# Tiny white lice on rabbit snail



## ForestDave (27 Mar 2021)

Hi.
My rabbit snails aren't looking healthy. They have been sticking their heads out a bit and retracting quickly and laying around more than normal. I also just noticed that one looked like it had small white lice around its mantel. I've isolated them now but wondered if there is any treatment I could use? I'm kicking myself as I introduced some shrimp on Monday and poured the shop's water in the tank and have since learned you're meant to net them in once acclimated. Double annoying as the shop's tank had what I have now have learned was planaria so it probably wasn't great water quality. I should have known better. I tried not to pour all the shrimps water in but they didn't want to come out, before I knew it most of the bucket had gone in! 
Either way, if there's a fix for my snails that would be great!!
Cheers.
Dave


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## SRP3006 (27 Mar 2021)

Could you try to grab a pic of the 'lice' and maybe we can help identify it. It's not a big problem if its planaria as there are a few treatments for them, and as you think it's been introduced with the shrimp then they won't have multiplied too much. Planaria are no reflection on water quality and are a pretty common creature in aquariums. 
I had a reasonably bad planaria infestation and treated with a dog Dewormer, the treatment worked and I've not seen one since.
Maybe try to remove the snail to a glass or something if you can't get a decent pic in the tank.


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

SRP3006 said:


> Could you try to grab a pic of the 'lice' and maybe we can help identify it. It's not a big problem if its planaria as there are a few treatments for them, and as you think it's been introduced with the shrimp then they won't have multiplied too much. Planaria are no reflection on water quality and are a pretty common creature in aquariums.
> I had a reasonably bad planaria infestation and treated with a dog Dewormer, the treatment worked and I've not seen one since.
> Maybe try to remove the snail to a glass or something if you can't get a decent pic in the tank.



I'll have a try this morning.
Thank you.


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

@SRP3006 
I have 2 rabbit snails. I’ll cover the healthiest one first and then do another post for the other one. 
The small white blobs are visible in the photo around the mantel and either it’s antennae are missing or it’s not inflating them. It’s not feeding and is prone to just laying around.


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

Here’s the 2nd one. It really looks unhappy and has been like this for about 4 days. It barely comes out of it’s shell and looks quite shrivelled and not it’s normal colour. I can’t make out if some of it’s flesh is missing as it won’t come fully out. A couple of times a few days ago it went up the glass but other than that it just lays around. It was fine on Monday. I did try unsuccessfully to remove it from the glass during a big water change on Monday and wondered if I hurt it pulling too hard. Since the white blobs have shown up I’m not so sure. I’ve since read that you are meant to twist them into their shell direction when removing them from glass.  I didn’t go nuts pulling but either way it wasn’t letting go and I don’t know what their limitations are.


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## SRP3006 (28 Mar 2021)

I can see the white blobs on the first pic but not the second. However I've never seen or kept a rabbit snail so I'm not much help I'm afraid. There's quite a few members on here that do so I'm sure someone will be along soon to help. When you say you unsuccessfully tried to remove it do you think you injured it inside the shell or something? Sort of like pulling a hermit from a shell?


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## Steve Buce (28 Mar 2021)

Hop over to rabbitsnail.com old school site with lots of good info

Pic 1 are these "lice"active,  look like a small mollusc/limpet type hitchkiker
Pic 2 looks like the snails body is damaged,if so id doubt he will survive
Rabbit snails do sometimes go into a state of dormancy /inactivity, maybe due to stress, not being acclimatised properly?
Do you know if these were fresh imports?, if yes they could be carrying leeches, my original colony was given salt baths to remove these, and their were plenty, this could be an option for you and it might remove the "lice" 

HTH Steve


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

SRP3006 said:


> I can see the white blobs on the first pic but not the second. However I've never seen or kept a rabbit snail so I'm not much help I'm afraid. There's quite a few members on here that do so I'm sure someone will be along soon to help. When you say you unsuccessfully tried to remove it do you think you injured it inside the shell or something? Sort of like pulling a hermit from a shell?


I might have injured it. I was trying to be gentle but didn't do the twisting into the shell thing. It might just be a tough lesson in what not to do.


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

SRP3006 said:


> I can see the white blobs on the first pic but not the second. However I've never seen or kept a rabbit snail so I'm not much help I'm afraid. There's quite a few members on here that do so I'm sure someone will be along soon to help. When you say you unsuccessfully tried to remove it do you think you injured it inside the shell or something? Sort of like pulling a hermit from a shell?


Thanks anyway!!


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

Steve Buce said:


> Hop over to rabbitsnail.com old school site with lots of good info
> 
> Pic 1 are these "lice"active,  look like a small mollusc/limpet type hitchkiker
> Pic 2 looks like the snails body is damaged,if so id doubt he will survive
> ...


Thanks Steve.
I'll take a look at that site. I will also see if the lice are more like limpets. 
I've had them for about a month and they've been great. Very active and entertaining. Do you remember what ratio of salt to water you used. I don't want to give up on them yet, it's amazing how attached you can get to a couple of molluscs!


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

@Steve Buce 
Don't worry Steve I've just seen the salt bath info on the Rabbit snailsite. 
Thank you.


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## dw1305 (28 Mar 2021)

Hi all,


ForestDave said:


> The small white blobs are visible in the photo around the mantel


The ones ones the shell?  I think @Steve Buce is right and they are another snail,  the  <"Lake Limpet"> (_Acroloxus lacustris_).


Steve Buce said:


> Do you know if these were fresh imports?, if yes they could be carrying leeches,


<"Snail Leeches"> are pretty common.

cheers Darrel


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

Thanks, Darrel!


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## ForestDave (28 Mar 2021)

Yep. The white lice things were hard and well attached, they didn't want to come off. I also tried a saltwater bath and neither snail wanted to open their operculem. Who can blame them! I'll try on another day. The rabbit snail site mentioned some snails growing new antennae and even a new operculem, if they can do that, there might be some hope for my damaged one, (Milkshake! As named by my daughter. ), although it could take a month or two.
Thanks all for the advice!


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## three-fingers (8 Apr 2021)

Old topic, but thought I would note for future readers - those look like nerite eggs on it's shell to me! If the snails have been kept with nerites at any point in time, like in a dealers tank, that could be where they came from.


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## ForestDave (13 Apr 2021)

three-fingers said:


> Old topic, but thought I would note for future readers - those look like nerite eggs on it's shell to me! If the snails have been kept with nerites at any point in time, like in a dealers tank, that could be where they came from.


Thank you.
They could well be nerite eggs as I have two horned nerites. They are well attached though and didn't want to shift with a scratch of a nail although I was trying to be gentle. 

BTW. the two rabbit snails are still alive and the brown one has even given birth twice! The one that I was really worried about is still scooting around but not as much as for the first 4 weeks that I had it. I am thinking nutrients are maybe involved as they don't seem interested in anything I offer up to them, (Blanched courgette, lettuce, green beans, Repashy Soilent green, algae pellets), so I've just ordered some Bacter AE and GlasGarten – Mineral Junkie Bites 100g | Shrimpland. My shrimp will appreciate it even if the snails don't!


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