The Snail. The Mystery.

[NightStalker]

It all started a few months ago, about 2. My brother just got his 30 gallon tank from a friend, and hes stocking it up, he got the oscars and some other guys. He then gets 2 snails, one black one white. Days go on and well the white one seems to be going on good, but the black one is no where to be seen?

We think nothing of it, forgot about it but it still stayed at the back of my head, where in the heck could he have gone? Months pass, and my brother gets another 55 gallon tank, or an upgrade, gives the old one to someone after he fixes the leak in it. We found no black snail, ok this is weird right but really theres no explanation.

We get some mroe feeder gold fish for the tank at the bottom and they begin to die, i think its a bad batch, and it probably is but i decide anyway to do a 50% water change just in case, its probably ther least cared for tank in the house.

So im there the waters out and the filters going crazy VRROM VRRROM VRRRROM VRRROM, im looking for the plug but thanks to the great organization skills of my brother i cant find it, so i check in the back and bam there it is i pull the plug and its off, right when im pulling my self out something catches my attention, a small blackish shell, i look closer and long behold the missing black snail.......

I have no clue how he ever got out, but if i would bet, he got out during the night after we put him in, since i saw him go into a hut in the tank, the aqurium had a hood and everything, i never imagined he could find a way out. Then it hit me, what if he somehow openned the hood, after watching my adult snail in my tank downstairs push over a rock which was pretty heavy, it wouldnt be to hard for them to open the light hood doors or whatever youd call them. Whichever way he got out, it never crossed my mind that a snail would do such a thing, ive heard of fish jumping out but never a snail, especially with a fully equipped tank.

I guess the morale of the story is never rule anything out, a fish missing, snail, shrimp anything, look around, you might catch it in time to save its life. Now im gonna go downstairs and do a regular water change to my tank Cheers.

 

[chibi]

Were they big snails? Usually, when big snails die, you can tell because they smell AWFUL... D:

 

[NightStalker]

Were they big snails? Usually, when big snails die, you can tell because they smell AWFUL... D:

hehe, nah they looked to be juveniles, or if id put it in this term like teens, not sure which other way to describe it, but definatley didnt smell at all, and definatley arent adults yet.

 

[xandc]

My snail escaped 4 times from my Rekord 70 tank. We called him Houdidni after that. The first time I just popped him back in. He then escaped when I was doing a water change and heard a squelchy thudding noise. After the third time, I sellotaped paper across the gaps that are inbuilt in the hood. I didn't think he could fit through the gap but he did. The fourth time he had pushed his way until the paper split. I was a sloppy cover up job coupled with a determined snail. I then sellotaped like mad and he has not escaped since.
The first time he was out the tank for a few days. He was kind of dehydrated when I put him back in and took a bit of time to open his operculum. But some snails can survive out of water like apple snails. Naturally they come out of the water in paddy fields, or where ever, to eat the plants. Houdini took his oppurtunity many times and I think he was actively seeking the same spot each time. Crazy snail.

It all started a few months ago, about 2. My brother just got his 30 gallon tank from a friend, and hes stocking it up, he got the oscars and some other guys. He then gets 2 snails, one black one white. Days go on and well the white one seems to be going on good, but the black one is no where to be seen?

We think nothing of it, forgot about it but it still stayed at the back of my head, where in the heck could he have gone? Months pass, and my brother gets another 55 gallon tank, or an upgrade, gives the old one to someone after he fixes the leak in it. We found no black snail, ok this is weird right but really theres no explanation.

We get some mroe feeder gold fish for the tank at the bottom and they begin to die, i think its a bad batch, and it probably is but i decide anyway to do a 50% water change just in case, its probably ther least cared for tank in the house.

So im there the waters out and the filters going crazy VRROM VRRROM VRRRROM VRRROM, im looking for the plug but thanks to the great organization skills of my brother i cant find it, so i check in the back and bam there it is i pull the plug and its off, right when im pulling my self out something catches my attention, a small blackish shell, i look closer and long behold the missing black snail.......

I have no clue how he ever got out, but if i would bet, he got out during the night after we put him in, since i saw him go into a hut in the tank, the aqurium had a hood and everything, i never imagined he could find a way out. Then it hit me, what if he somehow openned the hood, after watching my adult snail in my tank downstairs push over a rock which was pretty heavy, it wouldnt be to hard for them to open the light hood doors or whatever youd call them. Whichever way he got out, it never crossed my mind that a snail would do such a thing, ive heard of fish jumping out but never a snail, especially with a fully equipped tank.

I guess the morale of the story is never rule anything out, a fish missing, snail, shrimp anything, look around, you might catch it in time to save its life. Now im gonna go downstairs and do a regular water change to my tank Cheers.