If their shell smells rotten and their body is hanging out of it without movement, chances are that your snail has died. Here are some easy fixes you can do yourself so you snail can sink back to the bottom:.
Unstable water parameters are not only dangerous to your snail but also to the rest of the inhabitants. Ammonia and nitrite should be at 0 ppm, while nitrate levels should not exceed 10 ppm. These are the ideal water parameters for golden snails.
To do this, pinch hold your snail from the water surface, turn them upside down, and gently rotate their shell a couple of times. Repeat the last step four to five times while keeping an eye out for any bubbles coming out of their shell. If some bubbles escape, let go of your snail and see if they can sink back to the bottom. Running your filter on full power also consumes more electricity and can stress your fish, so unless your water is extremely polluted, keep your filter on medium to low speed.
If you suspect that the currents are dazing your snail, you could also help them stick to any surface. In normal tank conditions, a golden snail will survive around one year on average. Their lifespan is usually dependent on the quality of the water.
If your snail is stuck due to air bubbles or disorientation, you might have to step in, or your snail will continue to float till they can get help.
A fully grown golden snail can measure up to 3-inches in diameter. Ideally, you should have 1 snail for every 5 gallons of water in your tank. However, you could have more depending on the number of fish in your tank and the water quality.
Snails act as natural filters in freshwater aquariums and help improve the water quality. You go to your aquarium one day and notice that your golden snail is floating. But which one is causing your golden snail to float?
This type of behavior is normal for them and it is the most common reason you see them floating around the aquarium while being alive and well. Holding air in their shells is a conscious decision that the snails make when they want to float. If your small-shelled friends are hungry for some protein film, they may go on a floating quest for food. They will purposefully float to the top of the fish tank and remain attached to the water surface, upside-down.
When the aquarium is well established with some fish, and some live plants or algae, snails will have enough sources of food. Nevertheless, if you have a new fish tank or your established one is populated mainly with snails, you will often see them floating on the top of the water, eating a thin surface film.
Wait a bit, and rule out the possible shock from the change in water parameters before concluding that the snail is dead. The ideal aquarium pH for most aquatic snails would be between 7. The water temperature is best appreciated when in the range of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit from Snails can also be very sensitive to medications in the fish tank.
If you have a sick fish in the aquarium, isolate it in a separate hospital tank and treat it there. Avoid any freshwater fish or critters who are known to consume snails to reduce snail stress. Relying exclusively on freshwater snails to clean up fish waste is dangerous for all the aquarium pets you have, as the Ammonia levels can spike very quickly. Additionally, for better nutrition, you can feed them with blanched vegetables, such as iceberg lettuce and green zucchini squash.
Help it manually. If you have already checked on the above, but your small friends are still floating, you might consider helping them manually. I know some snail owners who even say they are sure that their pet snails float just for fun.
How to tell if my snail is dead? The most certain way to tell if a snail is floating because it died is by examining it closely and smelling it. Once you are sure your snail is dead, you need to remove it from the aquarium as quickly as possible.
A partial change of the water will likely be necessary, as otherwise, you risk the health of the other aquatic inhabitants. If everything seems fine, then accept that your Mystery friend might be having some fun as part of its quirky nature. Tags: Ask Us , evolution , nature , science , snail.
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