Fish ate dead snail - is that ok???

[Kelly Preussner]

I had a dead nerite snail in my tank and when I was taking it out the snail insides came out and started floating. I tried to get it all out but my fish went crazy and started eating it all. Will they be OK?? Please help! Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

If the snail died recently it is fine. If the snail has been dead for a few days it might make the fish sick. Just monitor them and see how they go. They should be fine.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

I think it has been a few days! Maybe a week!

 

[Kelly Preussner]

What kind of sickness will they have??

 

[foxgirl158]

If the snail has been dead for more than a day or so I would start worrying about an ammonia spike. Have you tested your water since you found the dead snail?

 

[itiwhetu]

Any ammonia spike from it dying will be worse than anything the fish may get from eating it.

 

[Colin_T]

What kind of sickness will they have??

If the fish ate something bad, it will usually cause them to stop eating, bloat up like a balloon, and die within 24-48 hours. As long as the fish are still eating well, don't worry about it.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

thanks so much for the information!! I will check ammonia & keep an eye out for the bloating

 

[Slaphppy7]

thanks so much for the information!! I will check ammonia & keep an eye out for the bloating

Be sure to use a quality liquid test kit, like this: https://apifishcare.com/product/freshwater-master-test-kit

Nerite snails cannot "right" themselves if they are upside-down, like other snails, so you have to keep an eye on them, and "right" them yourself if you see one upside down