Hi and thanks,
I want to add snails and maybe some mussels to my pond to help with our algae problems.
I know you can acclimate the snails to the temperature of the water by floating them on top in the bag until they adjust to the temperature but at what temperature is it best to introduce new snails to the pond?
The overnight temperature where I am (NC) is still 39 degrees on some nights but has been getting up to 64 during the day. This week its supposed to be high 50's to low 60's all week with 39-42 overnight.
I plan on ordering them from one of the store's you recommended (Tricker's) but I dont want to get them if its still too cold outside.
I'm only going to get the ones that Tricker's says can over-winter but I'm still concerned about them going from a nice warm tank somewhere to a real and chilly environment.
I know that once they've been in there for a few months they will be fine, its just the initial implementation that I'm worried about.
Is this a concern I should worry about or can I safely add them?
Thanks again,
Eric
Tricker will not send you snails (or plants) until it is warm enough in your specific area. I'm not sure if they keep the temperate snails indoors or in outdoor ponds.
For most temperate snails, it's best to add them when the water itself is above 55 degrees F. If the pond is of good size, it won't fluctuate too much from night to day. For fish, it's better to wait until the pond itself is over 65 degrees F. If a snail goes into a slightly warmer water, that won't bother him. If he goes into water that's a lot colder, that will be a shock. Even if you float the bag for however long it takes to reach the temperature of the pond, the snail still has to experience the change in temperature. Since you're having the snails shipped, they will arrive most likely at the outside temperature that it happens to be that day already. When I've mail ordered snails, it's usually warm. I open the bag, rinse and clean them off (and count them), remove dead ones, and plunk them into the pond. I don't follow the float-the-bag theory; it doesn't really do much unless you're making a huge temperature change. Never add the yucky water that comes with the snails (which is why I also rinse them off). It's usually really filthy when it arrives (versus if you just went to an aquarium store and back). All that said, most temperate snails are pretty hardy and can survive almost anything but extreme heat.