ONE OF MY NERITES WENT MISSING!

[LostBear]

One of my Nerites was missing!

For two days we looked and couldn't find him - water quality didn't spike nastily so assumed he was slumbering among the weeds and left it at that. After all, when last seen he was pigging out on blanched cucumber - maybe he was sleeping it off.

Today my daughter found him - outside the tank! He seems to have "closed the door" on his shell opening, and I'm wondering if he'll be okay - has he done this to conserve moisture?

We've put him back in, right at the front so we can keep an eye on him, and if he doesn't move can whip him out quickly before he decays. Really I just want to ask:

1) Is he likely to be alive? Can they survive outside of the tank, and how long for?

2) How long should I give him to see if he is okay? A day? two days? Or would I be better to get him out altogether and put him in a different bowl of water somewhere else, just in case of the worst?

3) HOW THE HECK DID HE GET OUT? The tank lid is close fitting. He was definitely there after the last water change last Wednesday. The food door is never left open.

4) If he survives, is he likely to have lasting psychological damage as a result of this experience?

I'm making jokes, but actually I'm really upset at the thought of losing him. We had a baby snail appear in the tank recently, and it has now disappeared again, and I'm worried sick about it - even more so now this has happened to Bob. The little one was only the size of a piece of gravel and could get out more easily. Is is possible to "snail-proof" a tank?

As my grannie used to say about us kids "It's not the work, it's the worry". I'm not sure I'm cut out for this sort of thing any more.

 

[Essjay]

I have had nerites go on walkabout and they were OK. I found my zebra nerite on the worktop behind the tank and have no idea how long it was there. This was at least 4 years ago and the snail is still alive.

They can get out of any hole just big enough to let them through. When I had my 50 litre tank they would regularly climb out of the cable holes. This tank was in the kitchen so they were on a vinyl flooring rather than carpet and I had to tread carefully when i got up so I didn't squash one. I solved it by putting filter wool into every hole I could find.

 

[dmpfishlover]

Nerites are known to be escape artists. Until about a week ago, I only knew this from hearing it from other hobbyists, but I now know this from first hand experience. I added a Nerite snail to my tank a little over a week ago and only a few days after getting it, I found him on the glass of the front of my tank, on the outside! I have a tight fitting lid, but I think the gaps between the lid and the HOB filter are just big enough for it to have fit through. I put it back in the tank and cut small prices of sponge to wedge in the spaces between the filter and the lid. Snails can survive for a while out of water, so your escapee may be just fine. I would leave him where you put him back in and observe him. If he doesn't move in the next day or so, take him out and give him a smell test. Normally snails do not have an odor, so if there is a foul odor this will be an indication that he has died. You do need to give him some time to start moving around though because I have read that it is not uncommon for snails to go through periods of inactivity that can last for several days...So just keep using the smell test until he starts moving around again.

 

[LostBear]

Thank you both for your responses and the reassurance. I am going to look for sponge to plug any tiny gaps.

These are pretty big snails - about half an inch, so I think they must be able to dislocate their shells or something.

Anyway, he started to stick his little "arms" out and wave them about quite quickly, and shifted rapidly onto an algaed rock - must have been starving!

I know I am at the risk of anthropomorphising gastropods, but the other Nerite has rushed over to him from the other end of the tank, and the pair of them have been moving about huddled up together for about 20 minutes now. Normally they rarely even touch each other. I don't know whether they've missed each other, or whether he's debriefing the escape committee or what, but I swear there is communication going on.

It's making me increasingly worried about my baby snail - if he gets out he's dead meat - we'd never find him in the dog hair and magazines etc that litter our sumptuous home!

 

[LostBear]

Just checked again after my post 30 seconds ago. The synchronised slithering seems to have turned into something more romantic.

My eyeballs feel soiled!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Did you find him?

Nerite snails are known to escape without you ever knowing. You need to have some sort of tight fitting lid/hood on your tank.

 

[LostBear]

Did you find him?

Nerite snails are known to escape without you ever knowing. You need to have some sort of tight fitting lid/hood on your tank.

Yep!

Outside the tank, hibernating.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yep!

Outside the tank, hibernating.

Was he dead...?

 

[LostBear]

Was he dead...?

Nope.

Once the water reached his little shelly exterior, he started waving his antenna about. If you read my other posts you all see that it became a touching love story (X rated).)

Was very pleased to get him back though.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Nope.

Once the water reached his little shelly exterior, he started waving his antenna about. If you read my other posts you all see that it became a touching love story (X rated).)

Was very pleased to get him back though.

Glad you got him back.

 

[Retired Viking]

I had 7 nerite snails in my 55 gallon tank I am changing over to sand today, Found 6 of them, could not find the seventh one. I have hoods which have only one opening for a heater and some small ones for air lines so it would be hard but not impossible for my missing snail to escape,

 

[Essjay]

Did you check over every piece of decor very carefully? Mine are experts at hiding on decor and it takes me ages to see where they are. Zebras in particular blend into wood they are on.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Just wanted to say that your writing style made me laugh, which I sorely needed today, so thank you! Also love that you're so attached and have named your nerites, and that he survived! Not only lucky to have survived, but got lucky once he was home again! What a fortunate snail he is.

 

[seangee]

Just wanted to say that your writing style made me laugh, which I sorely needed today, so thank you! Also love that you're so attached and have named your nerites, and that he survived! Not only lucky to have survived, but got lucky once he was home again! What a fortunate snail he is.

Oh yes. Those nerites get new names every other week

 

[Retired Viking]

I ended up with only 3 live ones the other 3 were empty shells, on the good side all of my fish are schooling in their shoal. The ember tetras are swimming in a tight group today. They will take a day or two to get use to the new surroundings.