Mystery snail Sleeping Or Dying

[LHanna61]

HI Everyone--
I have two mystery snails (in different tanks) one is thriving and one is looking kind of glum. I THINK it's just sleeping because I've seen it be active and it will retreat to it's shell when touched but it's just kind of been "sitting" and it's very odd. Wondering what everyone's thoughts were on the matter.

 

[kallililly1973]

I haven't had mystery snails in a while but sometimes they like to take 2-3 day naps. ( wish I could do that ). I'de say keep an eye on him/her and maybe cut the lights off an hour or 2 earlier than usual for the next couple days and maybe drop some of their favorite foods that you've seen em really go for in the past and see if the lazy guy is on it after its in the tank. Also check the water line of your tank to see if there is a clutch cause if its a female it may have laid a big clutch and is resting ... Just a couple thoughts.

 

[CheshireKat]

Yeah, snails do take naps for a few days.
Make sure your fish don't harass it, too. My Mollies and platies seem to think my brown nerite snails when on the glass are Sera O-nip tabs and poke and poke at them and I'm wondering if that's they're not active lately.

 

[LHanna61]

I haven't had mystery snails in a while but sometimes they like to take 2-3 day naps. ( wish I could do that ). I'de say keep an eye on him/her and maybe cut the lights off an hour or 2 earlier than usual for the next couple days and maybe drop some of their favorite oods that you've seen em really go for in the past and see if the lazy guy is on it after its in the tank. Also check the water line of your tank to see if there is a clutch cause if its a female it may have laid a big clutch and is resting ... Just a couple thoughts.

Definitely all very good thoughts. My answers:
1) I've had them for over three months and they've never been in the same tank so definitely not pregnant
2) I have dropped a wafer in the tank and have seen him/her get up and munch and then go back into the shell
3) I can definitely play with the lights, I took them off the white light and had them on blue for a day but that probably wasn't enough to do anything

I've just never seen this kind of behavior and I've spent a lot of time looking on the internet for it too.

Any additional ideas are appreciated!

Yeah, snails do take naps for a few days.
Make sure your fish don't harass it, too. My Mollies and platies seem to think my brown nerite snails when on the glass are Sera O-nip tabs and poke and poke at them and I'm wondering if that's they're not active lately.

I've actually had it in a hatchery box in the tank the last couple of days to keep an eye on it (and I'm also medicating it's normal tank because of a couple hydra that popped up). No change in behavior though. It's been a full 5 days now.

 

[CheshireKat]

I've actually had it in a hatchery box in the tank the last couple of days to keep an eye on it (and I'm also medicating it's normal tank because of a couple hydra that popped up). No change in behavior though. It's been a full 5 days now.

Hm. Maybe it's just lazy? The fact that it comes out to eat is a good sign. Does it seem to struggle? I had two mystery snails that both, for whatever reason, suddenly shut up and wouldn't move. The yellow would open up and peer out but not do anything. Then it would stay partially opened. I tried feeding, moving tanks... Then after a few more days, fungus developed around them so I pulled them out, sniffed, and oh yeah, they were dead.

 

[LHanna61]

Hm. Maybe it's just lazy? The fact that it comes out to eat is a good sign. Does it seem to struggle? I had two mystery snails that both, for whatever reason, suddenly shut up and wouldn't move. The yellow would open up and peer out but not do anything. Then it would stay partially opened. I tried feeding, moving tanks... Then after a few more days, fungus developed around them so I pulled them out, sniffed, and oh yeah, they were dead.

It used to be VERY active so I would say it seems like it might be struggling. The two I got were much larger than anticipated so I wonder if they're a lot older? the second one I have is a bit bigger and he runs around the tank like he's in a race. Quite fascinating to watch actually.

This one just kind of shelled up two or three weeks ago so I can't help but think it's dying but I REALLY hope that's not it.

I also put almond leaves in the tank and treat the water with other liquid botanical extracts to avoid any bacterial infections. Closest thing to snail meds I think there is?

 

[CheshireKat]

The two I got were much larger than anticipated so I wonder if they're a lot older?

It's probable. The two I got were larger, older, and had shell damage. Didn't appreciate the store gave me them. Then they died as described a few months later.

 

[LHanna61]

It's probable. The two I got were larger, older, and had shell damage. Didn't appreciate the store gave me them. Then they died as described a few months later.

Aww bummerrrr. I love the things so I hope it's okay :/

 

[CheshireKat]

Aww bummerrrr. I love the things so I hope it's okay :/

Me too. I love having snails. Even if I have had 3 nerites run away/disappear on me.
I hope your snail isn't on his way out! Maybe just going through a phase? Ha. At least it's still eating. Mine didn't.

 

[Cognac82]

I have a blue and a gold mystery snail. I used to have another blue one. Both of the blue ones were in different tanks but at around the same time they both went into a snail coma and went into hiding. For literally a month they stayed in the shell, not eating, not moving, nothing. One died. One suddenly woke up and started ravenously eating and then began breeding with the gold snail. I've had them both for about a year and they have never bred. The gold one is also waaayyyyyy bigger than the blue snail. I kept thinking it was dead so I'd poke it and nope! It went back in the shell and stayed there. I will never understand why they both went dormant around the same time and one died, while the other is apparently feeling frisky. Maybe this is the mystery part of mystery snails?

 

[Dch48]

They don't have a long life span to begin with. They normally last about a year if you get them small. By small I mean about the size of a dime or less. They will grow faster in warmer tanks but will also die sooner. A snail the size of a quarter may have only a few months to go. I had a Magenta one in my Betta tank (temperature a steady 79 F) that was smaller than a dime at first and grew into almost half dollar size and then died after 7 months.

 

[LHanna61]

They don't have a long life span to begin with. They normally last about a year if you get them small. By small I mean about the size of a dime or less. They will grow faster in warmer tanks but will also die sooner. A snail the size of a quarter may have only a few months to go. I had a Magenta one in my Betta tank (temperature a steady 79 F) that was smaller than a dime at first and grew into almost half dollar size and then died after 7 months.

BUMMER-- Both of mine are already golfball sized (giant when I got them from AquaticArts-- not having a lot of positive experiences with them.)

 

[LHanna61]

Update, we have movement! Yesterday the mystery snail finally moved from it's location and is now sticking to the glass again.
Oh happy day!

 

[Orion1066]

Excellent news.