Dead snails?

[tttnjfttt]

Ok, this is a really stupid question, but how can you tell if a snail is dead?

Just a little back ground...My mom has a betta who she insisted never needs water changes (thank God for those small under gravel filters, no ammonia or nitrites, but off the charts nitrAtes). He is living in a 2 gal tank. In addition to never doing water changes, someone gave her a snail which some how laid eggs, and she has since turned her tank into a snail breeding ground.

This past week when she was out of town, the betta started looking a little off, so in addition to unpluging hte heater (walmart small tank heater, no temperature controlls), I convinced her to let me test his water. The nitrAtes were above 160. Since then I have been changing out 2-4 cups of water at a time. Starting yesterday, I began doing 25% water changes, so today I began using a gravel vacume in there.

While gravel vacuming, I saw atleast 4 snails that got partially sucked up into the vacume that are totally white; their original color is brown. Do we have a bunch of dead snails?

 

[SirMinion]

Yep, once a snail dies, its shell starts to break down into its componant calcium salts and may turn white in certain water conditions.

It's highly probable that the Betta ate those snails...

 

[Snailguy101]

They are dead what kind are they?

 

[tttnjfttt]

It's highly probable that the Betta ate those snails...

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Do you mean that the betta ate killed and ate those snails or that they died and then the betta got a little snack?

I have no clue what type of snails they are, just that my mom is WAY WAY WAY too attached to them and has almost put them ahead of her fish

 

[Teelie]

If a snail shell is empty, obviously it's dead. To tell a dead one from one playing dead though the best way to tell is the smell test. If it stinks, it's dead. If it's trapdoor is closed and doesn't move when you touch it but doesn't stink, it's alive but in a kind of hibernative or inactive state.

If they're white but not smelling and alive, they could be albinos. It's fairly common when animals, especially snails interbreed, to have some albinos in the mix.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I think tonight my mom gets to learn ALOT about tank maintence. I'll show her how to do water change, and let her pick out the dead ones.

I don't think they are albinos, because I never remember seeing white ones in there before

 

[Teelie]

It could be they are sick or dying. Without seeing them or actually being there it's hard to do more than guess.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Are snails sensitive to high nitrate levels? By high, i'm talking 160+. When I gravel vacumed, they did sink right back down to the bottom, and are just kinda sitting there right now.

 

[SirMinion]

Do you mean that the betta ate killed and ate those snails or that they died and then the betta got a little snack?

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I mean the Betta killed and ate them.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Do you mean that the betta ate killed and ate those snails or that they died and then the betta got a little snack?

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I mean the Betta killed and ate them.

[snapback]862461[/snapback]​

Well thats one way to kill off some of the snail population. I'm gonna make sure she sees this thread to try to get her to re-home the majority of them.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Teelie]

If it was really bad, they would probably be hanging out near the surface or trying to get out completely. I don't know what a lethal level is for snails regarding nitrates but 160+ sounds lethal.

 

[alabaster]

Does your mom feed them? Apple snails do well if you feed them lettuce 3-4 times a week. They also enjoy carrots, cucumber, and potatoes.

 

[tttnjfttt]

If it was really bad, they would probably be hanging out near the surface or trying to get out completely. I don't know what a lethal level is for snails regarding nitrates but 160+ sounds lethal.

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This fish has NEVER had its water changed in over two years. As water evaporates out, she replaces it with bottled water. I have tried to educate her on this before, but with no luck. The ohter night his tank got really warm (around 86) and he was looking very pale. I immediately put a fan over his tank, and also checked his water, which is when I found the nitrAte reading. I think it hasn't been lethal because he is used to the water. Its what is called old tank syndrome, where the fish get used to the bad water quality. After the temp came down, he started looking normal, but his tail still looks like a withered leaf.

Does your mom feed them? Apple snails do well if you feed them lettuce 3-4 times a week. They also enjoy carrots, cucumber, and potatoes.

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My mom's idea of feeding the snails is to stir up the gravel once a week. The other foods they will take is good to know for when the weekly water changes begin, which they are...trust me