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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 11:58:06 GMT
One of my margies keep on going into retract. I tried to give her warm bath at night when others are awake, so I know she is alive but I don't think she is interested in eating any food. So is it okay to let her retract for some days instead of waking her up? Is this normal that she is not interested in food for days now and again? Please help as I don't have any experiences of snails going into retract. The temp of all tanks are about 22 - 24C and the tanks are being sprayed with water.
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Post by sezzy5889 on Jan 23, 2006 12:02:38 GMT
is this one off Paul or your friend?
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 12:04:57 GMT
It is my friend's one. The snail I got her from day one is pretty laid back IMO. I *think* I saw one mite on her shell the other day when I bath her, so I searched and searched but no mites or anything in the tank. So I ignored that.
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Post by sezzy5889 on Jan 23, 2006 12:28:30 GMT
is he on his own, they like company and being taken away from another one can stress them and cause them not to eat
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 12:33:46 GMT
She is with others and she stays with her friend that came with her. I am just trying to wake her up every single night when I feed other snails. She would just stick her head out for a few minutes and back to her sleep. May be she wants the tank wetter? I will try other methods again this week. She has been like that since Friday, so may be if I keep on waking her up, she will give in to me.
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Post by section8angel on Jan 23, 2006 15:11:59 GMT
How far into her shell does she go? She's might just be lazy lol. Freddie does this most the time. He's just an anti-social old git lol Some days I just leave him where he is and spray as normal, other times I will move him onto the food but I never bother giving him a bath to wake him up lol he's just toooooo slow. Also, some days he will eat and others he wont so that bit sounds normal to me Has anything changed since Friday? I've found Freddie isn't very fond of change (i.e moving the decor around etc), but he does get used to it after a while. As long as she still looks healthy she should be fine, margies seem to be temperamental, even little Elvira has bouts of not eating and hiding away.
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 15:34:56 GMT
Sian, you know your post really re-assured me. ;D She retracts back into her shell, just like the same level as the outer edge of her shell, makes that like flat level if you know what I mean. I know she is pretty laid back and she is def not a "morning" (nighttime) riser at all. I spray the cage and everybody (there are 5 in total), she is always the last one to come out if she comes out. I give her a bath because I really don't like to see the snails retract. She usually comes out pretty ummm...fast, only if she has a warm to hot bath. There is always a gluey layer on top of her, so I just remove that layer. I woke her up this mid morning but obviously it's not a good time to wake her up. I checked on her about an hour ago, she has not retracted straight into her shell, but not far off again. Have I changed anything? Well I got a new Margie (Kilo) and I put him in the same tank as Creme is in the first few days and then moved Kilo out of the tank because I think he is too big to join in Creme's tank with others. But Kilo was there only for a few days. There's nothing in the tank accept moss & food. I don't have any decorations in the tank at all. She does look healthy to me (but what is the definition for being healthy? ) I put her onto the food, but she just turns away in the last few days, unless she has eaten at night, then I cannot tell. *I think I found some poo attached to her since Fri (may be Sat but I cannot remember), so may be she has eaten just tiny bit!* Now after written all these, I confused myself even more.
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Post by section8angel on Jan 23, 2006 15:42:22 GMT
It did? Oh no where did I go wrong?! lol j/k Yep that's what Freddie goes like, he's right at the edge of the shell ready to come out, but he can't be bothered rofl. Is that where she is? Right by the opening? Healthy.. well a good sized body so not too thin, um.. uh lol. Not sure on the rest! Retracted far up into the shell isn't always good though, but if she's at the edge then it's ok. Most snails retract when they sleep, so it's normal, not anything to worry about None of mine sleep while they're out of their shell. They all go back in, to the edge of the opening and sleep like that. Unless they're on the side/lid then there's just enough of their foot out to keep them stuck. The only thing I'm not sure about is the gluey layer. It might be the start of her sealing herself, so could mean she's too cold or that she's too dry. But there might be other things it could be.
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 16:42:45 GMT
Okay, after I started this thread, or after I woke her up this mid morning, Creme did not do anything like creating a think gluey layer (not yet) anyway. I thought I was going to take a pic of her with that greyish thin gluey layer, but there's no sign of that now. This is how she is most of the time this few days. She retracts usually just on the surface of the shell, not right to the back if you know what I mean. (sorry the pic is a bit blurred.) I think she has got meat, not too thin (this pic is taken about a week ago) My others sleep with their legs out, usually. If I pick them up, you could hear them taking a deep breath (is that what you describe it). Creme does that only if I wake her up with bath. That water temp is I mean warmish bath. How do I know if she is too cold or too dry? Can it be like that just for her? I do know when I touch her body sometimes, it's cold. But I don't think the room or her tank is cold at all. I usually am feeling suffocate if I stay in the bath room for too long, it is just like a sauna to me (and I am the one usually feel the chill.) Hopefully she has a personality like Freddie, then I know she is okay. ;D PS If I can take a pic of her with that think gluey layer later, I will post on here again.
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Post by sonicsnail on Jan 23, 2006 16:49:03 GMT
Awww she is sooo cute, I want one! lol. You will know if the tank is too hot or too cold, for the other snails will be less active as well. I'm not too sure on what you mean by think gluey layer??? Do you mean excess mucus stuff? PMSL at "My others sleep with their legs out"
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 16:54:45 GMT
Umm, may be that is mucus stuff, but there's a lot compared with others. My others sleep with their legs out. LOL! It is how the only way to describe them. She is the smallest one of all, I don't think the tank is too hot or too cold because others will wake up and slimy around at night. You can see them all munching or slimying around except this lilttle madame Creme. If you think she is cute, you should see her when I try to wake her up. That look when she pops her head out is just melting me compared with others. She probably thinks that not again. I am not going to wake up AGAIN just for you.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2006 17:00:33 GMT
awwwwww :-)
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Post by Paul on Jan 23, 2006 17:00:58 GMT
I found that loads of heat, humdity and stronger light during the day helped my margies a lot. If you can, I'd try raising the temperature more to 26+ to see how they respond. My margies are most active at 25°C+. Also, they really like it moist. And I also think they prefer steadier conditions than other snails. It may take them a few days to react fully to change.
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Post by Paul on Jan 23, 2006 17:02:36 GMT
If she is wild-caught, she's bound to be more fussy.
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 17:11:02 GMT
Thanks Paul. Yes she is a wile caught one. I will see if I put the heat matt under the tank and see if it works first before turning the heating on. And may be I will get their tank even wetter. Will try different methods to see if that works.
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Post by section8angel on Jan 23, 2006 18:16:50 GMT
Yes that makes sense as Elvira hasn't been as fussy as Freddie! (She's CB) It could be to do with age too, old fogies and all that rofl. She's sooooo cute The other snails being active etc isn't always a definite way to tell if it's warm or wet enough. I found this with Freddie (again lol) The dimis and Elvira were active, but he kept sleeping and sealing himself. He just seems to be like a teenager and have mood swings lol. He had been more active before I put the lights in, and the temp was still the same as always so I know it wasn't to do with heat lol. And I'd been spraying them the same too, so I've come to the conclusion he's just a snail with mood swings rofl. And Creme might just be the same They do as Paul said, like it much wetter. That's why my dimis are in with mine as I've found they like it wetter too, so they get on well together. I've had their at 22c and Freddie had been active some days, and then not on others but now it is warmer in there Freddie seems to be more active. The pic is blurry but I can see what you mean so it's no problem lol. That's exactly what Freddie and all my others look like when they're sleeping She looks like she's a good weight too. Just try changing things and see what happens, as Paul said it might take a few days to react to any changes so just give her time. You could also leave her a few days and then check to see if she's sealed herself in. That will mean it is either too cold or too dry (I hope? Sealing doesn't mean anything else does it? lol). If she doesn't seal then she probably is just like Freddie!
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 20:01:02 GMT
Sian, your post really makes me getting less worry now. ;D May be Freddie and Creme are long lost brother and sister back in Africa, we don't know that. Freddies has mood swing and Creme has time of the month now and again. I will try to turn on the bathroom light and see if that helps. I checked the tank and when I open the lid, the heat comes straight out, so I know it's warm enough, may be it is not wet enough. I don't put the dimis with them just in case the Margies will squash my dimis to death. (The dimis are only about 6 - 7 cm in shell length. I will try NOT to wake Creme up and see if she seal herself up, but it's kind of hard to let her be if you know what I mean. Here is another pic of Creme gang, bet you can tell who is Creme (the bottom one)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2006 20:06:12 GMT
AWWWWWWW SO CUTE.
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Post by section8angel on Jan 23, 2006 20:12:29 GMT
Glad I could help
Hahaha. They're like two peas in a pod ;D
My dimis are only 5 or cm and haven't been squished yet, but then I do only have Freddie in there that's huge lol.
If she seals herself you can wake her (it'll be a hardish white film over the opening), just try not to do it if she's only sleeping like in the other pic you posted. It sounds nice and warm, so if she does seal herself it might be wetness rather than coldness.
Awww look at those cuties!
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 20:16:15 GMT
Okay, will do, thanks. Will let you know in a few days time and see what's happened.
PS Dimis are staying where they are right now. They are growing very fast, so doubt they can stay in the smaller tank for too long.
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Post by sezzy5889 on Jan 23, 2006 21:41:59 GMT
Aww me want the one at the top ok which ones mine? ;D Creme? Creme brule? did you nick my name? lol
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 21:44:13 GMT
Aww me want the one at the top ok which ones mine? ;D Creme? Creme brule? did you nick my name? lol The one supposed to be yours is still with her. I have not picked that up until she decided how much to let it go. LOL. I told her the price and she said she is thinking about it. ;D
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Post by sezzy5889 on Jan 23, 2006 21:45:10 GMT
oh ok :-)
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Post by felix93 on Jan 23, 2006 21:48:23 GMT
BTW, you want the one on the top? She is Vanilla. She is pretty greedy. The greedist one is the one on the left, what's her name? Oh yes, Snowflakes. *PS I did not name the snails name, they come with the names.
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Post by sezzy5889 on Jan 23, 2006 21:50:14 GMT
I love the one at the top and the 2 on the right with the gawgus grey faces :-) are all your margies suturalis they all look like thye have pink apex's do what colour columellas do they have?
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