Snail looks really dead this time

[Suda Nim]

Little Ronnie Jeremy, my mystery snail, has come up with several ways to fool me into thinking it's dead.

I think this time it really is. It was floating in the tank with the operculum partway open, its color pale gray, with thick fuzz growing all over it, including the soft parts. It also smells bad.

The betta is fine. Parameters were 78 degrees, pH 6.6 and steady, and 1, 0 2.5 for nitrogen compounds, which is consistent for a tank with a dead snail in it, IMO.

I've put the snail in a disposable cup of tank water for a wake: if it's dead, it won't contaminate the tank, but if it's alive, it's got 8 hours to move before I have a funeral.

I also did a major water change in the tank to get the ammonia down.

I think I won't replace the snail, because (a) I don't know what killed it, (b) it was more work than the fish to feed and (c) it seemed to be a pretty big bioload for the tank (5 gallon planted).

RIP, Little Ronnie Jeremy.

[ScottishFish]

Sorry to hear you lost your little fellow

[mermaidwannabe]

If it smells bad, it's dead. All the other indications point to it, also.

My large snails fooled me numerous times, and I hauled them out of the tank into a separate container with tank water and left them there to see if they would eventually show some signs of life. Ultimately, I would pick them up and smell them. No odor -- still alive.

Sounds like yours really is gone...

-- mermaid

[bignellm]

Concure, the stink of death is among it. It's unmistakable!!! Once you smell that up close from a snail, it will haunt your nostrils FOREVER!!!

Very sorry for your loss Suda Nim. I lost all three of mine a couple weeks back, from old age. I don't think Apple Snails live all that long, once the reach full size. All mine died of the same size.

I won't really speculate on what caused it, though if Ph of 6.8 wasn't caused by death of snail, it may have been a contributing factor.

[Suda Nim]

As the line goes in Paint Your Wagon:

"He better be dead, 'cause I'm gonna bury him!"

After six hours in the cup, the snail only got fuzzier and smellier. After thinking of several ritualistic ways to deal with the death, I wrapped it in a plastic bag and put it in the trash.

[mermaidwannabe]

Inexpensive fertilizer for a flower garden ... that's what mine became when they croaked.

-- mermaid

[ekfishlover2011]

i just lost my Blue yesterday too, and i think my Ivory is on the way out too. Sorry for your loss. :( RIP Ronnie Jeremy.

Apple/Mystery/whatever else they call them snails seem to die so easily. I think im not going to replace mine with another apple either. They always seem to die on me within 3 months. I have much better luck with Nerite Snails. They are much smaller too. U should try them. Im going to wait for my other apple to croak and replace those two with nerites again.

[bignellm]

I was more morbid, made the shells aquarium decor. On the first one, body was completely gone, before I noticed. The MTS cleaned him out well.