Floating Snails

[Elrohirthehasty]

Why do some snails (the round ones, not the pointy ones) float when picked off the glass?  It's usually the bigger ones that seem to have some sort of air bubble.  The little guys just sink straight to the bottom.  Does anyone else see this, or are my snails just weird?  These are, by the way, volunteer snails, not something I bought.
 
If you don't know what I'm talking about, maybe I'll get a picture the next time it happens.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Some of my common snail that hitch hiked on my plants to my tank do exactly the same thing, float up to the surface, float around for a while and then back down to the plants or gravel.
 
Really don't know why, cannot be for air really as my tank filtration is excellent as there are air bubbles everywhere.
 
Its one of those mysteries.........

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Happens to some of my baby assassin snails (they aren't rounded)... they seem to climb the glass get air in their shell and float about until I pull them out, tip them and drop them in again.

 

[DiddleBug]

Snails are weird.  They seem to carry around air in pockets located in their shell.  It's normal for them to release bubble when you touch them.  That or they start floating around in the current. 

   It's nothing to worry about.

 

[DreamertK]

My ramshorn does this too. He'll go up to the surface opening and closing his mouth, and then eventually lose his attachment to the glass and float around for a while.