Zebra snail health

[Poustic]

Hi there,

One of my zebra snails in my planted tank died from what I believe is mineral deficiency, with multiple holes through its shell.  I would like to know what to do to keep zebra snails in good health in a low pH/KH/GH environment.  I read elsewhere that I could add a piece of "cuttlefish bone", but I wonder how useful that would be, and am worried about the effect on the tank parameters, as I still want to put in some discus some day. Any success stories or suggestions?

[luvfishies]

Poustic, sorry to say that low pH/KH/GH and snails are just not a good combo. They absolutely need the minerals in the water to keep their shells in good shape.

That said, you can add cuttlebone with little worry, as the calcium will be used up by the snails, with the net effect that the water will still stay decent for the discus you will be adding eventually.

A little Crushed Coral in you filter will probably do the same thing as adding cuttlebone, and will be a little more stable.