How to tell if snails are dead

[fishlover49]

I had just gotten two Mystery snails and one of them is looking sort of odd today. He is floating and looks to be hanging out of his shell part way. :scry: I picked him up and he didn't go back into his shell, but he doesn't smell either. Course, he probably wouldn't yet being he was alive yesterday?? :help:

[Sharon]

You'll have no trouble distinguishing a snail that has died...The smell is indescribable.........:ssuprised:

[Wild Turkey]

Yes a day is more than long enough for the snail to start to stink and decay a little even

[fishlover49]

Do they smell right away when they die? It just looks weird the way it is just hanging there and won't go back inside its shell. :ssuprised:

[fishlover49]

Yes a day is more than long enough for the snail to start to stink and decay a little even


I posted before I seen this. Thanks!

[fishlover49]

Guess I will keep smelling it and see if it starts stinking. So far, so good.

[Wild Turkey]

Guess I will keep smelling it and see if it starts stinking. So far, so good.

If it is hanging out of the shell it is probably dead, pick it up and poke the body with ur finger. If it doesnt retract into the shell it is dead, its likely that it seemed dead yesterday but was still dying.

A trick i use when the snails trapdoor is shut is put it in a bowl of tank water and float it in the tank, after a while the snail will use the o2 and be forced to go the surface for air. If it does not, its dead. Its also easier to tell because if its dead the ammonia will rise very fast in the bowl, but the tank parameters remain safe.

[Chicklet]

Was just going to ask this same question myself,
as I have one doing the same thing,
I've just noticed this morning my ammonia level rose in that tank,
Guess that answers my question, he's dead, no smell tho, But no movement in days just hangs outta the shell, Doesn't retract or offerany resistance when touched..

[Chicklet]

Well I'll be dang, Speak of the little devil and now he's out moving around,
and to think I was gonna toss him out, Guess he heard and figured he better get his little butt in gear,

Strange tho hung out of the shell for days, with no resistance to touching, was sure he was dead when the ammonia increased this morning, Guess I'll have to figure that one out.

[Wild Turkey]

He was stressed out from the ammonia. If there is no smell and ur params are off you can pretty much assume thats whats going on.

[fishlover49]

Well I'll be dang, Speak of the little devil and now he's out moving around,
and to think I was gonna toss him out, Guess he heard and figured he better get his little butt in gear,

Strange tho hung out of the shell for days, with no resistance to touching, was sure he was dead when the ammonia increased this morning, Guess I'll have to figure that one out.

That is what mine starting doing is moving all over and going up and down the glass, after I thought for sure he was dying. I think he was getting tired of me smelling him. :ssuprised: :hmm3grin2orange:

[Wild Turkey]

That is what mine starting doing is moving all over and going up and down the glass, after I thought for sure he was dying. I think he was getting tired of me smelling him. :ssuprised: :hmm3grin2orange:

LOL "Look im moving! okay! now stop sniffing me!":hmm3grin2orange:

[fishlover49]

:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

[reticulata]

I was redoing a 10 gallon shrimp tank yesterday and I pulled the bogwood out and immediately smelled a really bad odor. I flipped the wood over and a trapdoor snail was caught in a crook of the wood "branches". Had an assassination snail eating the TD's "guts". You will know when a snail that big is dead.