is my snail dead?

[Welsh_Woman]

My apple snail is in his shell floating round the tank, is he ok?

 

[GSD]

i thought they were always stucktosomethig...mabe he is dead

 

[jflowers]

Its perfectly normal for them to do that. I have hundreds and they often do that, go to the surface, take on air, and float off.

Jon

 

[pnyklr3]

Heh, I bought a mystery snail from the lfs about a weeks ago, but I don't think it made it. In the bag, the shell was moved around easily, and I have never seen it attatch to anything. The shell gets moved around a bit in the tank by fish, but that's it. I think that the person who snagged it from the tank did it in. Ah, well. Is there any harm in keeping the shell in the tank. Here's the catch: I'm not exactly sure if the shell is "empty". Can a snail right itself if it is upside down?

 

[jflowers]

When an apple snail dies, its muscles relax and the 'trapdoor' opens wide and they will obviously not move. If they have been in the same position for 24 hours with the door wide open then they maybe dead. If this happens remove them from the tank and gently pull on the door, if they are dead the body will simply slide out of the shell, as the muscle that holds them in place is no longer taught.

http/www.applesnail.net - great info here

Jon

 

[morgan]

Mine sometimes goes for a float around the tank, I have no idea why they do it but it is quite funny to watch!

 

[Welsh_Woman]

phew thanks guys, I seen him move so i'm happy don't think I would want to pull on a dead snails door though, i would freak if it fell out on me

 

[jflowers]

don't think I would want to pull on a dead snails door though, i would freak if it fell out on me