good at hide and seek??? (which is what I am hoping).

[jmurphy]

He's got to be there somewhere. I dont think your other snails would have eaten him. I've got two massive tigers, in with fulicas, baby jades, baby retis and baby margi's, and they all live together nicely.

Have you found him yet? I hope so

xxx

[jmurphy]

You may have to go through the Coir bit by bit, thats what I have to do when hunting for one of my reti's (I thought he'd escaped) turns out I'd just overlooked him
x

[spook]

He has to be there somewhere!! Can't think for one minute that he's been eaten! Let us know when you find him!!

[lisajane8482]

Thank you all for the reassurance, i didn't think that they would have eaten him but it was the only explination i could think of.

I'm going to have a good look for him tonight, i think i'll clean tha tank out at the same time, i'm going to check everything until i find him. I'll let you know if i find him tomorrow.

[Val]

Sorry to tell you this, but if the baby was VERY tiny then there is a very good chance that the other snails just mistook him for food!! I made this mistake myself I know for sure that it was eaten as I found the empty shell the following morning!!

Val

[lisajane8482]

He was about 1.5cm still no sign of him, but i haven't had a good look, that'll be tonights job.

[lippy]

Any news?

[ness]

Occasioanlly I find empty baby shells and I wonder if other hatchlings sometimes eat the smallest last-to-hatch babies. I've seen baby fulica with their heads inside other baby Fulica shells, which end up empty. Not on a heuge scale, just some of them. I've also had a couple of Iradeli babies with empty shells but have been unsure of whether they were somehow born this way, but all the others were fine.
The only other possibility is if you have Immaculata living with your snails - a member of another forum was sold a Fulica which turned out to really be an Immac (a mistake - they look similar), and Immacs rasp at and sometimes eat other snails.
However, they are unliekly to eat the shell, thus I'm thinking that your's is hiding.
Hope you find her x

[lisajane8482]

Well, i cleaned the whole tank out checked every nook and cranny and there was no sign of him.

I went through the coir bit by bit as i removed it, checked the plants, cork bark tubing and the moss and not a trace of him not even a shell.

Pixie and Joe are definately Fulica and that's why i thought they would be okay for one night, guess i was wrong and won't be making the same mistake again.

[spook]

So So sorry
hope you're ok

[gastropodgirl]

Could you have accidently thrown it away whilst changing food I've nearly done that before?

[lisajane8482]

spook said:

So So sorry
hope you're ok

I feel rather guilty for losing the little fella.

gastropodgirl said:

Could you have accidently thrown it away whilst changing food I've nearly done that before?

I always check the food before i throw it out, even in the adults tank, just in case there are any little ones stuck to it.

[spook]

Don't beat yourself up about it (although easier said than done,i'm sure)

I'm sure it could have happened to any one of us!
x

[Val]

Yes, like I have said it happened to me and I was really really shocked that this happened so I know how you feel!! Like you I felt really guilty as well, felt that I had failed to care for the little guy, but one thing for sure.............I won't make that mistake again.

Val