Instead, a dead snail will usually be lying on the bottom of the tank, sometimes upside down and motionless. Help the snail strengthen its shell with calcium. it will stink for 1 and will float to top. beh., sys. I watched my snail leave its shell, well he is still living I'm going to post a pic of it on my tank. Telling if a land snail is alive or dead requires simple observation. Can I keep the shell of my dead mystery snail? Is my Shrimp dead or is it just a shell? See if it comes out. Before you discard the snail, inspect it carefully to ensure that it is actually dead and not inactive. He/She came out of his shell a couple of times but immediately went back in. Are you implying we cannot keep snails if they are not named? Yay! Remove the snail from the water. The basic colors range between an intense golden-yellow and light brown, and from greenish-yellow to yellowish-brown. and the jar stinks and he wont move in to the other shells is he dead? The zebra nerite snail is one of the most prolific, housing black and yellow stripes that move across their shells. He does bring his little breath tube out some but that is the extent of his activity. Very normal to go inactive. The betta frog tank is at my office and uses city water, the goldfish tank is at my home and uses well water. aquarium snail might remain still for hours, so how to know if your pet snail dead or alive. Here is how Carley recommends doing it: I have a plastic, 2 cup measuring cup with a handle. The only reliable way to tell if a snail is dead is to wait and see if he doesn't move. Have taken him out a couple time to check him. Are my ramshorn snails dead? When I got it from the store it was moving all over the place. I've heard they can poison a tank when they die - is that true? 1) You will find an empty shell on the bottom of your tank. In the photo it’s back inside it’s shell, but only because I moved it in there. I have a large black mystery snail and I would swear that he is dead, except when I pick him up he slides back into his shell. If none of the above 2 conditions are met, consider your snail to still be alive! sometimes snails wont move for a long time, but that doesnt mean they are dead either. Very nice summary of advice, Vale. It depends on which "Zebra Snail" you're talking about, since more than one goes by that name. It will however retract quickly. The bodies of snails fall out of the shell and decompose quickly after death leading to a quick surge in ammonia levels in the aquarium. So I turned it the right way round and put it at the front of the tank to keep an eye on it, and it has been two days now and it hasn't moved. I have 2 zebra snails. Was he just playing dead? It should trigger a response right away. They will even leave the water in the tank and sit out for a longish period. here are some tips to know if your snail is dead or alive Last night, both the snail and the fish were very active, and the betta did not seem to care that the snail was there. There are some signs that a garden snail is dead. Zebra Nerite Snails can be kept with other non aggressive shrimp, fish and snail species. I did it after a water change. So, no smell, leave it alone.Another thing I’ve done to tell if it is dead when the door is tight, is to hold it up against a lamp bulb. I have pet Garden Snails. Upon removal from the tank, a dead snail may have a strong smell of rotting and decomposing flesh. If the body of the snail is no longer inside the shell then the snail may have died and decomposed or was eaten. HELP! (Or How to Tell if your snail is dead.). This is an open forum and anyone can answer. Before removing the dead snail, it is important to first transfer any remaining living snails into a separate tank with clean water. Everyone online says snails have a really bad smell when they're dead but this one is bearable, so I can't tell if that's what they mean or not. I'm having trouble telling if he's dead or not. He doesn't smell at all, but he used to be very active and suddenly he seems to be hibernating or something. My new mystery Snail looks identical to the picture on this. I was told that, in most cases, they can live peacefully with betta fish. if its not dead, it will be! So please stop. Watch the snail for several minutes. As long as the operculum or door is closed the snail is alive. Sometimes they’re active, and sometimes they’re not! I just recently got my snails, I have five all golden. If the operculum falls off, it is dead. You can be reported. Do that over a container or you will have a smelly mess everywhere. The Zebra Nerite Snail seems to have come from the Philippines or from Indonesia in general. Don’t really know why it works when it does, but it can’t hurt the animal. You can sign in to give your opinion on the answer. Add under Freshwater Invertebrates. Zebra nerite snails have stripes across their shells that point towards the center of the coil. In fact, nerite snails are widely believed to be the single best snail in the aquarium hobby for obliterating algae off of glass, rocks, live plants, driftwood, and … Before removing the dead snail, it is important to first transfer any remaining living snails into a separate tank with clean water. If you're concerned put the snail in it's own container and see what happens. If you see the body closing up in the shell, the snail is alive and well. In my 40G reef, one of my two 1.75" turbo grazer snails died today. Thank you Fishfur, I will add that now :). He was fine so I put him in another tank so I could watch him better while I was eating. How many fish can I add to my 79 gallon tank? I filled it 3/4 with the tank water and hung it on the inside of tank. It’s not for asking questions. If it is dead, the foot, or door of the shell should fall out, and/or a bad smell should befoul the water. So if shell is empty, snail has died. When they are out of the shell and inactive, snails are usually deceased. I have cleaned my 3 gallon tank. If door is closed, it's alive. It has been moving but will fall over. Zebra Nerite Snails are known as a species of 'tidal snail'. Thanks. The apple snail has started moving around but the blue snail is still inside. What to do if you are not sure if your snail is dead or alive: 1. If the snail is alive, it won’t smell like anything specific. There are 2 surefire ways to tell if your snail is dead. I took it out and smelled it, but I only smelled the tiniest scent of what a fish smells like. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Your response is extremely rude and out of place and does not belong on a public forum. i dont know if there is something wrong in my fish tank. That way if the snail dies it does not pollute the tank. If you have any questions at all ask,ask,ask! Changed the water a few times a day. Are my mystery snail eggs dead? He has stayed in his shell for maybe 3 days before but never a whole week. I just did another water test. My nirate snail has been locked up in his shell for a week now. its not dead if its moving around and showing up in different spots. Neritina species do well in freshwater and brackish water. ok i went into my room and my snail was floating. A dead snail will release huge amounts of ammonia in the tank as it decomposes, and this is harmful to the tank inhabitants which include snails, shrimp, crabs, crayfish, and fish. Garden Snail. Then it moved more as it had not smelled! An I'm about to water change. It was the only one moving. I only found this out later. Does it respond to touch: If your snail hasn’t reacted and is still hanging out, the last, final way is to tickle it’s stomach. My ammonia is 0.50. My oldest Garden Snail is Leo and he/she hasn’t come out of his/her shell for a couple of hours. Also have your snails ever started breeding and if they did, how many eggs did your snail lay? I have people say bleach damaged the plants and caused them a solid 6 weeks before they began to grow back. I really enjoyed your article. He is eating and scoots a little but is not moving normal and is not climbing at all. Meanwhile, I will respond to each and every post that I desire to, whether it was intended for me or not. Mystery Snail seems dead but does not smell? I have some cory cats about 5 in there. If shell is empty the body has rotted away. Blogs are not for answering questions. You have no right to tell anyone to “mind your own business!” You told me to do that too! Snails don't bite, and the snail will likely recoil or retreat into its shell upon your touching it if it is still alive. He zoomed around the tank for like 2 days straight then I found him upside down, I figured he just fell off the glass or something so flipped him over. Anyway, last night it was upside down and I freaked! That’s great. :-). Here is a link: Thank you. My nitrate is 0. 3. Will they still be able to eat it if it is at the top of the tank? If you see the shell is empty, using a flashlight, then it has died. Here are four easy ways to tell if your snail is dead or alive: What to do if you are not sure if your snail is dead or alive: 1. If you don’t like that you have the option of privately mailing the person you wish to communicate with. Some people keep garden snails as pets, or come across a seemingly dead garden snail in their garden and wonder if they should remove it or whether it’s dead at all. Your snail isn’t dead! The betta frog tank is at my office and uses city water, the goldfish tank is at my home and uses well water. She (idk if it’s a she lol) is very much out and about this morning! If you're talking about the Zebra Apple Snail (Asolene spixi), it isn't known for crawling out of the water, so it's probably just a rare occasion of one being curious and coming out of the tank, and then losing it's grip and falling off. I have a 10 gallon tank with 1 small blue apple snail, and 1 small ivory apple snail.. my snails dont really move at all but they do a little bit.. could it be because they dont like sand?? Hello, my snail was very active, now he looks like this. Carley what do you feed your snails? My favorite blue mystery snail Speedy quit moving the other day after a water change and two ghost shrimp had passed despite perfect water parameters for all of them. Once they infest a garden, eradicating them is challenging. If the nerite snail is dead, don't think it will float...ways to check if its dead 1. you can move it to another location and give it a few more days, 2.give a little push to the trapdoor, if you feel resistance it should be alive, if dead, it's trapdoor will drop off. When will my guppy fish have more babies. Hey everyone.. I found what looks like a dead shr... Is it safe to buy a fish from a tank that has a dead fish in it? @The Garden Snail Guardian, despite being the author of this post, I do not have firsthand knowledge of keeping snails. We don’t give advice for land snails really. My snail has not opening his trapdoor all the way for over a week now. These usually point towards the center of the snails’ coils. What usually happens is I'll have a snail I think is dead and I'll wait two days and he will be sucking on the wall again haha so give it time.... also the way I tell is when they are dead and you wait a day thei shell and body seperate..it is gross but helpful, also if you want to find out now you can take the snail and try to open the door of it's shell with your fingers if it resists it is still alive if it comes right out...you guessed it, the white spots are from a disease called ick and fish get it when they are stressed but it doesnt affect snails you're snail isnt dead the way you can tell that they are dead isif you pick them up and cant see them in their shell you're fish are probably picking at it thinking that it is food and they flip him over trying to get at him, Boil it in garlic butter for 5 minutes an extra minute if you want to be certain he is cooked. Cuttle bone works quite well. The Garden Snail Guardian said: “Nyleve, I wasn’t asking you. They are a community player and an excellent addition to any aquarium. I fount my other mystery snail interacting with her and she’s been happy since! You can hold it down with a rock if you need to. Just going by your name, you realize these are water snails? If he is dead, the smell is something that you will never forget, it is horrendous, if his door is shut and not flopping open then he is still alive. When I got home after school today, however, the snail was upside down at the bottom of the tank. They are not hermaphroditic snails, so they are made up of male and female snails. However, if I am not touching him he droops out of his shell and lays on the floor of the tank and doesn't move. Don’t get rid of a snail until he smells like a rotten egg! Another way is to examine the shell of the snail carefully. There can be big light ridges at the base of the shell. a master operator at My Aquarium Club. Remove the snail from the water. When should I put him back in? However, if using cuttlebone, boil it very briefly. I remember that this morning, when I left … They are living things just like us. 2) The shell will be floating at the surface of … Nyleve, I wasn’t asking you. If you have questions about your own snail, please ask on the Forum. Judi, please post your question in the forum and you will get help there, just use the "post" tab and select "new topic". Therefore, I’d just like to recommend being friendly towards everyone and accepting input and advice from everyone who responds to your posts! If there's a terrible smell then it's dead. Cuttlebone is boiled so it sinks faster. 2 days without movement you should consider him dead but you could put him in some conditioned water and see if he moves. Variety of dark bands give the zebra snail its characteristic appearance. So I picked it up and smelled it again. What do you think of the answers? It will also fall out of its shell if given a gentle shake after a slight dead smell. at the moment it is just on the gravel at the bottom of the tank, then earlier today it was upside down, i thought it had just fallen of the lid. If you are not sure, check the snail at night, when the lights are off, as snails usually become more active a night. If you're talking about the Zebra Apple Snail (Asolene spixi), it isn't known for crawling out of the water, so it's probably just a rare occasion of one being curious and coming out of the tank, and then losing it's grip and falling off. Other signs include broken or empty shells. He doesn’t smell.i took him out of tank and put in bowel with tank water,he was at bottom then climed on side. I flipped him back over and, after awhile, I do think I see some very slight movement. maybe it's just hibernating, snails do that. Now this is not possible is it?! - Carley, Sometimes, mystery snails withdraw into their shell for a couple of days. Tiger nerite snails, despite being in possession of stripes like those of the zebra nerite snail, will have coloration that is … I put questionable snail in it. Another option is to use the fish feeder vacation blocks, which are another excellent source of calcium; snails devour them to get the fish food tidbits inside them. Click Post. If you feel resistance, hooray! It is a highly popular snail for aquatic tanks because of its pretty colors and ability to clean up algae. Great suggestions for not contaminating tank if in fact the snail is dead but your still unsure.