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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 5, 2010 9:02:21 GMT
Hi All. 2 of my fulica have retracted into their shells, I went away for a few days and left the hubby in charge of feeding when i got back 1 was upside down in the tank it was partly retracted but part of its foot was sticking out, the other one has retracted right into its shell, The 1 with part of its foot sticking out is quite old but i have noticed now its foot has gone really hard its as if he was hanging off the top of the tank dropped and didn't have enough left in him to retract his foot the other one is a sub adult, I have tried to bath them i have been doing it twice a day since friday and i spent hours the other night carrying them around with me to keep them warm but still no change. Any other ideas or do I just admit defeat? Please help. Thanks
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Post by feebix on May 5, 2010 9:16:16 GMT
If the flesh has gone hard I`m araid that sounds like it`s dead. Give it a sniff, if it stinks of rotting fish, dead. Also turn them over, any fluid comes out, dead. Your best bet is to NOT carry them around with you if they are still alive, get them in a nice warm tank with lots of moss, some food and plenty of compost. All you can ever do is provide the correct conditions and keep a good eye on them to make sure the have food. Don`t over clean, a common mistake is to keep the tanks waaaay too clean, there NEEDS to be half rotten food and some mess in there, they need the various enzimes that are produced by the nasty gone off food. Let us know how it goes Stix and good luck! Any more qhestions, ask away, I`m sure you`ll get all the help and support you need ;D
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 5, 2010 9:34:29 GMT
Thanks feebix, At the minute they don't smell and there is no fluid coming out of them but I will keep checking. They are in a large tank with other snails and all of them are fine and all the other tanks are all ok as well. I will have to try and leave them a bit longer in between cleaning them out. These are the first snails I have had problems with so its sad I don't know how to tell my son if they are dead he will be upset the fulica are his, as well as the rodatzi, jades, puys and a few others. If they are dead will have to try and replace them without him noticing. Thanks again feebix will let you know how i get on. x
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 5, 2010 10:50:14 GMT
I have been and checked and sadly the old boy has gone he has started to smell. The sub adult seems to be pulling through and is slowly coming back down his shell. come on fat controller you can do it.... my son has named them all from the thomas series. Thanks again feebix for your help.
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Post by feebix on May 5, 2010 11:01:53 GMT
I thought he might be dead Sorry to hear that. They`ve got to be the easiest pet to covertly replace though oh the good side. Just say it must be burrowing if he asks where it is, until you can get another one.... Someones offering some on the forum somewhere actually....
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 5, 2010 11:42:00 GMT
He was old when i got him he was my friends she had had him for 6 years on the plus side the sub adult seems to be getting better by the minute and my lad had quite a few other fulica. I can't make my mind up if I'm going to replace him or not my son has been asking for more puys and albopicta so might explain what has happened and get him some more puys have got a big tank and only 2 of them in it have been wanting a few more for a while got more of a reason to get them now, Keep the kids happy. :-) Thanks again. x
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Post by feebix on May 5, 2010 13:22:38 GMT
Well I didn`t want to try and tell you what to do but I do believe pets are a good way for children to learn about death and how to deal with it. The younger they learn that death is part of life the better, you can`t excatly say you sent nan away to the nan circus with all the other nans can you! lol ;D
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Post by Dusk on May 5, 2010 13:39:14 GMT
Actually, I'm pretty sure that's what my cousin's kids were told after Nan reached the underpants-on-the-head stage in her declining years....
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 5, 2010 14:11:09 GMT
Thanks every one i have decided to explane what has happened when i pick him up from nursery but will be hopefully arranging to get him a pair of puys.
Thanks again every one. x
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Post by choco on May 5, 2010 18:19:59 GMT
I have been and checked and sadly the old boy has gone he has started to smell. The sub adult seems to be pulling through and is slowly coming back down his shell. come on fat controller you can do it.... my son has named them all from the thomas series. Thanks again feebix for your help. Sorry to hear about the little guy that died It was probably old age that got him as it sounds like he was a fairly old guy, but have you checked with your husband that he didn't do anything unusual to the tank while you were away? Did he spray the tank, wash the food before giving it to them? Did he spray anything strange in or near the tanks? Did he unplug or turn off any heatmats? I'm sure he's reliable but it may be best just to check that everything was normal, just in case!
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 5, 2010 19:50:28 GMT
Hi Choco, My spray bottle lives near the tanks and no one is allowed to touch it, I sprayed them before i went as well as fed them, all he had to do was peel the cucumber. I don't think it was down to any thing other than old age my sub adult is back to normal now, He won't do any thing else with them if i get them out on a night when he is here he will either lock his self in the bedroom or go out, same with the stick insects hes a right wuss. lol Thanks every one your all fab. x
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Post by vandamay on May 6, 2010 8:10:59 GMT
sorry to ear about te old guy stix,
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Post by fluffy on May 6, 2010 16:52:17 GMT
How did your son take the bad news?
Was it the first snail that you lost?
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on May 7, 2010 12:39:19 GMT
Yes it was the first he didn't take it well at all we had a few tears he keeps asking where he has gone then from out of no where last night he told me it has gone to live in the sky and his nanna annie is looking after him, I could have cried myself. He is better this morning though I have told him about the new snails we have coming he has wanted some more puys for a while now so I am getting him another pair and some albopicta, immacs and more rods.....Thanks Amber you keep making a little boy very happy. I will be receiving them tomorrow yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I'm like a kid at christmas when i know I have got new slime machines coming.
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Post by AlienSnail on May 7, 2010 15:05:28 GMT
Aw I can sympathise. My lad used to get upset too (he's 11 now and is over that, though he does still feel sad when one dies). Death is a hard thing to explain. I agree, it does sound like old age.
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