Cleaning and Preserving an Empty Mystery Snail Shell

My mystery snail recently passed and she is no longer in her shell. How can I clean her shell? I don't intend on keeping it in a tank. I want to preserve it as much as possible, keep the color and glossiness, and take good care of it for her. Hpw should I go about it..? Thanks!

 

My mystery snail recently passed and she is no longer in her shell. How can I clean her shell? I don't intend on keeping it in a tank. I want to preserve it as much as possible, keep the color and glossiness, and take good care of it for her. Hpw should I go about it..? Thanks!

I have no clue but I thought this was such a sweet idea Sorry I wasn’t any help lol

 

I mean, I doused the ones I have in disinfectant (rubbing alcohol) because I can be a bit of a germaphobe and hot water just wasn't cutting up to my satisfaction. I've never thought about how to preserve them beyond that though. My only suggestion would be to store them safely, if you want them on display maybe purchase a glass dome, or place them somewhere they cannot be easily knocked over or crushed. I personally keep mine in storage, bubble wrapped, for when I'm going through my keepsakes. I wish I could be of more assistance here haha.

 

I have no clue but I thought this was such a sweet idea Sorry I wasn’t any help lol

Well, I figure, she won't be using it. It's best for me to take care of it and it remind me of her and how pretty she is and was, than it just break, be eaten, or decompose in the earth. I love my fishtank babies lots. But thanks for commenting anyway :3

I mean, I doused the ones I have in disinfectant (rubbing alcohol) because I can be a bit of a germaphobe and hot water just wasn't cutting up to my satisfaction. I've never thought about how to preserve them beyond that though. My only suggestion would be to store them safely, if you want them on display maybe purchase a glass dome, or place them somewhere they cannot be easily knocked over or crushed. I personally keep mine in storage, bubble wrapped, for when I'm going through my keepsakes. I wish I could be of more assistance here haha.

Thanks! I specifically just want to clean off germs/etc. Idk if anything would damage the shell or gloss of it. I will be placing it on a shelf. I just don't want to damage the shell with anything, so wondered how people clean them without damaging them or the gloss or color, since I've heard of that happening.

 

You may be able to just leave the shell in your tank for a while. It is possible your fish or other snails will clean it out for you. Fish and snails are basically scavengers and will find the tiniest tidbit of food. I am basing this on one of my nerite snails. He was very good at hiding so I didn't think much about it when I hadn't seen him in quite some time. One day while rearranging some decor I found his totally empty shell. I have no idea how long he had been dead so don't know how long it took for the other fish to clean the shell.

BTW: I kept the empty shell

 

Thanks! I specifically just want to clean off germs/etc. Idk if anything would damage the shell or gloss of it. I will be placing it on a shelf. I just don't want to damage the shell with anything, so wondered how people clean them without damaging them or the gloss or color, since I've heard of that happening.

I haven't really noticed a loss of shine after using alcohol to clean mine, but I'm not certain how true that will hold up over time. As long as you aren't using a product that reacts with calcium I imagine you're in the clear

 

I haven't really noticed a loss of shine after using alcohol to clean mine, but I'm not certain how true that will hold up over time. As long as you aren't using a product that reacts with calcium I imagine you're in the clear

Thanks! I've heard people mention using alcohol or hot water to clean them, but I would've imagined soap or something. I've also heard people mention using clear nail polish to "preserve" the gloss or make it "glossier," though I wonder how much damage it'd do in the long run.. O .o

 

Thanks! I've heard people mention using alcohol or hot water to clean them, but I would've imagined soap or something. I've also heard people mention using clear nail polish to "preserve" the gloss or make it "glossier," though I wonder how much damage it'd do in the long run.. O .o

I would advise against using nail polish to preserve it or make it glossy. I've used nail polish for projects like this in the past, and eventually it gets sticky, which eventually gets covered in dust and makes it much worse than if you'd just left it as is. If you're really dead set on it, you could purchase a type of gloss that's specifically designed to preserve things like this, I'm certain craft stores like Michaels would carry something.

 

Thank you all who helped me here. I've preserved three shells so far and I'm going to post this as the "answer" for others. Keep in mind this goes a bit into detail for those who are squirmish. It's a difficult process to go through for some people, but I can guarantee that the end result is worth it. Aside from leaving them in the tanks to be eaten, this is the simplest and safest method I've come by and it's what I use. It also helps ensure they're kept safe and easily preserved.

(And I'm sorry about the late reply, Idk how to edit the top post with the answer or how to close the thread so I thought this would be most helpful to those who had the same problem! Feel free to close it.) <3

Step 1: Place your snail in a small plastic container with a lid. Tuboware or a lidded cup could even work. (You'll want some room and to not have to replace the water.) Keep it filled with your snail's (hopefully clean) tank water unless you are 110% sure they're dead as mine have been known to play tricks on me and "play dead" for days and then turn out totally fine.

Step 2: Wait around 5-7 days. During this time you will begin to notice the water turning a slight brown color from the body's deterioration. This is normal, and essential to getting your shell safely. The Operculum (Latin for "Little Lid") which is attached to the foot may come off as well. This is what we want for the shell itself.

Step 3: After you have waited 5-7 days, slowly take your snail out of the container. I'd recommend wearing some kind of rubber gloves or putting your hand in a ziplock or plastic bag. You're going to hold the shell and tilt it (the foothole) downwards over its container or what you want to bury it in. The body should just slide out on its own at this point, but if not, all you have to do is give it a couple of small but forceful shakes. (If it gives you any trouble, it needs to be soaked for longer). After the body has slid out, it's time to clean your new shell.

Step 4: Rinse the empty shell with hot water (the hottest you can handle) and soap. I use a tiny bit of Germ-X, though it does have rubbing alcohol. After the initial rinse, examine the inside of the shell with a bright light. You can tear off a strip of paper towel, roll it up, and feed it into the shell to see if there's anything hidden in the back and clean a bit. You can also use your finger, but don't scrape at it with the nail. If the water's clear and you see no guck in the shell, you're good to go.

Step 5: This step here is just something extra to make sure your shell is clean. Put it in a mixture of water and soap and let it soak for a couple of hours. You can also use a tiny bit of Germ-X if need be, just not a lot as it has alcohol. (Make sure to fill in the air pockets.) After, take it out and let it dry. Your shell, if clean, shouldn't really have much of a smell to it aside from the soap. So if it smells bad, there's probably something in there that needs to be cleaned out, though I've never had this problem.

Step 6: One extra, extra thing I haven't tried but am going to try out is using Avocado Oil to preserve my shells and keep them shiny. Out of all I've looked at, it seems to be the safest option as it's also safe for our skin (whereas oils like Olive Oil and etc. are not as safe nor beneficial). So whilst I can't say for certain it's safe, I'm rather confident in it helping preserve them and their beauty.

Things to keep in mind. . . (If's and Don'ts.)
1. If your water is a dark dark brown or your snail comes out as dark and sludgy, it just means you waited a bit too long. It won't damage your shell at all.

2. If the shell smells awful and/or the snail is not coming out of its shell at all, let it soak more. You shouldn't have to be rough for it to come out, it should just slide out very easily, sometimes even before you lift it up fully from the container.

3. I don't think using methods like freezing, heating, or bugs are good for the shell from what I've read. Feel free to use these if you like, but they have been known to damage the shell plenty. You can let your fish mates eat the body out of the shell. I've never done it before, but it's still a good option if you have them and a bigger tank.

4: Avoid anything with alcohol, that reacts badly with or eats calcium, perfumes, glosses, nail polishes, etc. on your shells. Just as nail polish hardens up and chips off when on our nails and takes the nail color beneath along with it, it can do that to your shell. The long-term result is damaged.

5: You can leave your shell in your fish tank as decoration, though keep in mind shells have calcium which, just like cuttlebone, are excreted into the water. They can become damaged over time and will deteriorate, though it'll take a while. It's a good option if you want a decoration, but it's not good for preservation if that's your goal.

6: If you are burying your snail's body, I'd put something like a flat, heavy rock over it to keep the Raccoons from disturbing teh graveyard locals first thing in the evening. Maybe feed 'em some bread pieces to tide them over.

For any of you who have lost a snail, I'm sorry for your loss. They can be very playful and fun and are always a joy to have. They leave their beautiful shells behind to deteriorate, and I feel the least I can do is preserve them and keep them with me rather than let them go to waste. They keep their memories preserved just as much.