Snails hanging out of shells!!

Hi! My snails have been acting weird for a couple of days. I have 2 golden snails and a betta in a 10 gallon tank, and my snails were floating for a few days. I didn't want the betta to harass them so I moved them to separate tanks and put them back when it looked like they were moving again. However, now one of them is floating and the other is at the bottom of the tank not crawling but both of their bodies are "hanging" out of their shells, and I don't know what to do. I know that they are definitely alive because they don't smell terrible (I've had snails before so I've smelled a dead one) and when I take them out and poke them, they retreat. But please help! I have no idea what's wrong with them or how to help them.

I have been doing 25% water changes almost every day and there's still no improvement. My betta is acting fine but I'm not sure what's up with the snails, they were totally fine and active one day then just stopped moving all of a sudden.

They both look like this:


I got an API 5 in 1 test kit and these are my results:


Sometimes they secrete a white slime thing so I think they might be sick but I have no idea what to do... thank you for the help!!

 

Welcome to Fishlore

It appears as though they may be reacting badly to some traces of ammonia and nitrite judging by the picture and the secretion you described. Mystery snails do not do well in uncycled tanks. How long has this tank been set up?

Unfortunately, those test strips are not accurate and they do not test for ammonia so I suggest picking up the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It's a liquid test kit that is far more accurate and cheaper in the long run. As soon as you get it, test your tank water and post your results.

What kind of water conditioner do you use? I suggest Seachem Prime which detoxifies ammonia and nitrite up to 1ppm for 24 hrs.

 

I have had this tank for almost 6 weeks, I think, or longer. They were in a smaller tank with the betta and were also fine before for a few weeks before that as well, and they were totally fine and were crawling around until one day I woke up and they were floating. That's why I'm a bit confused, ebcause I must have done something wrong...

I have API Tap Water Conditioner, it was just the one they recommended at the petstore.

 

When you transferred them to this new tank, did you transfer the filter and/or the filter media from the old tank?

That water conditioner will remove chlorine and chloramines but doesn't have the ability to detox ammonia and nitrite like Seachem Prime. I suggest picking up Prime and the liquid test kit.

 

It had the same type of filter that uses this ( - API Bio-Chem Zorb) that was included in the new tank, but I put a new media in and replaced all the water and cleaned everything to make sure I wasn't putting dirty things in the tank.

Thank you for your suggestion! I will check out the conditioner you suggested but it might be a few days before I get it because I would have to order it online... would the snails make it until then if they've already been like this for a few days? I feel pretty bad =/

 

If you put in a new filter media, then this tank was never cycled. You never want to replace your filter media unless it's falling apart. You only want to rinse it with each water change in removed tank water as the media holds most of the beneficial bacteria that would process the ammonia and nitrite produced by your fish/snails.

Do you have any established seeded media from another tank you can use on this tank (assuming the other tank is cycled)?

I guess what you can do for now is some larger water changes (at least 50%) to reduce the ammonia and nitrite that may be in your water.

 

+1 to everything that has been said.

 

Thank you for all the responses. I have a liquid test kit and tested for ammonia, and it came out mostly yellow and maybe a bit of green, which was the indicator for no traces of ammonia, so I'm not entirely sure what the snails would be reacting to? I've been doing larger water changes and seeing any changes, and the snails are still alive and have been moving a bit more, but they're still not back to how they used to be. Would it still be worth it to order Seachem Prime?

 

I would say yes. My tap runs between .5 - 1+ ammonia, so I use Prime for my standard water conditioner with every water change to make that safe until the BB gets through it. Never a bad thing to have on hand just in case too.

I'm glad to hear they're moving around more. Mine will sometimes end up sleeping like that, like if they're asleep on something and fall off, or just half wake up and decide, eh, it's too much work to head back all the way, I'm safe here.

 

The slight green color indicates 0.25ppm ammonia to me which would indicate an uncycled tank. What about nitrite and nitrates?

I'd still get Prime to detoxify the ammonia and nitrite til your beneficial bacteria colonizes again.