One Shell, Two Snails? o.O

Hi everyone!

I have a 5 gal tank with a betta and 3 mystery snails (plus some Amazon sword plants). I work hard to keep the water quality and so far everyone was thriving. The Betta is very gentle on the snails, sometimes follows them but never "picks" on them.

Anyhow, yesterday I saw two of the snails "cheek to cheek" , no big deal I figured they were mating.

This morning I was horrified to find one empty shell and the snail seemingly inside the other shell with the original snail still in it!!

Furthermore, one of the two snails seems hurt because next to them there's a "piece" of snail ending with the operculum so I think that broke off from one of the two snails!
I also picked up the "empty" shell to check if it was actually empty, and a few "bits" fell out and into the water?

Is this...normal? And...should I throw out that piece w/ the operculum before it rots?

Thanks for the help... I read a lot, went through some threads before posting, but I'm new to this and a bit concerned : /

 

Dead snail.

 

You'll find the snail that as come out of its shell dead, take the broken bit out and take the old shell out then the live snail and remove the dead one from the live and replace the live one

 

Welcome to Fishlore

I do have to wonder what your betta may be up to when you aren't looking. Sometimes that antenna waving around can be tempting to a betta. It could simply be the one snail just died. Sadly it does happen. How long have you had the snails?

Mystery snails will eat just about anything up to and including their dead tank mates. I suspect the one snail died and the reason it looks like it moved over to live in the shell of the other one is because it died and is being eaten.

 

Thanks for the answers!!

Had these for a couple months now, the first two days the betta did try and mess with the snails but after that, he just moves around, sometimes follows them, but never seen him pick on them. I work remotely and the tank is next to me so I keep an eye on him...lol...

So sad, I guess its dead huh...I'll take out the bit and then I'll do what richiep mentions above : / I was kinda hoping they were mating

UPDATE

I took out the shell and the bit.

Then I took out one "alive" snail at a time. They each "close up", then "peek". No trace of the 3rd snail. I think ...maybe between the 2 survivors and the betta, they ate the 3rd one overnight :O

 

Just incase the beta as got a taste for snail I'd keep an eye on the others for a while

 

Hehe thanks : P

They've been happy so far. I'll have another question later on about the two survivors.

Thanks for the help!