How hard can I try to remove a snail

johnvic · 05-02-2009, 09:54 PM

I have some Astraea snails and I wanted to move one from the wall of my tank to the top of some algae filled rocks. When I pulled he would not let go but I was afraid to pull too hard. Is it possible for me to pull him so hard that I would kill him?

Thanks!

cbrownfish · 05-02-2009, 10:07 PM

Don't yank straight out to hard. Slide it sideways and use your finger or fingernail to break their grip as you do that.

fata1ity · 05-20-2009, 02:24 AM

just manhandle him

sambrinar · 05-20-2009, 02:37 AM

Get an old credit card and slide it between it and the glass. I used this on an abalone which is much stronger than a snail and it worked great

jgking21 · 05-20-2009, 01:57 PM

I wiggle them until they let go, most of the time they close up pretty quickly!

Neptunesghost · 05-20-2009, 03:46 PM

To answer your question, yes, you can pull hard enough to kill them. Abolone are especially vulnerable to this (little buggers have an incredible grip)

JeF4y · 05-21-2009, 04:14 PM

razor scraper can generally lift them with no harm.

Basile · 05-21-2009, 10:07 PM

If you do it slowly they seem to tighten their gripp. You have to do it in one motion. if you feel resistance its too late. i do it and twist in one shot no problem. But as soon as you touch that cone, pull don't hesitate. Its not hard when done properly. One motion, as if you pick up a candy. But if the candy resist , stop. LOl thats the image i use. I do miss by the way, they are tuff little buggers, but so usefull.

Frankie · 05-22-2009, 12:45 AM

I bang them off with the mag float all the time.

johnvic · 06-13-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankie

I bang them off with the mag float all the time.

I've been doing the mag float method since my posting and that has worked.

Although in the last couple of weeks 2 snails ( turbos I think ) have jumped ship. Maybe they're afraid of me or of the hermits.

greene394 · 06-30-2009, 11:07 PM

We just tap or thump the shell sidways, hard enough to break them loose. We learned this trick from our bicolor blenny, Wormy, RIP little guy. When ever our BIG snail would get near his hole or shell, he would just bump him a certin way and he would fall off EVERY TIME! Stupid snail never learned. Dont know how many times this happend. We would allways get a good laugh!

Kovu · 07-08-2009, 09:17 PM

i was trying to get a snail off of my hand cant rember how it got there and i just did a pull and he came off but it was strange while he was moving around my hand.

csmsss · 07-10-2009, 08:36 PM

hmmmm...snail bodies are pretty soft and delicate. I can't imagine using some of the techniques I'm reading above. I just use the fleshy part of my thumb to gently nudge snails off glass - sometimes in one direction, then another, and they almost always come off right away.

sneaks03 · 07-27-2009, 11:53 PM

I have found doing like Basile stated is the easiest way. Don't want to yank them but just pull them off and commit to the decision to do so seems to be the best way.

johnmaloney · 08-19-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbrownfish

Don't yank straight out to hard. Slide it sideways and use your finger or fingernail to break their grip as you do that.

+1 sideways is the way to go. you can spatula them too, but you risk harming the underside if you aren't careful enough.

05-02-2009, 09:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
johnvic Fire Coral Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 73 View Gallery Karma Komment	How hard can I try to remove a snail I have some Astraea snails and I wanted to move one from the wall of my tank to the top of some algae filled rocks. When I pulled he would not let go but I was afraid to pull too hard. Is it possible for me to pull him so hard that I would kill him? Thanks!

05-02-2009, 10:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
cbrownfish Reef Lobster Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,592 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail Don't yank straight out to hard. Slide it sideways and use your finger or fingernail to break their grip as you do that. __________________ *Confucius Say: "best way to save face, is to keep lower part of face shut".* CURRENT SET UP -- 90 gallon display, 30 gallon refugium, 6 gallon pod breeder, 100 gallon sump (complete with frag rack), 2X250 MH 14K DE HQI, Vortech MP40w and Koralia #4 for flow, 2X Tunze 9010 Skimmers, Sequence Dart return, 2X Ranco Controllers w/Titanium Heaters, 150 lb LR (90 in display, 60 in sump), 5" DSB, Mixed reef - Softies, LPS, SPS, Clams.

05-20-2009, 02:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
fata1ity Serpent Star Join Date: May 2009 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 217 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail just manhandle him

05-20-2009, 02:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
sambrinar recovering overfeeder Join Date: May 2008 Location: Arizona Posts: 6,381 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail Get an old credit card and slide it between it and the glass. I used this on an abalone which is much stronger than a snail and it worked great __________________ Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music ~ George Carlin Original member of http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...eef-holic.html My addiction 75 gal glass http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ce-sanity.html

05-20-2009, 01:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
jgking21 Neon dottyback Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Indian Trail, NC Posts: 674 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail I wiggle them until they let go, most of the time they close up pretty quickly! __________________ They call me "JUICE"! Will work for Corals! Juice's 54 Corner Reef Juice's 25 Gallon Reef

05-21-2009, 04:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
JeF4y Limpet Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 140 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail razor scraper can generally lift them with no harm. __________________ 60 Cube emergency build RIP Biocube 29G with Massive sump that SPLIT! Follow me on Twitter! If you have to explain your signature, maybe you should pick a new one.

05-21-2009, 10:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
Basile Acropora Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Gatineau/Ottawa canada Posts: 1,994 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail If you do it slowly they seem to tighten their gripp. You have to do it in one motion. if you feel resistance its too late. i do it and twist in one shot no problem. But as soon as you touch that cone, pull don't hesitate. Its not hard when done properly. One motion, as if you pick up a candy. But if the candy resist , stop. LOl thats the image i use. I do miss by the way, they are tuff little buggers, but so usefull. __________________ My Rockwork Macroalgae Club. My slow 65 g build up Combination fish and Anemone 65g- Aquamedic 2X250wMH-T5 -Recirculating Octopus 150DNW- 2X Vortech Mp40W gen2 powerheads-Eheim 1262 910GPH return - Little fishes Carbon&Phosban reactors,GHL controllers and Dosing pump and ME!

06-30-2009, 11:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
greene394 Scopas Tang Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: nc Posts: 408 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail We just tap or thump the shell sidways, hard enough to break them loose. We learned this trick from our bicolor blenny, Wormy, RIP little guy. When ever our BIG snail would get near his hole or shell, he would just bump him a certin way and he would fall off EVERY TIME! Stupid snail never learned. Dont know how many times this happend. We would allways get a good laugh! __________________ Leslie 80 gallon Bowfront - 4 T5 HO lights JBJ 1/10 Chiller - Tunze Protein Skimmer - 3 1200 Maxi Jets - 20 gallon sump 2 clowns, 1 cleaner wrasse, 2 tomato clowns,1 fire shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, Blue tang Zooanthids, Hammer Coral, 1 Anemones, Mushrooms, Star Polyps, 65lbs of live rock 28 gallon JBJ Nanno Cube w/ Metal Halide Lights 2 clown, bicolor psudocromis, brain coral, plate coral, favia coral, mushrooms 15 gallon with snowflake eel, 1 snail and 5lbs live rock http://www.reefspace.net/profile/Leslie

07-08-2009, 09:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
Kovu Pistol Shrimp Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 257 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail i was trying to get a snail off of my hand cant rember how it got there and i just did a pull and he came off but it was strange while he was moving around my hand. __________________ "You could hear me, right"? I say "Yea Alot"? Visit my Chronicle and Help Me http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...allon-fix.html

07-10-2009, 08:36 PM	#13 (permalink)
csmsss Midas Blenny Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 98 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail hmmmm...snail bodies are pretty soft and delicate. I can't imagine using some of the techniques I'm reading above. I just use the fleshy part of my thumb to gently nudge snails off glass - sometimes in one direction, then another, and they almost always come off right away.

07-27-2009, 11:53 PM	#14 (permalink)
sneaks03 Neon dottyback Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Valdosta, Ga. Posts: 622 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: How hard can I try to remove a snail I have found doing like Basile stated is the easiest way. Don't want to yank them but just pull them off and commit to the decision to do so seems to be the best way.

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