Alive or Dead?

[Jaded_Pulse]

Hi everyone. I've had my small-medium sized apple snail for about 3 or 4 months, & all he's always been rather lazy. This week, though, he slept for 3 days straight, & only yesterday did he emerge, suckered onto the glass, seemed ok. Now he's floating, which I know can happen, but he's never done it before & my last guy floated for a few days before he died. Sooo....I'm just a little concerned - should I leave him there & just see what happens or what? Is this really just normal snail behaviour - my last guy was always on the go, right up till he died (fish med didn't warn me it kills snails ) ).......Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanx,
Michelle.

 

[Jae1525]

I'm no expert on snails
(especialy cos I put the hottest tap water in my watering can the other day when i was swilling out my rabbit hutch only to my dismay when i tried to pour sumthin was blocking the hole! Upon further investigation I noticed a very upset (and par-boiled snail) inside the can! Put him on the grass and he seemed fine!)

Anyway... I thought apple snails breathed through a syphon that the extended out of the water! If that is true and your snail was "sleeping" for three days he must have had an aqua-lung with him to survive or maybe he just popped up for air when you were away?

IMHO floating is always a bad sign. I can only presume the little fella died and the his decomposing body has produced some gas in his shell that makes him float?

I hear that copper is fatal to inverts. Maybe some got in your tank from fish medication or sumthin?

Here are some helpfull water stats for aplle snails...
Tank Conditions: 68-85°F; pH 6.5-8.0; dH 12-18
I think it would be a good idea to fully test your water or just take a sample to your fish store and ask them to test it 4 u.

 

[Bangin]

The air in his shell has caused him to float to the surface. This has happened to mine a few times. They'll eventually sink again. To determine whether or not a snail is dead you can simply smell him.

 

[Jae1525]

Cant you get arrested for sniffing snails?
Sounds like an abuse case to me!!! LOL

 

[Pointy_kitty]

floating snails is not uncommon
there are sure fire ways to see if the little guy is dead

#1 lift the snail out of the water and take a big sniff
you'll either smell normal fish stinky water smell if he lives
or you'll run to the nearest sink/toilet and heave for an hour
THATS a dead snail. IMO nothing worse smelling

#2 remove the snail from the water and hold it for a couple
of minutes (no more) and if the snail is alive and you are gentle
and holding it still, 9 times out of 10 it will emerge from its shell to
migrate back to water

#3 remove the snail from the water
there should be a little hard door (a peice of shell he uses to close
behind him for protection against preditors)
if the snail is dead, either the door will be missing, crammed in the
back (you'll have to gently try to remove it since it will no longer
be attacked if the snail is dead) or else you will easily pull it out
with withered putrid smelling entrials hanging from it
if the snail is alive, while you gentley pull on the door he will pull
back and close it again, then he is fine and you have nothing to worry about


GOOD LUCK!

 

[Jaded_Pulse]

Thanx all, he came down yesterday & is happily munching on a piece of zucchini now, so I'm guessing he's alive

 

[FishDan]

Not only is floating common among many snails, it is how they move from area to area. Of course I man large areas, not just a few feet over there --->. For example, when the snail population in one area gets high, many will "float" downstream to an area less populated by snails. A floating snail is either alive and "migrating" or alive with an air bubble trapped in it's shell. Dead snails tend to sink (and stink).

Glad your's is doing alright!

\Dan