Is my nerite going to be okay? Snail horror story.

So my nerite snail managed to get itself into the impeller? I think that is what its called. I have a filter that hangs off the back. The plastic tube that sucks the water up has a sponge around it. The rest is just clear plastic that leads into the filter. Then the impeller part (the part the spins) is capped by the end of the plastic tube. Hope that made sense. There is no where for the snail to get in, no gaps or anything. I do not know how in the world he got in there but it made an AWFUL noise! Sounded like rocks in a blender. I of course freaked out and immediate unplugged it. Took it apart and there is my poor snail. He was sucked back into the shell as far as possible. The edges of his shell are slightly chipped and the edges of his foot are kinda torn and not smooth . I feel so bad for him. Is there anything I can do for him? Any ideas how in the world he got in that part of the filter? Thanks.

 

Dang, poor baby. His shell being intact is a good sign, if it had been crushed there'd be no hope. I'd just leave him alone for a bit, with food and see how he goes.

As for how he got there, any chance he climbed in the out flow? Intake sounds pretty snail proof, but to test take a rock about the same weight as the snail and drop it near the intake a few times from different angles and see if it gets sucked in. Also maybe check the edges of the sponge see if one of them is loose.

 

No idea how he got into it, perhaps climbing up into the filter and got sucked in or perhaps fell in somehow? For the time being I would consider putting him into quarantine just to keep track of him while he heals. A good supply of calcium-rich foods should help him with his shell. I've seen snails recover from a damaged foot but am unsure on what best way to help other than clean water. Best of luck though!

 

Dang, poor baby. His shell being intact is a good sign, if it had been crushed there'd be no hope. I'd just leave him alone for a bit, with food and see how he goes.

As for how he got there, any chance he climbed in the out flow? Intake sounds pretty snail proof, but to test take a rock about the same weight as the snail and drop it near the intake a few times from different angles and see if it gets sucked in. Also maybe check the edges of the sponge see if one of them is loose.

Thanks . He could have climbed into the outflow, but the area he was found in has a cap on it. So unless he lifted the cap somehow he could have gotten in? I am so confused by this snail. Sponge is not loose. Even if it was lose, there is a plastic tube with slits in it underneath. So even if the sponge came all the way off, the slits in the plastic would keep anyone from being sucked up/the snail going up there. I’m just at a loss with how this happened.

 

No idea how he got into it, perhaps climbing up into the filter and got sucked in or perhaps fell in somehow? For the time being I would consider putting him into quarantine just to keep track of him while he heals. A good supply of calcium-rich foods should help him with his shell. I've seen snails recover from a damaged foot but am unsure on what best way to help other than clean water. Best of luck though!

Thanks Salem. I will quarantine him tomorrow morning. He is moving around a bit in the main tank and no one else bothers him. Do you still suggest I quarantine? I trust your opinion on this one. I’m going to attach pic of my filter later to see if anyone has an idea. Don’t want this to happen again. Do you have any food suggestions?

 

Thanks Salem. I will quarantine him tomorrow morning. He is moving around a bit in the main tank and no one else bothers him. Do you still suggest I quarantine? I trust your opinion on this one. I’m going to attach pic of my filter later to see if anyone has an idea. Don’t want this to happen again. Do you have any food suggestions?

I personally would still move him just to err on the side of caution. Don't want someone to try anything when you're not looking or have him find a way into the same situation.

I know kale is pretty good in terms of calcium but most leafy greens should work. I've also tried carrots in the past which some of my nerites loved and others didn't touch. You could also try just giving him a piece of cuttlebone if you'd like- some won't eat it like this but its basically pure calcium.

If you're feeling particularly crafty there's also homemade snail food you can make called snello. There are lots of recipes but basically it boils down to calcium, fish food, and gelatin. It's not completely necessary by any means but it can be a fun project if you ever find the time.