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Aquarium snails are a popular addition to many fish tanks. They are valuable members of your tank clean up crew while being easy-care inhabitants. But just how easy is it to tell if one of them has died?
Although this is not always obvious there are a few simple pointers to help you decide whether your aquatic snail is dead or just sleeping.
Below are the main signs to look out for/check if you think that a snail might be dead.
Things To Check If You Think Your Aquarium Snail Might Be Dead
- The snail hasn’t moved position in the last 24-48 hours – Unless the species of snail you keep naturally hibernates for long periods of time most snails don’t sleep continuously for this long. So it’s worth checking out the natural sleeping cycle for your particular snail species before assuming that it has died.
- The snail is floating – A floating snail is not necessarily a sign that it’s dead. Some snails float now and again depending on species. Some even float upside down. For example, Ramshorn snails do this regularly to come up to the surface to breathe in air. Check to see if this is normal behaviour for your particular snail species. Your snail could literally just be taking a breather.
- The snail shell has thinned/disintegrated/has holes – If a snail’s shell becomes severely damaged through accident, or thinned by an inadequate diet (particularly calcium deficiency), it’s likely to die. A damaged shell leaves the fleshy part of the snail open to infection and attack. But even the shell of a snail that’s lived a healthy life can start to disintegrate after the snail has died.
- The snail has shrivelled/shrunk deeply into the shell – If you think that your snail maybe dead remove it from the water to examine the inside of the shell. If the body of the snail is shrunken, discoloured and no longer looks plump and fleshy it’s probably dead.
- The snail is hanging out of the shell – Some species of aquatic snails have some of their soft body outside of the shell. Rabbit (aka Elephant) snails are a good example of this type of snail. But if your snail is usually encased in its shell, with very little of its body on the outside, it shouldn’t be hanging out. If it is, and it’s not been moving, it’s likely to be dead.
- The snail smells bad – Remove the snail that you think maybe dead from the tank to examine it. Most aquarium snails are fine out of water for at least a short period of time. In fact some, like the Nerite Snail, naturally spend time above the water level. Give the shell a ‘sniff’ to see if it smells rotten. If it smells of decay then your snail has died.
- Empty snail shell – This is the most obvious indication that you have lost one of your aquatic snails. If the body is not in the shell then the snail has died. The snail’s body has either rotted away or has been eaten by the other tank inhabitants.
Tip: Empty snail shells can be used as decoration in your aquarium. They can also be used as ‘homes’ for small shell dwelling fish. And crushed snail shells can help to make soft water harder by raising the pH level as the shells disintegrate.
If You’re Not Sure Then Give The Snail A Chance
If you’re not sure whether the snail is dead or alive you can put it into a separate container for a further 24 hours to see what happens. Use some of your tank water in the container and cover it so that the snail can’t escape when you’re not able to watch it. If the snail still hasn’t moved after another day, or it begins to smell bad, then unfortunately the snail has died. It’s often worth giving the snail a chance just in case it was sleeping or hibernating.
7 Reasons Why Aquarium Snails Die
1 Starvation – Probably the most common cause for an aquarium snail’s death is starvation. Despite snails being great at cleaning up by eating algae and leftover food they do need feeding in their own right. So you need to make sure they have an additional food source such as algae wafers, sinking pellets and/or fresh vegetables. Although you should never overfeed your tank, you do need to make sure that all of it’s inhabitants have enough to eat.
2 Poor Tank Conditions – Lack of tank maintenance leads to poor living conditions. Without regular cleaning/water changes the levels of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite build up in the water. High levels of these toxins will kill snails and their tankmates.
3 Incorrect Temperature – Different types of snails are suited to different water temperature ranges. Make sure that your tank heater is set correctly for the type of aquarium snail that you are keeping. Some snails don’t need a heater at all. Check what temperature is best suited to your snail species.
4 Lack Of Oxygen – A lot of aquarium snails never leave the water. But the water still needs to contain enough oxygen to keep them alive. It’s important to make sure that the tank water is being oxygenated through filtration and/or a water movement device e.g. an air stone or similar. If you keep snails that need to come out of the water leave a gap between the water level and the top of the tank glass (for this type of snail it’s best to have a lidded tank to prevent the snails from escaping).
5 Injury/Attack – Some aquarium fish will attack and even eat snails. Damage to a snail’s shell can lead to death. And being pulled out of the shell and being eaten is definitely the end for the snail. Choose your snail’s tankmates carefully or you will find that your snails are targets for hungry/predatory fish.
6 Copper And Salt – Copper is just as deadly to snails as it is to most aquarium invertebrates. You need to check the ingredients on any food you add to the tank. Make sure that any copper content is safe for your snails.
A lot of aquarium medications contain copper too. So if you need to medicate your fish you will need to remove/rehome your snails and other invertebrates until any treatment that contains copper is over. Then you need to make sure the tank is copper/medication free before putting your snails back in.
Also, if your fish need some kind of salt treatment you’ll have to remove your freshwater snails. Salt will ‘burn’ their fleshy body and they will die.
7 Old Age – Aquarium nails can live for several years depending on species. But even a well cared for snail will naturally come to the end of its life. Lifespans for snails vary, so it’s best to get an idea of how long your chosen snail might live when you buy it. However, if you’ve taken good care of your snail, and it’s lived a long life, you’ll have the pleasure of knowing that you did your best for it.
