Dead nerite snail?

[wtusa17]

I got this snail about a week ago and he was fairly active. I saw him on the glass 2 days ago and after that he has not moved. I picked him up and he didn’t smell like anything. It looks like his insides are taken out maybe? I have an angel, kribensis, and electric blue Jack Dempsey as a grow out in this tank. Is he dead and his insides were eaten or is he just chilling?

 

[Essjay]

It looks from the photo that you can see right inside the shell. You can see the snail - does it look like that to you?

Nerites have a trapdoor near the shell opening that they clamp tight shut if they are not happy - such as being picked at by fish or lifted out of the water to be sniffed. If you can't see the trapdoor and you can see right into the shell then there's no snail in there.
When a nerite dies, it can't pull the trapdoor shut and the snail body half falls out of the shell. In that state, most fish would eat it even if it wasn't quite dead.

 

[wtusa17]

It looks from the photo that you can see right inside the shell. You can see the snail - does it look like that to you?

Nerites have a trapdoor near the shell opening that they clamp tight shut if they are not happy - such as being picked at by fish or lifted out of the water to be sniffed. If you can't see the trapdoor and you can see right into the shell then there's no snail in there.
When a nerite dies, it can't pull the trapdoor shut and the snail body half falls out of the shell. In that state, most fish would eat it even if it wasn't quite dead.

Ok so he is most likely a goner? It sucks as I just got him and he was beautiful

 

[Essjay]

They sometimes do die shortly after purchase. Did you buy it from an LFS, and if you did, how did the store worker get it out of the tank? Some of them rip them off the glass and this can damage them. And some of them pick upside down snails off the bttom of the tank - these are either already dead or on their way out in the store.


I've just realised I assumed it was a nerite from the view of the shell opening - was it a nerite?

 

[wtusa17]

They sometimes do die shortly after purchase. Did you buy it from an LFS, and if you did, how did the store worker get it out of the tank? Some of them rip them off the glass and this can damage them. And some of them pick upside down snails off the bttom of the tank - these are either already dead or on their way out in the store.


I've just realised I assumed it was a nerite from the view of the shell opening - was it a nerite?

Yes. It was a lfs and she picked it off the bottom. You think one of my fish ate it?

 

[Essjay]

Probably. A healthy snail has a trapdoor which they clamp firmly shut if a fish picks at them. When they are dying, they can't pull the trapdoor shut so any fish which wants to can pick at it and a strong fish would be able to pull the snail out of its shell.
Fish will eat anyhting so a dead or dying snail would make a meal for a fish, I'm afraid.

 

[wtusa17]

Probably. A healthy snail has a trapdoor which they clamp firmly shut if a fish picks at them. When they are dying, they can't pull the trapdoor shut so any fish which wants to can pick at it and a strong fish would be able to pull the snail out of its shell.
Fish will eat anyhting so a dead or dying snail would make a meal for a fish, I'm afraid.

Ok so he was already sick basically?

 

[Essjay]

It may well have been. I have had snails that have not lived very long, and some that have lived for years.


One thing I should have mentioned earlier - have you ever treated the tank with medication? Quite a lot of medications kill snails, especially those containing copper, and the treatment can hang around in the tank for some time.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I agree. Either the snail was sick before you bought it or the worker at your LFS killed it.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It may well have been. I have had snails that have not lived very long, and some that have lived for years.

I have had a Zebra Nerite snail for over 3 years now. She still cleans the tank as good as she used to.

 

[Essjay]

I have two nerites which I bought from an Ebay seller in July 2011. They are both still alive though their shells are showing their age now.

 

[wtusa17]

It may well have been. I have had snails that have not lived very long, and some that have lived for years.


One thing I should have mentioned earlier - have you ever treated the tank with medication? Quite a lot of medications kill snails, especially those containing copper, and the treatment can hang around in the tank for some time.

No but I did dose seachem flourish as it is a heavily planted tank

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I have two nerites which I bought from an Ebay seller in July 2011. They are both still alive though their shells are showing their age now.

Yeesh! 9 years old?

 

[Essjay]

Flourish should not cause a problem, I use that though only at half dose, and as you can see from my post above two nerites have lived 9 years with weekly dosing. But if you mean Flourish Excel, I would not trust this with snails - or fish.

Some medications, particularly those for treating whitespot, contain copper which does kill snails. I needed to check.

 

[wtusa17]

I have two nerites which I bought from an Ebay seller in July 2011. They are both still alive though their shells are showing their age now.

Flourish should not cause a problem, I use that though only at half dose, and as you can see from my post above two nerites have lived 9 years with weekly dosing. But if you mean Flourish Excel, I would not trust this with snails - or fish.

Some medications, particularly those for treating whitespot, contain copper which does kill snails. I needed to check.

nope it was just the regulator flourish. I am treating for ich atm but it’s just a heat treatment at 86 F.