The Fresh Water World

"Mommy, how come Frank didn't eat all of Omigee's allergies?" Lolli had asked me last week while I was changing the fish tank water.

Omigee was temporarily displaced in the little plastic bowl (a.k.a. his moving container from almost a year ago) while I was scrubbing the green slimy scum off the bottom of the tank. As if the little plastic container wasn't small and cramped enough for this two inch fish, Omigee had to share it with Frank, a freshwater snail we had purchased ths past December.

"Huh? How do you know if Omigee has allergies?" I had asked somewhat distractedly as I tried to clean the tank as quickly as I could.

It wasn't until later that day that I had figured out what Lolli was asking. We had told the kids when we had purchased Frank (who, Lolli insists, is a girl) that Omigee needed someone to eat all the algae (i.e. "allergies") in the tank. The tank was getting too dirty too quickly even with the filter running. After consultation with the pet store ower, we had decided that a snail with its hard shell would be able to withstand any attacks from a larger more agressive fish.

For the months that Frank has co-habited the tank with Omigee, the yellow shelled guy seemed to be doing his part in keeping the tank fairly clean. Except for one part - which was a slimly disgusting dark green. His own shell. The poor guy (er--girl) couldn't keep his/her back clean. Air Boss joked that we needed to get another snail to eat the algae off Frank's back (I can see it, "You eat off my back and I'll eat off your back").

Quite by accident, I have since discovered that the algae build-up is relatively easy to remove (the "by chance" discovery involved a chopstick, stiring the water, brushing up against Frank's shell, and a big flake of algae floating off).

I decided to gently brush Frank's back with the fish tank toothbrush. I did what I thought was an okay job - not the cleanest but definitely cleaner than before. Frank didn't seem to mind and he was even still sticking out of his shell while I scrubbed him clean.

Air Boss didn't think I did such a great job.

Later on that day, Air Boss took the toothbrush and scrubbed like he was attacking a food-crusted pot with a steel sponge. Frank was restored to his glistening butter yellow color. But he also didn't move or come out of his shell for almost three days!

Well, now that it has been over a week since Frank's shell-shocked experience (haha - pun totally and undeniably intended), I'm afraid that the creature is slowly dying. I don't know if freshwater snails have to maintain a certain pH balance (and thus some algae is okay) or if the backscrub was too harsh. He was on the bottom of the tank upside down and totally stuck in his shell for 2-3 days. He's out now but not looking very well. In case you're wondering how I can tell if a snail is looking well or not, he's little slug-like body is a bit shriveled and curled up on the corners and his antennae are drooped (one is even bent).

As I'm praying with the kids for Frank to feel better, Air Boss is decided whether to do a "toilet flush" or "in the ground" burial. I'll have to keep you posted on Frank's whereabouts . . .