Got up to one dead 'dimi' and crawlies

[y2daz]

Got up today to find one of our dimi's dead , upon inspection I saw a small white thin thing running about on the corpse.

I insepcted the tank and could see others , I'm taking they are mites. As I say they are white and about 3 or 4mm long and thin ... they move very fast.

I don't think these are the cause of the death , that perticular dimi had been fading for the last fortnight ... so that may be just a coinky-dinky.

So if these are mites I'm gonna need some of those mite busters that Paul has used , going to rip the tank apart now and get those remaining snails bathed.

Cheers

Daz

[Paul]

Daz, at 3-4 mm long, thin and fast they sound more like springtails to me:



They are annoying and sometimes you find them on the body of the snail but they are harmless to the snail, unlike mites. To see if they are, get a pencil and try touching one with the nib. If they jump about, they are springtails.

[y2daz]

Hi Paul

Mmmm can't be sure if they looked like that I couldn't see em that well but they look the right sort of shape. I spotted one running across my aquarium lid which must have fell from the corpse when I removed it ... it was like greased lightening and very visible so i snuffed it with my finger tip. I've now ripped the tank apart and cleaned everything , didn't actually find any more ... I bathed the remaining snails and found none on those either .... so we had one or more on corpse , some in the food dish and before cleansing I spotted one running along the shell of a fulcia which dissapeared.

Well everything is fresh now , I've also made a spray mix up .... not for killing what ever the pests maybe there but more of a snail imunity booster (hopefully) ... 2 drops of calcium as normal , 1 drop of melafix and 1 drop of iodine in the spray water .... hopefully that will just help them fight off any infection that may be going around .... who knows what the dimi died of .. so just taking precautions , might be a pointless excersice as I don't know if Melafix and Iodine do anything for Land Snails ... they help Aquatic snails so who knows.

Thanks for the advice Paul , I'll keep a close eye on the situation ...one thing though , how do spring tails get there in the first place?

Cheers

Daz

[Paul]

Taken from: www.uoguelph.ca/pdc/Factsheets/Insect/Springtails.htm

They often occur in enormous numbers on the surface of water, on snow, in mushroom houses, in flowerpots and other damp places. They occasionally invade houses and are particularly common in basements, bathrooms and kitchens.

Springtails feed on algae, fungi and decaying vegetable matter. These insects are among the most troublesome swimming pool pests. They also occasionally become pests in maple-sap buckets or on seedlings in greenhouses.

Damp environmental conditions are preferred since springtails respire through their cuticles. If their habitat becomes too dry, they will actively seek a more favourable environment. They may move indoors through window screens, open doors, through vents or with the soil of ornamental plants brought into the house. After entering a house, they are often trapped in sinks, basins and bathtubs. They may also be found in cracks and crevices, or occur in damp wall voids.

Just to add that the juveniles are tiny and it would be a simple matter to get them on you and then into the tanks because they are too small to notice.

[section8angel]

Sorry Daz I hope you get rid of the ickys soon!

[LisaLQ]

Sorry to hear about the dimi Daz

[sezzy5889]

yeah i say they sound like springtails too, thye are harmless, they just live in the soil

sorry to hear of your loss :-(

[Deleted]

what does Melafix do?

[section8angel]

Melafix is a natural fish medication used to treat wounds etc. I think Paul has used a watered down solution with his snails before?
It works very well with fish, so I would imagine it works just as well with snails.

Taken from Ponddoc.com:
Melafix is a patented aquarium and pond product made from tea tree oil. It is promoted to heal fish with ulcers caused from Aeromonas bacteria. Here’s what the manufacturer says:
Antibacterial Remedy. Rapidly Repairs Damaged Fins. Heals Open Wounds and Ulcers. Stops Mouth Fungus. Treats Fin and Tail Rot.

[Paul]

Yeah, diluted as directed it is safe for snails.

[Deleted]

ok thanks