How to remove a foot attached to a snail?

[conorwynne]

Hi all,

I've just noticed that my nem has attached it's foot to a passing snail. The snail being a turbo fluctuosis (Mexican Turbo) and has pulled the anenome towards a tunze 6060.

I've pulled the snail off the wall so it is dangling off the foot -- most of the foot is attached to the overflow, but it looks like the snail was stretching it.

Any idea how I can remove the foot without damaging the nem any more than the snail has already done?

The nem is a Heteractis magnifica, and has been really happy before this incident today.

Thanks in advance.

Conor.

 

[WDLV]

Kill the snail.

 

[philipchan]

Don't need to kill it....just give it to me XD

 

[conorwynne]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15396237#post15396237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WDLV
Kill the snail.

That's what the wife said. Luckily my cunning plan has succeeded.
I left the snail dangling from the foot, and the nem eventually got tired and dropped it to the sand.

Happy days. The nem seems to be not overly stressed from the incident - although its not it's usual self. I have never seen its tentacles retract before, so it is obviously in a bit of pain from the afair.

It also looks like a few tentacles may have tagled in the tunze, but they should recover. Fingers crossed, because I love that nem, as do the clowns.

Should I target feed it or leave it until tomorrow? only a few tentacles are retracted, the rest as normal, but not fully extended.

Cheers lads.

 

[conorwynne]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15397302#post15397302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by philipchan
Don't need to kill it....just give it to me XD

I bought ten of them as I had a massive problem sourcing them in the EU. They are just impossible to find, and they are the only thing that eats cotton candy algae, and I was plagued with it!

Now the algae is eradicated (from the tank, not the sump/fuge) I plan on getting rid of them and just keep one or two.

I assume you are in the Americas somewhere, so posting wouldn't really be an option as the costs would be prohibitive.

Welcome to reefcentral and thanks for the replys.

Conor

 

[iFisch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15397904#post15397904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by conorwynne
Should I target feed it or leave it until tomorrow? only a few tentacles are retracted, the rest as normal, but not fully extended.

Cheers lads.

How long have you had the 'nem? When was the last time you fed it?


Overly stressed 'nem's can and will split. It's natural for them. When they feel stressed to the point of possibly dieing, it will split, so the species continues.


How much stress do you think you caused it? It doesn't sound too bad.

 

[conorwynne]

I've had the nem for a few months now, and I feed it once a week, although it gets fed by proxy when I feed the fish. It has never once retracted since I got it, not even in the bag when traveling from the LFS -- in my rucksack on my CBR1000RR

This morning the "problem" tentacles are not so retracted, but the'yre not extended either.

I decided to feed it last night, and it captured the food, although I couldn't see the mouth so I'm not sure if it actually ate it. I only fed a small amount and I think I'll continue doing this every day until it fully recovers.

It resides in a area of high turbulence, but it walked there after I plavced it in the tank, so it's obviously happy where it is.

I'll try and upload a photo and or video later on today, but I only have a camera phone.

 

[conorwynne]

Just an update, the anemome has fully recovered. It has fully extended once more and is feeding well. The damaged tentacles seem to have regenerated already, which is great news.

I couldn't get a decent pic from the camera phone, I'm asking Santy for a camera for Xmas.

Thanks all who replied.
Conor.