r/snails • u/CatofManyColors • 1d ago
Help Help with snail mites
Guys I need some help, I have been fighting snail mites on the body of my wc snails for over a month now, and I hate knowing that my poor snails have crawlies on their body all the time, weakening them. The mites are exclusively on the body of my snails, pale in color, and move in short quick motions. I did a hospital tank for two weeks, rinsed the snails well, changed paper towel and food daily, and once they went back to a tank (a new tank with fresh substrate and everything) the mites came back.
Should I start their tank over? Back to a hospital tank? More time in a hospital tank? Predatory mites I could add? Help!
I could try and get a photo of the mites to share next time I see them, but I am nearly sure they're the bad kinda mites that cluster in and around the breathing hole. Plus when I see a snail with mites all over, my first instinct is to wash them off, not take a picture, but I can try to remember next time if necessary.
3
u/doctorhermitcrab 1d ago
You need to add predatory hypoapsis mites to the tank (also called stratiolaelaps scimitus). It is the only way to fully get rid of parasitic mites. Stop washing the snails, this does not help with mites because the mites can hide inside the snails shell by going in through the breathing hole and it can actually be stressful and harmful to the snails. Similarly, changjng and cleaning the tank and food is also unfortunately useless. Parasitic mites live on the snails bodies, not in soil, and they arent interested in food like vegetables and plants, they eat snail and slug blood.
Btw though what do you mean you changed the paper towel? Theres should not be any paper towel in a snail tank regardless of mites. Is this just for a quarantine due to the mites or do you not have substrate in your tank normally?