Floating snail = dead snail?

[HiggityHank]

Please refer to the subject... I'm unable to tell, but if he's dead, I don't want him just floating around in the tank...

Gold Inca snail (to the best of my knowledge) he's never floated before (to the best of my knowledge) I wont' be heartbroken... but I will be sad... for a moment.

Be blunt.

 

[parker313]

No, chances are it's not dead. Pick it up and push in on the valve. If it's firm, he's just hitching a ride. If it's mushy and bad smelling then yes, he's dead. I thought for sure that one of my snails was a goner b/c it was just floating around but nope, it was just cruising around

 

[Undawada]

I had an apple snail who did nothing but float for the first 10 days or so we got him. For that reason, my girlfriend named him "Bob".

The way to tell is if the trapdoor part of the shell that the snail pulls in is hanging loose, and he doesn't respond to touch... he's probably dead.

Snails will float for a very very very long time until they're comfortable with their surroundings.

 

[SnowyzMom]

I must have mini piranhas masquerading as innocent tetras and guppies and corys because any dead snail I get is eaten pronto, I find just empty shells laying around. I quite often find one just floating along, usually leaning well out of his shell, taking a good look around, just for the heck of it. Hope yours is not a goner, you got good advice on how to tell if he's dead. Let us know ok?

 

[amazingbioloboydp]

If he stinks beyond ALL comprehension ...he's dead

 

[HiggityHank]

Well, when I got home, he was back at his post, cleaning away...

Moral of the story... snails are stupid.

Bring on the Puffers! (I'm getting some on sunday )

 

[candy]

my snail did that and i also thorght he was dead..i would not have mined so much but my silly mum fell in love with the thing thats why i got it...sometime i wonder if my snail is smarter then i think he is..he lauches him self off the filter on to my plant then crawls along till the plant bends to the gravel..one happy strange snail

 

[FishDan]

Snails float for a couple reasons. Mostly due to their environment. In rivers and lakes snials float to hitch rides on the current. Much faster than "walking". For this reason alone, snails are pretty smart. If they don't like where they are (not enough food, no mates, predators) they let someone else (Mother Nature) take them somewhere else.

\Dan