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FAQs on Freshwater Aquarium Snail Disease/Health

Related Articles: Snails and Freshwater Aquariums, Invertebrates for Freshwater Aquariums by Neale Monks,

Not good...

Growth on Snail Shell – 09/08/08
My kids have had their freshwater aquarium snail for almost two years. It is just a small grayish snail they got free when they bought fish. Cloudy has light tan, stringy stuff which appears to be just growing on its shell. At first it just looked a little fuzzy. I know almost nothing about snails, but the snail itself appears to be acting and looking normal. Can we get rid of the growth?
<Mmmm, yes...>
Is it safe to put the snail back in a tank with fish, assuming we can treat it?

We do not have a fancy set up, just a 10 gallon tank and a few small goldfish, in addition to the snail. Thank you!
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Algae on My Snail, Causing Me Discomfort - 02/07/2007
<Hi there! Mich here tonight.>
My snail has algae all over it, it can't be good for it.
<It's really not detrimental to it.>
What do I do?
<If it really bothers you, you can remove it with a little manual manipulation, perhaps with a paper towel. Hope that helps. -Mich>

Apple snail - Maybe sick, definitely stressed, please help! 11/3/07
Hello,
<Hello.>
I have an apple snail that has a problem. I know I haven't been the best mom to it, but I would like to learn how to make it well, if at all possible.
This is my first snail, and it's brand new to me, so what little I know about snails I have learned very recently on the internet.
<Hmm... there are many articles, even books about Apple snails; so reading around the topic should help.>
I bought the snail last week to help keep a 10 gallon tank clean.
<Doesn't work this way. No animal "keeps a tank clean". They all make a tank dirtier. Imagine you had a live-in housekeeper for your home. That person might clean up the dishes and vacuum the carpet, but that person would also be eating food, drinking water, taking baths, going to the lavatory and so on. In other words, while your home might actually look a little tidier to you, it is actually now twice as dirty as before.>
The tank is used for breeding Bettas. (I'm a beginner at Betta breeding, too, but so many online resources have been helpful with that!) The tank is about half full of water. The water was filtered through a Brita, treated with a little aquarium salt, Stress Coat, and Top Fin Bacteria Supplement, then allowed to rest for three days before the addition of anything alive.
<Apple snails do not like salt. Various medications used to treat fish are harmful to snails, so only add things you know are specifically safe with invertebrates.>
The water has kept a steady 79 degrees Fahrenheit since starting.
<Far too warm for all-year maintenance. Apple snails require alternating warm and cool periods otherwise they become noticeably short lived. Typically when kept in tropical tanks Apple snails last about a year. In the wild they live more than 4 years. Something in the 20-25C (68-77F) range is about right. This is a bit cooler than Bettas prefer, and one reason why the two species are fundamentally incompatible.>
I am using a disposable carbon filter that hooks up to the air pump, which is pumping in a very very slow, steady stream of bubbles.
<Carbon filters are garbage. Carbon was used in the Dark Ages of fishkeeping to remove dissolved organic materials that turned water yellow over time. This was a problem because people avoided water changes like the plague, doing as little as 10% per month, on the assumption "old water" was best. We now routinely do 50% water changes per week. The prime job of carbon in the modern hobby is to extract money from inexperienced aquarists. While it has some value for certain jobs, such as removed leftover medications before introducing sensitive fish, 99% of the time it is redundant. What you need is a real filter that supports biological filtration. A plain vanilla sponge filter should be just fine.>
There are three plants. I don't know their scientific names, but at the store one was labeled a sword plant, one a banana plant, and the third I don't know the name of.
<Hmm... the Swordplant is presumably Echinodorus sp.; the Banana plant is Nymphoides sp., a species legendarily difficult to keep alive. While they aren't impossible to keep, they are picky about their environment. You need to identify the species. Some like warm water and will die in cold water, but there are cold water species that die in warm water! Soft, acidic water seems to be a prerequisite. As for the 'mystery plant' you need to be careful here; a LOT of aquarium shops sell terrestrial plants such as Dracaena and Chlorophytum spp. as aquatic plants. Needless to say, they die.>
The snail and all three plants came from the same plant tank at the same store.
<Ok.>
When I first added the plants and snail, the snail was thrilled. It moved around quickly sometimes, and lingered on a plant or tank wall sometimes. It explored all the features of the tank. It seemed very happy. The plants got a bit chewed up, but I don't mind. It did produce what I thought was a huge amount of feces, appearing like a lot of black dots, often connected together by strands of mucous.
<Apple snails will, do eat aquarium plants.>
I added the pair of Bettas and they spawned on Sunday. The snail crawled up into the bubble nest and ate a bunch of eggs. I tried to gently knock it out, but it was determined to stay.
<It's a snail. It's learning abilities are minimal.>
I let it be for a while, but got really concerned when the collection of eggs in the nest was visibly smaller. I knocked the snail out of the nest (gently) and scooped it out of the tank into what I had available. Unfortunately, this was one of those flat sided half gallon bowls, half filled with Brita-filtered water. (I use the Brita because I live in an area where the water is recycled, I am concerned about what additives might be in my water. Straight from the tap, it has an unpleasant, strongly mineral and chloriney taste.)
<Not an issue. Add dechlorinator. The water will be fine for both fish and snail. For a 10 gallon tank you need to be doing 50% water changes per week. Producing 5 gallons of water through a drinking water filter will be ludicrously expensive. It's also pointless. Do not use water from a domestic water softener either. Just plain vanilla tap water with dechlorinator will be fine.>
The water is at room temperature, 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I fed it some lettuce and fish food. I don't know how much it ate, but it did climb the side and hang out just at the surface. It floated for a while, which didn't worry me after I researched this and found that if the door is closed tightly, floating is normal behavior.
<Not really normal for the species in general. Often a sign the snail has been harassed, perhaps by nippy fish.>
Well. The Betta fry are now free swimming, so I thought the snail might like to go back in the tank with the plants. I have been feeding the fish fry on small amounts of boiled egg yolk, infusoria, and baby brine shrimp.
Unfortunately, upon return to the tank the snail began to appear lethargic and swollen. That was last night. The snail's flesh still looks firm, coral pink and whitish, as it always has. But it will neither fully retract nor come all the way out. It's just sitting there, half in and half out. I worried that it might be dead or dying, and cause harm to the fry, so I changed the water in the quarantine bowl and returned the snail to it. I did not add any salt or fish treatments to the quarantine.
<Absolutely DO NOT keep this snail with your fish. It may well be dying, in which case its death will rapidly pollute the water.>
I read on your site that calcium and bicarbonate of soda are good additions for apple snails, so I added a pinch of baking soda, and cut a small piece off a calcium supplement and added it too. (It also contains vitamin D, is that OK?) I also added a small amount of food.
<No, no, no. Calcium carbonate is a supplement needed for shell formation. Mostly these snails extract it just fine from the food they eat. They have a great fondness for bits of crustacean exoskeleton, so next time you eat some shrimp, stick a bit of the skeleton from one into the snail aquarium. But that all said, if there's a lack of calcium carbonate, the snail doesn't become sick overnight. What happens is you notice pits on the shell as the snail has problems laying down new shell as it grows. This takes months to become visible. Randomly adding supplements to the water without having an idea what is actually wrong is kind of like a doctor prescribing a patient the first drug he pulls out of his bag.>
While moving the snail back to quarantine, I gently pressed on its shell door to see if it closed. It did not. I think it's swollen open for some reason. I see plenty of somewhat normal-looking folds of flesh, but I don't see eyes or antennae. They seem to be tucked inside, but most other parts are outside. I don't see any movement. On a bright note, the snail did not stink, so perhaps it is not dead, but simply really stressed out from being moved back and forth and back and forth.
<Snails don't really mind being moved about. They're amphibious to some degree, and move from pond to pond during rainstorms and floods.>
What can I do to help this unhappy creature?
<Keep in its own optimised aquarium.>
Did I simply buy an already
sick snail, and stress it beyond its limits with too-frequent moves?
<No idea. But restoring to proper aquarium conditions should help. Keep at moderate temperature, provide ample green foods, do copious water changes, and don't randomly add stuff to the water.>
Thanks for any advice you can offer,
Mary
<Cheers, Neale>

Re: Apple snail - Maybe sick, definitely stressed, please help! 11/14/07
Thanks!
Unfortunately, the snail didn't make it. Next time I try raising invertebrates, I'll get them their own tank!
Mary
<Hello Mary. Not surprised by this outcome. Please do read up on livestock before purchase. Your life (and theirs) will be much easier. Cheers, Neale.>

Sick Snail 10/21/07
I think my snail is sick. I've only had him for a week, and he seemed to be doing fine. His shell has even grown a 1/4 of an inch. He was moving around the tank and appeared to be acting normal, and then 10 minutes later he was up at the top floating. I know snails do sometimes float, but his body was just hanging out of his shell. I promptly removed him from the tank and put him in a smaller container. When I picked him up he did not close up. He will occasionally move his antenna or stick out his siphon, so he is still alive, but he's just floating with his body hanging out. I really don't want to lose my snail. Is there anything I can do?
Thank you.
<Hi Shelby, I need some information here. What kind of snail? What sort of tank is he in? What is the water chemistry (specifically, hardness and pH). What is the temperature? What is the water quality (nitrite level, at the very least). What sort of filtration do you use? What else lives in his tank? These are all things we need to know. But broadly, "medicating" snails is impossible at the present time. However, most snail sickness seems to follow on from environmental issues. So if you happen to know what kind of snail you have (apple snails, Ramshorn snail, Colombian Ramshorn, Nerite snails, etc.) then review the conditions you're keeping it in, and see they match the tolerances of that species of snail. Cheers, Neale>

Re: Sick Snail 10/21/07
Thanks for the reply. The snail is an apple snail, in a 2.5 gallon Minibow tank with a betta. I use a Whisper filter that came with the tank that has a medium sized bio-bag filter.. The temperature is 79, but does drop down during the night. Nitrite and Nitrate levels were at 0, Hardness was 150, Alkalinity was 300, and pH was 7.8. I bought a pH decreaser since the alkalinity and pH were high. The snail has attached himself to the side of the container, and has withdrawn mostly into his shell. Hopefully he'll be okay.
<For a start, stop using the pH-down adjuster. Unless you're also using soft water (not from a domestic softener, but RO water or rain water) then adjusting the pH is pointless... and potentially dangerous! Leave the water hard and alkaline. Your Betta doesn't mind, and your Apple snail prefers it. Also bear in mind Apple snails are *subtropical* not tropical animals, and don't live a long time when kept too warm. I'd keep them no higher than 25C/77F. My guess would be a combination of excessive heat and fluctuating water chemistry is the factor here. Do also watch the relationship between the Betta and the snail; Bettas have been known to nip at snails, damaging them. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Sick Snail 10/23/07
Just to clarify, the pH decreaser was not used previous to the snail getting sick. I only purchased it after he got sick, but thanks for letting me know to not use it.
I just wanted to let you know that after more testing, I'm almost positive the culprit was Copper in the water. The snail is now back in the tank with what I hope is copper free water, and he is slowly acting more and more like his old self.
Thanks for all the help.
<Ah, copper can be toxic to invertebrates. Most freshwater snails couldn't care less, but Apple snails are an exception. For the time being, keep doing water changes, and with luck this will flush the copper concentration down below the critical level. Do also watch the temperature: Apple snails are *subtropical* animals, and prefer slightly cooler conditions than that enjoyed by many tropical fish. 22-24 C is fine. If kept too warm, they end up dying prematurely. This is one reason (of many) why they shouldn't be kept with tropical fish. Good luck, Neale> <<Copper is an effective molluscicide... a killer of all snails and their kin. RMF>>

Snail problems 10/11/07
Hi - I have a problem with an unspecified aquarium snail. We purchased a 1.5 gallon tank, put 2 small fish and a snail in it All were doing really well until we cleaned the tank 2 weeks ago. Now the snail - a blonde coloured one, maybe 1.5" - has bubbles all over it and there is a mystery film floating in my tank. I think the snail had a baby ( I saw it when we cleaned the tank but haven't seen it since we put it back in after cleaning.
The big sick? snail lost part of its shell when I was putting it back and has not been eating as voraciously. I know nothing about fish/snails and only purchased/maintain the tank because it soothes my mother in law who lives with us and is dying of terminal cancer. Please help. I have been all over the web trying to find pictures and info on what could possibly be wrong with this poor little snail. Thx
<Hmm... difficult to answer this one. The bubbles on a snail shell could be caused by a variety of things. Changes in temperature will cause oxygen to come out of solution, and the resulting bubbles can stick to objects, especially ones with algae on. Bubbles can also be caused by different kinds of microbial activity. For the most part, I wouldn't worry too much if the snail is obviously still healthy. If the snail is sick and not moving about, then I'd be tempted to remove it and painlessly destroy it. A dead, rotting snail will be a major problem in your aquarium. It normally isn't practical to "treat" snails because we know virtually nothing about their physiology. Now, the big problem here is a 1.5 gallon fish tank isn't a fish tank at all. It's a small bucket. Long term, unless you're an experienced fishkeeper, this is going to end badly. The minimum tank for an inexperienced fishkeeper should be a 10 gallon tank. This is because the smaller the tank, the less stable it is, and the more easily problems will spiral out of control. Please do read this article on beginner's tanks: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwset-up.htm . One last thing; as someone who's watched their own mother die from cancer not so long ago, I know how difficult these times can be. So good luck with it all. Cheers, Neale>

Black Mystery Snail, hlth. 7/5/07
Hello to the operators of WWM,
<Hello.>
I found your site using Google because I was searching for information on injuries to black mystery snails. I tried to do as you requested and search the listings, but I couldn't find an answer to my specific issue. I found my snail this afternoon leaning back with his door wide open.
His body was exposed and I thought that perhaps he had been eaten by my shark. However, when I removed him from the water and touched his exposed body he attempted to close the door, so I suspect that he is still alive. This is when I noticed what the problem was. Although his muscle (body?) is still attached to the door, the hinge part where it attaches to the shell is broken. I set him back inside the tank upright, but I am concerned that he will not be able to open the door and crawl around to get air or to eat. Is this injury fatal and if not, what can I do to assist him in his recovery?
<To start with, apple snails are only very rarely good additions to a tank with fish. Small fish peck at them, bigger fish bite them. Either way, the snail gets damaged. When a snail "gapes" as you're describing, it is usually very sick. A healthy snail will either be moving about or closed up tightly -- there's nothing in between. Just like buying clams or mussels from the fishmongers, really. But there are some other factors to consider. For one thing, apple snails naturally aestivate for part of the year, and one reason they don't last long in aquaria is they don't get this resting period. The common species are also subtropical rather than tropical, so if the tank is too warm, that will stress them. It's important it has ample breathing space above the tank, to the degree that it can crawl out of the water if it wants. Water chemistry is very important, as these snails (like most others) prefer water that is hard and alkaline. Snails cannot really repair damage to their shells or operculum because of the way these structures are laid down by the mantle (the shell secreting tissue). At best, they can patch up the area near the growing margin. So I doubt your snail will "repair" its operculum (the trapdoor) if the damage is severe. I'd highly recommend moving your apple snail to a hospital tank. A dead snail rapidly pollutes the aquarium, and you don't want that. In the meantime, try and get hold of Perera & Walls (1996) 'Apple Snails in the Aquarium' by TFH -- possibly the single best book for the science and husbandry of these (and other) aquarium snails.>
Thank you for your assistance,
<You're welcome.>
Caleb
<Cheers, Neale>

Snail on its side, Betta comp. 5/2/07
I have a Ramshorn snail (Leisel) that has been laying on "her" side the past two days. I thought she was dead, so I pulled her out and pushed on her foot. She retracted way up into her shell, so I put her back down in the bowl upright, and a few hours later she leaning way over again. I noticed my betta (Seth) has been really "chummy" with Leisel, and is always right up next to her. I'm hoping Seth didn't eat off one of her eyes, and now she won't come out! (do bettas do that?)
<Sometimes, yes...>
Leisel looked really healthy the other day, trucking around faster than I've ever seen a snail move! Do you think she's dying?

If so, what can I do to save her!
Thanks,
Faith
<Do try placing this snail in its own glass jar... with water from the tank (to keep it separated from the Betta)... with a bit/sprig of floating plant if you have this... feeding it a bit of sinking food every few days, dumping the water out and replacing the next day... replacing with water from the Betta tank... and see if its health, behaviour improve. Bob Fenner>

Dead Snail 4/22/07
Hi,
<Hi Jen, Pufferpunk here (my name's Jeni too!)>
I got home tonight and went to feed the fish in my 10 gal and saw my Ivory Mystery Snail's shell on the floor of the tank. He is up in the corner...not moving at all. I think he might be dead but I don't want to give up on him. He has only been in there a month or so and was doing fine. The only thing I did differently today then any other day was clean the tank...I am hoping the stress of that did not make him come out of his shell and if he is still alive, for how long and will his shell grow back?
<I'd take him out ASAP! There is nothing that will foul your tank & kill everything in it, faster then a dead snail! You can tell, because they have the worst odor you'll ever smell in your life. Snails do not crawl out of their shell & then make another one. How did you "clean" the tank exactly? (Please be sure to use proper capitalization in your letters. I corrected this one for you, so we can post it in our FAQs.) ~PP>
Thank you so much!! Jen

Re: Ivory Mystery Snail - 04/22/07
Hi Pufferpunk,
<Hi Jen>
I used a sponge & cleaned all the green algae off the sides. We had an infestation of "the little snails that won't die." Not sure what they are called, they showed up when I put the plants in. I totally cleaned the tank and got the Ivory Mystery Snail. That's when the green algae showed up. I think the little snails kept it in check. I am not sure what to do, he is still moving...kinda...
<The snail cannot live without a shell. He will only pollute the tank. I deleted your message with the pictures. They were overloading our bandwidth --way too large. ~PP>
Thank you SOOO much, Jen

Re: Ivory Mystery Snail. Euthanizing a Snail 4/22/07
So, Should I just take him out of the tank? What is the most humane way to take care of him? I re-sized the pics, I hope they work. Jen


Re: Ivory Mystery Snail. Getting Rid of Pond Snails 4/22/07
Thank you for all your help. I opened the tank tonight and he was right at the opening and MAN did he smell bad. He was no longer moving and when I touched him with the fish net he just fell off. So I flushed him.
<I'd do a 50% water change now. That dead snail has been polluting your tank.>
I think I am done with snails for now. Now if I could just get the "snails that won't die" to go away I would be a lot happier. Any ideas on that?
<Now begins the tedious job of picking them out 1 by 1. As soon as you see any eggs, scrape them off. ~PP>
Jen

Black Mystery snail in trouble 4/9/07
Hi,
 I have had a 5 gallon tank with a cherry barb, a zebra danio, and a black mystery snail for over a year. The snail has grown to almost the size of the palm of my hand
<Is not a "Mystery" snail then... maybe a "Baseball", "Apple"... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm>
and is usually very healthy. This weekend, my husband and I went out of town and left a weekend feeder in the tank.
<Most of these are white, chunky masses of dubious food value, not-so-doubtful sources of outright pollution...>
We've had warm weather for the past few weeks and were not aware of the cold front that was moving in over the weekend. The central air was on, instead of the heat, and I am not sure how cold it got in the house. When we returned, the temperature of the water in the tank was reading below 64 degrees,
<The tank itself should have a heater...>
and our little pets did not appear to be doing so well. The zebra danio was fine, the cherry barb was stuck in an overturned decoration at the bottom of the tank, and the black mystery snail was curled up, half in and half out of his shell at the bottom of the tank. We rescued the cherry barb, and he seems to be returning to normal, but the snail is not looking very good. For several hours he remained in the same position (the only thing moving were his antennae and I could not tell whether he was alive or the water current was just moving them around).
<You'll know if this animal perishes... They have a signature stench... plus the poor behavior of its tankmates>
He began to unfold very slowly, but seemed to be caught in the same position with his shell resting on the bottom of the tank and his foot facing the wall of the tank, unable to turn himself right side up. The next time I saw him, he was further out of his shell, but there was a large (about the size of a quarter) air bubble under part of his skin.
<Bad sign... decomposition>
 It seems that the air bubble is keeping him trapped in that position, but I think he is too heavy to float to the top. The skin around the air bubble seems to be thinning, and he looks like he's about to pop. We brought him to the surface of the water, to see if he would let the air bubble out, but he folded himself over and the air was trapped in. He is obviously alive for now, but I am worried he might not be for long. Is there anything we can do? Thank you so much for this site, and for your help,
 Amber
<May be for naught... but I might try "popping" this bubble area (with a straight pin)... to release the gas. Bob Fenner>

My apple snail has broken her shell 1/19/07
Hi there
<And to you>
I have a big apple snail in an open-style paludarium. She went mountain-climbing last night, and I woke after hearing her land on the kitchen floor (I've been burgled recently so I'm a bit sensitive to noises in the night).
<Yikes!>
She's damaged the back part of her shell. I put her back in the tank and she has moved around since then, not much but she is definitely still alive.

She's quite big now, probably about 5cms in diameter. I was wondering if maybe there was something I could glue onto her shell that would seal it up, but at the same time, wouldn't hurt her. A little bit of her body is sticking out the hole.
<Yes... I would dry the outside of the shell off a bit, and apply a thin sheen of "super glue" (cyanoacrylate) about the cracked area... even on to the bit of exposed flesh>
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanking you in advance!
Kind regards
Fran
<Am hopeful for a complete recovery. Bob Fenner>

A sick freshwater tank (Betta and unknown snail) 1/14/07
Hi WWM,
<Hey Lucy, JustinN with you today.>
I have read your FAQs on snails and Bettas and searched for information generally on the web and could still use some guidance on my sick tank if someone please has any time!
<Of course, Lucy. Is what we're here for.>
I have one Betta who I've had for nearly a year now. I've just got him back from a friend who kept him for me while I was away for 6 weeks, and had to clean out a lot of moldy food from the bottom of the bowl. Now he has a spot on his forehead that looks like it's lost it's scale and there's even a bit of blood showing. There are also two opaque scales on one side (not visible in the photo, but could possibly be related to the spot on his head). This does not look like fin rot to me, nor Ich, and, as it's a round bowl with a live plant, I can't think of how he could have cut himself to invite a fungal infection.
<Mmm, is none of the above. The symptoms you describe are likely completely environmental. Bowls are not really appropriate for the keeping of Bettas, they really need a space more in the range of 2 to 3 gallons minimum, with some sort of adequate filtration and heating provided. Stability is the key here, and a bowl simply does not provide that. Please read through here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm and the files linked in blue above.>
I use an anti-bacterial already in the bowl (have tried both 'Betta Fix' and 'Broad Spectrum Medication for Fish' - the latter includes mafenide HCl, Aminacrine HCl and malachite green), and I keep a lamp over the top to keep him warm.
<When you say that you already use an anti-bacterial agent in the bowl, do you mean that you are always prophylactically treating your Betta? This is not a good idea, it will weaken the immune system of your Betta when being used unnecessarily, and when coupled with the small, unstable environment, this leads me to believe that your Betta is living in a very uncycled system. See here for more on tank cycling: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and the files linked in blue above.>
Should I give him a salt bath and, if so, won't it hurt the open wound he seems to have? I'd hate to try it for the first time with fatal consequences!
<Your problem is not a disease, Lucy. You need to get your Betta into appropriate quarters, and he will perk right back up in no time!>
Secondly, a few days ago I purchased a snail (not sure what type, possibly a smooth turban snail, judging from the pictures in google?).
<Looks like a common 'Apple snail' to me.>
He lies inert all day, either closed or partly open, like in the attached picture, with lots of mucous coming off him.
<Not good.>
Usually in the mornings, I find him floating at the surface of the tank, like his shell has filled with air.
<Also not good.>
I read that it hurts snails to be on their backs, so have been pulling him out so the air comes out and dropping him back in the tank, right-way up. I've changed the water once in a few days and am happy to do it again, but if there's something that's upsetting both snail and Betta, I'd like to fix them both (especially if the tank/conditions is the problem). Would adding salt help them both, for instance, or would that help the Betta but not the snail?
<Adding salt to the bowl would completely kill your snail, which is likely on its way out anyway. By adding the snail to this already unstable environment, which is complete with medications in the water, you have poisoned it and likely doomed it. Most, if not all, effective medications will harm or kill invertebrate life. I recommend you remove the snail before it gets any worse, chances are its already losing the battle. Next, at least in the interim, perform 25 to 50% water changes in your bowl every couple of days until you can equip yourself with an aquarium with proper filtration and heating, and begin its cycling process. Fix your environment, and you'll fix your Betta right up!>
Any help would be most appreciated!
Lucy
<I apologize if I've been a bit of a downer here, Lucy, but knowledge is crucial. Aquarium salt may help your Betta in small amounts, but I would be wary of trying to balance salt content in a bowl, as small and unstable as it would be. I certainly hope this helps you out! -JustinN>

Re: A sick freshwater tank (Betta and unknown snail) 1/14/07
Hi Justin -
<Lucy>
Not a downer at all! An answer is just what I needed. Thanks so much for getting back to me, will work on the environment!
<Excellent, glad to hear it.>
Many thanks,
Lucy
<Do keep in touch, Lucy! Good luck! -JustinN>

Tadpole Snails gone wrong, env. 12/30/06
Hi Crew,
<Nadia>
I have read through most of the snail pages on your site, and used the Google Search Bar, but haven't gotten an answer to my questions. I recently decided to get some tadpole snails (also called pond snails on some sites) for fun.
<Physa species...>
I got five, each less than a centimeter long. I made a nice home for them, that I believe is large enough, by filling up a glass container with water, putting down gravel, and I even bought them a "peacock fern" which they crawl all over (photo attached).
<Won't open for me...>
They seemed to be doing well enough, but something went wrong and now I have a few questions.
First, I thought they might not have enough food, so I bought a pack of sinking food wafers.
<Good>
 I chose the tropical fish food wafers rather than the algae wafers at the pet store purely because they were smaller and honestly, they had like the same ingredients. They seemed to eat some of the wafer, but I got some algae wafers from my friend to try to see if they liked that better. I'm not sure, but I think they hardly ate any of it. Is there some reason why they would prefer the regular wafers over the algae wafers?
<Better tasting? Many snails prefer "animal material" over vegetable of different sorts>
It could be just because the first company made better wafers than the second, I suppose. I also thought it might be because they seemed to have laid eggs that night. Could that cause them to ignore food?
<Yes>
The next day, I noticed that my fern was suddenly wilting. It's only about a week old, and I figure it's because it's more of a high maintenance plant than I realized, or I needed fertilizer sooner than I realized (which I will fix immediately) but I was wondering if it could have to do with the snails.
<Mmm, much more likely due to water conditions... this system is cycled?>
The water got cloudy real fast with some light gook collecting on top which hadn't happened before, and I had just changed some of the water. All my snails were alive, so it wasn't a dead one decomposing, and I'm wondering if it was the fern dying, the algae wafer they didn't eat (though the other wafers didn't cloud like this) or something having to do with the snails laying eggs/mating.
<Could all be inter-related... the snails perhaps reproducing out of stress to a degree... perhaps the availability of food...>
Also, perhaps due to the dirty water, three of my five little snails jumped during the night, and they had been perfectly content before, no sign of jumping previously. They were completely dried out when I found them, and I put them back in water, hoping they would rehydrate and come out, but no sign yet. Could it just be the dirty water?
<Mmm, yes... not cycled... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwset-up.htm
and the linked files above>
I was also wondering if the size of the jar and the food limitations would inhibit the growth of baby snails.
<Yes>
 Would they not grow, or would they ridiculously crowd the jar?
<Could do both/either>
If so, I should remove the eggs I see and freeze them then dispose of them, right?
<Yes, if you wish to dispose of them>
My jar, obviously, is not large enough for me to put in an animal that would eat the young (I read that even for the tiniest shrimp, I would need a quarter of a gallon).
I'm sorry that my email got so long, but I can't seem to find the answers anywhere, and I'm floundering because my little snail home seems to be completely falling apart all at once. They were really cute and were fun to watch playing together, and I'd be kinda sad if I had to just throw everything out due to my ineptitude. Any advice you could give would be incredibly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch!
Nadia
<This bowl is not "cycling" biologically... Please read where you were referred to above... and look for larger jars (we have a treasure of one gallon ones nowadays... which I would have "flipped" for as a youngster... from big containers of pickles et al... Or a "real" aquarium... Bob Fenner>

My snail is dying 12/12/06
<Hi Leslie>
I wish you could help me.

My beautiful snail which I love very much because he is so beautiful and graceful is dying because his shell is dissolving very rapidly.
<I'm so sorry.>
What causes that and what if anything can be done about it?
<I'm assuming this is a freshwater species we are talking about. I am not really familiar with fresh water so I'm going out on a limb here, but I think the shell may be dissolving because the water is too soft. If you have access to water that does not go through a water softener, it may help the situation. Basically you want water with some mineral content.>
I noticed it beginning to happen and I dreaded it but I just didn't know what to do about it.
<I don't know if it will help the current situation, but you could try adding a little sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and a calcium supplement to the water to increase the water hardness, if mineralized water is not available.>
I put a lot of that Novaqua stress reducer stuff in for a dying fish and maybe that had something to do with the ultra rapid deterioration of the snail's shell.

Can you help me at all?

Thanking you in advance for your offering of any helpful information. Even if you can't offer help, at least if you could explain what's happening to his shell it would make me feel a little better to at least know.
<Unfortunately I am not the best one to answer your questions, but I think I am the only one here right now. Hopefully someone with more experience in this area will also chime in.>
(I'm crying right now!)
<I'm so very sorry. -Mich>
 Sincerely,
 Leslie

My snail is dying Redux - 12/12/06
I wish you could help me. My beautiful snail which I love very much because he is so beautiful and graceful is dying because his shell is dissolving very rapidly. What causes that and what if anything can be done about it? I noticed it beginning to happen and I dreaded it but I just didn't know what to do about it. I put a lot of that Novaqua stress reducer stuff in for a dying fish and maybe that had something to do with the ultra rapid deterioration of the snail's shell. Can you help me at all? Thanking you in advance for your offering of any helpful information. Even if you can't offer help, at least if you could explain what's happening to his shell it would make me feel a little better to at least know. (I'm crying right now!)
 Sincerely,
 Leslie
<<Hey Leslie, JustinN with you this morning. I noticed your post about your snail, and thought I'd chime in a bit as well. I would agree with Mich that it sounds as if there's a lack of calcium and minerals in your water provided for the snail. One quick and simple solution is to add a clean cuttlebone to the tank for the snail. This should help him out some. Hope this helps you! Good luck! -JustinN

Re: Tom: Snail update and hang-on filter trick - 12/04/06
Hello Tom,
<<Hello again, Rachel.>>
I wanted to update you on the cuttlefish bone addition for my mystery snail.
<<Updates are always welcome, Rachel.>>
The bone seems to be very slowly dissolving into the water, and his shell has stopped deteriorating. The tank's pH has not changed. Once in a while I notice the snail munching while on the bone, but I couldn't say whether he's munching the bone or a bit of algae off the surface. I don't see any tell-tale teeth marks. Worth noting, though, is the fact that he did chew with gusto on one of those terrible plaster "vacation feeders." The pet store had run out of automatic feeders... thankfully I got my family to bring me an automatic feeder just in time for break, and I pulled the awful plaster thing out of my tank! But anyway, the bone seems to have served its purpose.
<<I’ve never used a vacation feeder but, since plaster is largely composed of calcium sulfate, perhaps yours wasn’t so “terrible” after all or, at the least, your snail knows something we don’t. :) >>
I also wanted to pass on a trick I discovered for my Whisper Micro in-tank filter. My tank is a MiniBow kit and I've written in before about a few modifications that can be made to these kits to make them quieter and healthier. One more! I had some leftover filter sponge from covering the intake of the filter, so I slipped a piece behind the filter body. It helps keep the filter from resting on the tank wall (which it's not supposed to do anyway; the suction cup is supposed to prop it up but it's too flat) so the vibrations and noise are greatly reduced. I also padded the hook that hangs the filter from the tank's lip with a bit of sponge. Sounds much better! And it feels better too now that the tank isn't vibrating, for me since this tank sits on my desk, and hopefully for Terrence the Betta inside too.
<>
Thanks for your help, Tom!
Rachel
<<Happy to have been of assistance, Rachel, and thanks for the nice update and tip. My best to you. Tom>>

Medications With Snails And Frogs 9/9/06
Dear WWM Crew, Want to first say what a great site you guys have, and the patience you have for all the numerous questions you guys answer! I have tried looking through the google search and forums regarding my question, and wasn't able to find my answer, so I am asking you. My first question is regarding my black mystery snail. I recently gave it a soft leaf vegetable (Chinese vegetable called Xiao bai cai which literally means small white veggie) and it is consuming the entire thing. I was wondering if you can actually overfeed a snail, or will they stop eating once they are full?
< They are exposed to all kinds of veggies in the wild and I am sure they quite eating when they are full.>
My second question is regarding the medication I have been applying to my fish tank for fin rot. I checked the applesnail.net site, but their link to fish pharmaceuticals led to a dead link. I am using Melafix (active ingredient is Melaleuca) from Aquarium Pharmaceutical Inc., and was wondering if it will affect either my black mystery snail or my African dwarf frog? Thanks a bunch! And keep up with the awesome work! Anson
< Invertebrates and amphibians really don't like medications. Melafix would not be my first choice to treat fin rot. Stronger medications may harm them. I would treat the sick fish in a hospital tank with Nitrofuranace of Kanamycin.-Chuck>
I have a male Bristlenose catfish, two years old he is four and half inches long. He is in a 300 litre tank, he used to be kept with Neons, glowlights and platies. He was very happy, I fed him on catfish pellets, algae wafers, bloodworms, brine shrimps and daphnia. Now he is living with tinfoil barbs.
he's not as happy and hides under the filter, he is only getting the catfish pellets and algae wafers, as the tinfoil barbs eat everything else first, I have noticed that he is not cleaning the tank as well for the past week. And he has a lump on his snout in front of one eye, I have telephoned all my local aquatic shops, no one seems to have heard of this before, I'm very worried, to me is looks like a cyst, apart from this his colouring and general condition is very good. I hope you can help me, as the children are very fond of catty! Wait to hear from you, Sue
< As your Pleco roots around for food he probably injured himself on a piece of wood or rock. The area may be infected. I would recommend treating him in a hospital tank with Nitrofuranace or Kanamycin as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Calcium for Snail Shells 7/24/06
Hello Again,
Thank you Bob for your insight into my snail dilemma!
<Actually, Pufferpunk here today.>
I'll be sure to try the one gallon containers with the floating plants and the old tank water. Just one last quick question, when I was reading/researching about snails before I purchased my first one, I ran across liquid calcium, but just for marine tanks. Would it help my snails any or just possibly hurt them and my fish? I suppose it's better not to add anything additional to the water that's not needed. I have been feeding them turtle sticks that have calcium in them (forgot that food item) but only on occasion. Would it help to increase feeding the snails those? I guess that's two questions, oops...! I really appreciate all your help, thanks again,
<Give them cuttlebones (sold for bird's beaks) to munch on, for calcium. ~PP>
Amber

Apple Snail Question 7/23/06
Hello WWM Crew,
<Amber>
I finally have a question I can't find the answer for. I've read through the snail FAQs and the article on freshwater snails. A lot of them talk about the snail being possibly dead, but not why they were dying, or were dead (I could have missed one on that topic though, sorry if I have). I've had my ten gallon set up now for about, seven months or so, and I haven't lost any fish.
However, it seems to be a death trap for apple snails! I'm so confused. At first I started off with one snail, and I really enjoyed him. Then my friend gave me a large snail she had found in a local fish store as a present. I acclimated him, and everything seemed to go well. Then the larger snail stopped moving, and I didn't think too much of it until he hadn't moved a day later either. My fish were gasping, pale, and obviously very stressed. So, I did the "snail test," picked him up and took a sniff. What a horrendous smell!
<Ah yes... have this chemical memory... Yeccch!>
I removed the snail, checked the water parameters, and changed water until ammonia was back to 0. About a week or two later, my smaller snail followed the same route. I ended up missing my "cleanup" crew and got myself two more snails. I had them for
around... three, possibly four months. They grew somewhat, though not as quickly as my other two snails I have in a 20 gallon and 5 gallon, which nearly doubled in size within a month. These big ones are now the only two snails I have left, my newer two died Wednesday, and Friday of this week. The first one I think died because of a cracked shell, when I bought him he had a slight chip at
the entrance to his shell and I figured it'd heal over and he'd be fine. The crack instead grew with him, though for the longest time it had white/cream shell over it instead of his brown. The white disappeared and you could see through to his foot. I was gone all day and came home to another disaster. Fish gasping, stressed out, and pale... and I just knew one of the snails passed. I
removed the snail and changed the water until Ammonia was 0 again. Then I noticed my other snail start floating around at the top a lot, I've read elsewhere on the Internet this is normal behavior. Though when my other snails did this, they were always inside their shells, not hanging out of the shell like this one (which I read in your FAQs can be a bad sign).
<Yes>
I had a negative feeling, but didn't remove him... unfortunately, which I will remember for next time. Came
home, fish were stressed out, again! Just fantastic! Followed the same procedure, and the fish have fully colored up again, and swim normally. Now I'm snail-less in my ten gallon tank, and really don't want to get any more until I figure out what is causing my ten gallon to be a serial snail killer. I'm considering the swing in Ammonia and Nitrates might have ailed the second snail in the tank, but since I lowered both with water changes, and I didn't lose any fish, I'm not sure. Though, what would have killed the first two snails I had in
the beginning?
<Mmm... the most common causes of Ampullaria/Pomacea spp. death are "poisoning" from too much, too soon addition of metals, sanitizers (and chemicals added to neutralize these by well-meaning aquarists)... second to this source is the absence of readily assimilable biomineral and alkaline content... water mostly that is deficient in calcium and bicarbonate... third is likely a dearth of palatable foods. Oh, and a huge source of loss... likely as large as all others combined, is the poor initial health of these snails from dealers... most are doomed from pollution, starvation, poor "handling">
I have (and always had after the cycle) a water change schedule, approximately 25% once a week, vacuuming the gravel at the same time. I feed my fish and the snails, regular tropical flakes, goldfish flakes, freeze-dried blood worms, broccoli, algae wafers, and Spirulina discs (of course not everything in one day). I don't believe they were starved because they didn't have
a "shrinking/shriveled" foot which I read can signal they aren't getting any food. My ammonia is 0, nitrites 0, nitrates are kept in the 5-10 range, and the pH is currently unknown (getting the kit from a friend soon, I'm out of money sadly and figured the other test kits were most important since you can acclimate inverts/fish to pH if it's kept stable). I've never had to treat with any medicines, and the only thing I add to my water is a de-Chlor, though I'm not sure I have to (I'm on well-water). The temperature is kept at 76-78 degrees
Fahrenheit. I have Neon Tetras, Corydoras, and Pygmy Gouramis (Trichopsis pumilus),
<Good "test" fishes... if these are doing well, so should Pomacea>
didn't know if a fish list would help any, but figured I'd give as much information as possible. Is it possible the snails were just old, despite the small (approx. an 1in.-1 1/2in.) size?
<Not likely>
Is the temperature too high and increasing their metabolism, and lessening their life span?
<Mmm, no>
Or maybe I don't have enough minerals in my water, but I think that'd affect my other two snails too?
<Can become "habituated"...>
Any help is much appreciated! Sorry for all the parenthesis, and long email, but usually you want all that can be provided, so I did try to help with that.
Thanks a bunch!
-Amber
<Thank you for writing so well, completely. I would try these Apple Snails again, but keep them for a few weeks in "one gallon pickle jars" with old tank water, some floating plant material, and no new water, or chemical treatment whatsoever... With such conditioning and "rest" they should be able to make the transition into your main system. Bob Fenner>

Apple missing trap door 6/10/06
Good evening. I have had a purple apple snail for about 6 months. When I first received him from a friend I was also given a Ramshorn. Both snails were about a quarter of an inch across. The Ramshorn grew more quickly than the apple and in only a month was quite a bit bigger.
<Unusual>
One morning I found the Ramshorn attached to the apple where the door normally is. Apparently the Ramshorn had eaten off the door on the apple's shell.
<Sounds/reads like a lack of alkalinity, biomineral here... the one snail consuming the other for this>
That was 5 months ago. The two were immediately separated after the incident and while the apple is still living, active and growing it still has not regrown it's door. I have been keeping it with a ghost shrimp in a fish bowl and wanted to wait until it was better to introduce it into my main tank. Will it ever regrow it's door?
<Likely so>
Will the loss of the door eventually kill it even if I keep it by itself? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
 Trudy
<One can only hope. Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
and the linked files above, particularly "Snail Systems", "Nutrition". Bob Fenner>

Apple Snail's Had A Fall! 6/11/06
I really hope you can help me.... While cleaning my 60ltr aquarium we took our Apple Snails out of the tank and while holding one of the Snails my wife dropped her about 3 and a half feet onto a laminated floor.
<Ouch!>
This fall caused some damage to her shell (Some parts of the front of the shell have broken off) we have removed the really sharp parts of the damaged shell but that is not our main concern. At the moment she is sitting in the tank with her shell partly open with white mucus seeping out, is this a sign that she stressed or is she dying as we don't want to prolong her pain? Could you please advise us as to the best course of action as soon as possible please.
From two very worried snail owners
<Mmm, one can never tell, but these Pomacea snails are quite tough... I do hope yours recovers... I would do my best to keep this system stable (not make too large water changes for instance). Bob Fenner>

Snail question........ out of shell... 6/11/06
I have a black snail, freshwater, it looks like a Ramshorn, but I'm not sure. For the past 2 months, (that's how long I've had it) it's been fine. Now it seems to be acting weird. It's shell is slippery and seems to be shedding a fine white skin from the top of the shell. Also, it is sitting all the way out of it's shell and folded in half like it's licking it's "toes" or
hind-end.
<!>
It's antennae are moving, but it's just sitting there. Is there something wrong with it?
<Yes... is likely dead, or at least dying... but from what? Likely something adverse in its environment... and this probably some aspect of water chemistry. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnaildisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above, particularly Snail Systems. Bob Fenner>

Detached trapdoor on Mystery snail 5/15/06
Greeting all! I have a freshwater aquarium with one Mystery snail. I just found his trapdoor lying next to him on the floor of the aquarium.
<!>
Can't be good. He's been a great addition to the aquarium. Any comments appreciated.
Thank you, Marty
<As you state, a very bad sign... Keep your eye and nose tuned to the system... This snail may regenerate its operculum... or not. Bob Fenner>

Snail with transparent, soft shell edge - 4/11/2006
Hi Bob (& Crew),
<Gar and Car>
First, thanks for writing back re: my questions about a 10-gal. divided tank set-up for my three bettas. They're all doing fine, now ... seem to be quite
content -- even the one who seemed to be trying to starve himself for a week! But now he eats as rapaciously as the other two. (Their names are
Bait & Switch & Bail.) I have read and re-read much of the info on your site that is relevant to my "needs," and have found most of the answers. (I hope [grin]).
I have a gold mystery snail that's been very healthy and active since I "built" the tank -- that's been about a month. A couple days ago, I noticed
that he seemed to "hiding" in his little empty plant pot (I use it like a 'cave'), and then the outer edge of his shell looked white -- something
definitely different, there. So I kept an eye on him, and have today taken him out of the tank completely and put him in a small container w/part old,
part new water. The area that had turned white has actually turned a yellowish, almost transparent now - it's about 1/16" wide, and the very edge
is a little soft. I've tested the tank water; it's seems to be in all the correct parameters.
<Numbers, tests please>
We have pretty hard water w/some chlorine. Up until this last water change, I had been adding "Prime," (an additive for slime
coat, that de-nitrites, de-nitrates, de-ammonionizes, and de-chlorinates), as well as some aquarium salt (per directions). I've read that all of that
might not be optimum for the health of the fish, so have just let the water sit out for several days before I used it.
<Good>
I did add a little bit of Melaleuca - another snail had gotten stuck earlier last week and died. Stink? WHEW! "Like the devil himself!" If that's what the devil smells
like, I DEFINITELY don't want to get near him!
<Can be stenchy for sure>
Anyway -- Should I add some marine iodine?
<A drop every week, water change wouldn't hurt...>
He's been so healthy, and I think I caught this fairly quickly, so I hope we can get him through this. I've been feeding them algae pellets until more algae grows on the fish tank.
Anything else I should be doing?
<Likely nothing>
Sorry this got so long and drawn out. I thank you for any help you give me on this.
Sincerely, ...c...
<What you see/describe is actually likely just new growth... if your water is, as you state, hard... you probably don't need to add sources of "shell hardening" mineral... supplied by foods et al... I would not change anything here, but be careful re pouring chemicals in this/its system. Bob Fenner>

Dropsy? Epsom salt and mystery snails? 4/9/06
Hi,
<Ki>
I have been reading your website on a fairly regular basis for about three months now (from the time we discussed purchasing an aquarium & since then--especially before purchasing any new species). Currently we have a 10 gallon tank with 4 platies, 4 Cory catfish, 3 snails (gold mystery, black mystery, and blue mystery), and 2 glass shrimp. The platies have been with us about 6 weeks. The Cory cats about 2 weeks. The golden snail-6 weeks, the black one-4 weeks, the blue one-about 2 weeks. The ph is 7, the ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20.
<Take care to keep those nitrates no higher>
We do not plan to increase the community, though I am aware that the platies might make that decision for us, in which case we will get another tank. First, while this did not seem overcrowded to me based upon what I have read, I am starting to have doubts. Namely, do we have too many snails?
<Not yet... and these are not "bisexual" species listed... so, easier to monitor...>
Also, until tonight we had 5 platies, but I found one of them dead this evening. She ate fine in the morning, but then died at some point in the afternoon/early evening. Her abdomen looked somewhat swollen, but not at all "pinecone-like." Her scales were still flat against the body and only the underside of the abdomen was swollen. Still, because of the swelling, I am wondering if it is some form of dropsy. If so, are the other fish in danger?
<Not likely>
I have read that many dropsy conditions are not contagious, but I am still worried. Now I am paranoid that the other platies look swollen, though my husband says I am imagining it. Also, would it be safe to do a treatment with Epsom salt to be sure? And would the Epsom salt kill the snails & shrimp?
<Too likely so>
I have seen a reference to the safety of Epsom salt with invertebrates, but the ones listed in that person's question were all saltwater creatures, not freshwater ones. I just want to be sure before I do anything. I apologize if these questions are all answered in obvious places on the website that I missed.
Thanks,
Ki
<No worries. I would be conservative here re adding anything... Likely the system, fish being "very new" and this being a "first batch" of young, some have died more easily. Bob Fenner>

Snail with a growth 3/30/06
I just bought an aquarium and added a snail to help with upkeep. My black mystery snail has a spotted growth on his shell. I am so concerned that this may be a parasite or something. The growth is about the size of the tip of a pinky finger. Please help.
<<It is hard to guess what this might be without a picture. However, it is common for snails to have other living things "hitching a ride" on their shell or simply to have minor irregularities on their shell. These things are rarely anything to worry about. Best Regards. AdamC.>

Snails Don't Like Ammonia - 03/18/2006
Hi folks, In my 45 g tank I have a large Ramshorn snail. It is active for most of the day.
However, for the past 4 days it had not moved out of its shell, everything else in the tank looked okay. On a hunch, I checked ammonia and it was about .5 ppm.
I immediately changed 20% of water and again tested ammonia to be zero.
To my surprise, the snail started moving after an hour or so and is now active like it was before. Does this mean that snails are more sensitive to ammonia than fishes as none of the fish was showing any signs of discomfort? Thanks Sandeep R
< Snails are very sensitive to chemicals in the water like copper and ammonia. You should investigate why you are experiencing elevated ammonia levels.-Chuck>

Apple Snail Mystery 2/13/06
I was reading some of the messages on your forum hoping to find some information about my problem with an apple snail I have had since early January 2006. He is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and has taken to giving off tremendous amounts of slime and mucus. He seems to be otherwise okay. I have separated him from the aquarium (10 gallon) in a bowl by himself. He doesn't seem to be very active and doesn't appear to eat much. He is not dead because he does come out and move around some, but not like the other smaller apple snail I have. Any ideas what the mucus production is about?
Mike (new aquarium owner)
<Could well be "something" chemically about the system is bothering this snail... too high pH, alkalinity, salts... metal... These animals are in many ways more sensitive than fishes to such challenges, changes. Best to treat, store new water before using, and to be very regular re water changes (not add water simply to replace evaporated). Bob Fenner>

My poor snail 1/18/06
I have a Ramshorn snail that I have had for a few months. I had noticed a while back that his shell was deteriorating from the center of the spiral outward. I called the place where I had gotten him and asked what was causing it and they told me that snails shed and not to be concerned. Well, it isn't getting any better and I came across the article "Damage on snail's shell" and realized what it was. My pH is 7.0 and I am concerned about adding the crushed coral substrate so I was wondering what else I could use to add calcium. At this point his shell is really bad and I am afraid of loosing him but I don't want to harm my other fish.
<A small bag full of crushed coral in the filter will have a good effect at this pH, but do monitor KH and remove if it rises too high. Some commercial GH buffers such as RO-right may also raise calcium, but add sparingly to get a feel for their effect. Do read up on your fishes' requirements before attempting to adjust such parameters. Bear in mind also that the snail may just be showing signs of age or lack of food. Best regards, John>

Weekend feeder / snail shell erosion 12/30/2005
Hello! I have been doing some Google searches trying to figure out what was
wrong with one of my snail's shell and read some of your responses. I have
two apple snails, two tiny goldfish and a Ramshorn snail in a 6 gallon
aquarium. I believe the Ramshorn has shell erosion from some form of nutritional deficiency or soft water.
<These are the most common causes, yes>
The apples are fine, there shells look pretty good actually, and everybody eats sinking algae pellets and goldfish
flakes. If it is because my water is too soft, how can I make it harder?
<By adding a source of alkalinity... the simplest? Likely sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda)... a level teaspoon per ten gallons of new water, mixed in, allowed to set for a day or more before use>
Will doing this hurt the fish?
<Not if done in moderation, with pre-mixed water>
I read on another website that adding a weekend feeder may help because of the plaster of Paris,
<Yes>
but I don't know of that was a joke. I went to my local aquarium supply and the woman behind the
counter suggested a salt bath or antibiotics!!!!
<Mmm, no>
(Also, they did not carry the marine iodine) I need some real help, that won't kill my snails. Thank
you so much for your time. Sorry if these are elementary questions.
Sincerely,
Kuniko
<You're welcome. Bob Fenner>

Best possible treatment for freshwater snail shell deterioration. 10/4/05
Hi Guys,
<Sharon>
I have a 30L BiOrb with 2 small (1 inch) goldfish, a real plant and a snail.
(I realize that my fish will soon outgrow the BiOrb, but....I am planning an
outdoor water feature with pond that I will transfer them to at a later date).
I have a comprehensive water testing kit - ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and pH,
and test my water regularly. Most recent test (2 October) showed ammonia and
nitrite zero, nitrate 20 to 40ppm and pH 7.2 to 7.4.
<Try to keep the nitrate below 20ppm... mainly through regular pre-treated water changes>
In the last week, my snails shell has started to deteriorate - mainly around
the central (oldest) whorl. The shell has become whitish and pitted, and a
crack has developed which seems to be following the curve of the whorl.
<Happens>
I have read a few articles on your website, and understand that this is
caused by calcium deficiency. What I don't understand is the best way to
treat this problem, that is, which treatment would help my snail and cause
minimal stress to the other inhabitants of my BiOrb.
<Mmm, can add... oh, I see you've been studying below...>
The following treatment suggestions come from a number of sources (your
website, local aquarium suppliers):
* crushed coral - wouldn't this cause problem with the pH?;
* iodine (one drop per 10 gallons);
* a neutralizer block;
* a feeding block;
* aquarium salt.
<All but the salt would help>
Can you please point me in the right direction?
Regards,
Sharon.
<Bob Fenner>

Hurt Snail 9/30/05
Okay, here goes. We have a 60 gallon aquarium with mostly Mollies in it. We have some snails, a frog, algae eaters, Molly fry and I think that's it. We had 4 snails, our yellow ones died, don't know why. And our brown ones are still kicking. However, I don't know what kind of snails they are. We got them at Wal-Mart.
<Please see here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm>
The smaller of the two is now the bigger of the two, shell is about the size of a half dollar. It got stuck in our "Power Sweep, automatic self-rotating powerhead wavemaker" on the dial side. We had some river snails (big mistake) and I noticed some of them had perished on the same dial part. I don't know if they got sucked into it or if they were looking for some food. However, I had to pry this thing apart to get my big snail out of it. Now I don't know if it is dead or alive. I just fished out a chunk of what looked like a part of him, but he is still inside his shell (upside down), his door is partly open and there is a tentacle sticking out which has moved from the back of his door to the front. Is he alive? or is the water from the sweeper moving him around. It has been about 2 days since I dug him out of the sweeper and his door has closed some since then and the tentacle has appeared, disappeared and now reappeared. Can they regrow parts that have been harmed and fallen off?
<Yes... if not too badly damaged>
Is there hope for him or do we "flush" him.
Also if you can answer another question for me, how do you tell when your fish are no longer diseased?
<Disease is sometimes defined as "a deviation from a normal or healthy state"... When they appear healthy, they are>
I have 2 male mollies and 1 female molly in separate tanks for diseases. The first male had white spots on his fins and he lost a lot of his color. He also had nasty looking scales. I treated him for Ich, but the Melafix seemed to work better on the white spots and scale problem. Then he got anchor worms, picked them off cause the med. didn't seem to work. Now he's back to having scale problems again. I figured he was sick cause the bigger fish were picking on him. My second male I just put in with him yesterday cause he was scratching and the bigger fish were picking on him. Don't know what he has yet. Hopefully by treating the other one, he'll be treated also. My female is in another tank, she had Bug Eye and the same white stuff on her fins. Got that cleared up, now she has Gill Disease?
<... can't tell from here>
Open sores on her gills. I have bought water treatments for the ph level, conditioners, aquarium salts and who knows what else. I try to keep the water at about 76 degrees. I think they like somewhere between 74-78. I treat her with the Melafix. Why are my fish getting so many diseases?
<Likely came with some... and there are possible issues of your water quality... Have you read on WWM re mollies?>
I can only have so many quarantine tanks. We now have 2 hospital tanks, one with gold fish, a Betta, one for females, one for males, and one with river fish. When is it safe to put my sick fish back in with the others? Or should I "flush" them. Cheryl
<Mmm, no... better to educate yourself... Please peruse our Freshwater subweb: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
Take your time... Bob Fenner>

Apple Snail 9/27/05
Hi there, <Hi, Catherine here.>
I need some help. We have a 29 gallon tank. Two weeks ago we put in an apple snail, cute little guy, well I shouldn't say little he's about 2 1/4". He seemed to be doing very well, moving around lots, cleaning up. Then about two days ago he started bobbing on the top of the water, for days straight. He also seems to be changing the color of his shell. We are very concerned about him and wondered if you could tell us if this is normal behavior? <No, this isn't normal behavior. If the snail has detached, he is probably dead. If you are unsure, I would move him to a small tank (even a jar filled with tank water) as a precaution. If he is dead, he'll quickly pollute the tank. Unfortunately, there is very little information on treating snail illness. If your tank has ever had a copper based medication, this could kill him. He also might have been stressed by the move to the new tank. Give him a veggie or two (peas, squash) to eat in the new tank and cross your fingers.
Thank you, Beverly Ventimiglia <Sorry I didn't have better news. Catherine>

Dead Snail? New Cure for Ich?
Hi my name is SuzAnn and I have two apple snails blonde in color. Anyway one has been floating for three or four days way out of it's shell and
teenie weenie bubbles are forming around the front of the snail . The bubbles are in some form of thin slime. Is this snail dying?
> < Unfortunately your snail has passed away and needs to removed quickly so
its decomposing body doesn't add to the ammonia and nitrate problem.-Chuck>
> Chuck I removed the snail from the tank and put it in a bowl of water from our pond high in algae the snail is doing fine. I also cured ick that
my three gold fish had with salt and grapefruit juice and shallow water and sunshine they are growing so big and look very healthy. SuzAnn
< WOW, I thought for sure your snail was dead based on the description you gave. Curing ich with grapefruit juice, salt and sunshine's a new one for me too.-Chuck>

Snail and filter query
Hello there from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Hope you can help. My daughter just received a starter goldfish aquarium with 2 goldfish and a snail. Set up fine (yesterday). Snail and fish happy. Snail was wondering about but earlier today he was just floating in the filter current. Is this dangerous? What if anything should I do? Please reply-thanks so much. Mississauga Mom
<Mmm, maybe dangerous in that if the snail should perish, it might pollute the water... I would remove it and some of the tank water and leave it for a day or two in a plastic or glass container (w/o a filter, bubbler is fine) and see if it will rally. If you have a bit of live plant, I'd place a sprig of this in with the snail. Oh, and please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
Bob Fenner>

Snail Problem
I thought my snail was resting by my power head in my tank for 2 days and then I decided to pick him up.
He had the front of him stuck in the power head. The thing that he uses to breath was pink and white. I left him alone for 1 day in the bottom of the tank and the next day he hadn't moved. I took him out of the tank for a night (thinking he would drown without air)
and put him in a cup. He hasn't come out of his shell since it happened. He seemed fine this morning (poking out of his shell) so I put him back in the tank and he seems a little better. Is there anything that I can do or give him so that he heals quickly. I have had Sluggo for about 5 years. Jeanette Browning
<Snails are pretty resilient and will probably be out in a few days. If there is no white fuzzy growth (fungus) then I think Sluggo will be fine in a few days.-Chuck>

Help!! My snails are dyeing (new tie-dyed gastropods!>
Hi guys. I am a newbie to your site and also to a 10 gallon tank. I have 3 fire bellied toads, one platy and some snails. Some of the snails are Ramshorn and I don't know what the others are. Just your basic fresh water snails???
<Is there such a thing?>
My snails are dyeing and the ones left are looking pretty lifeless. Could it be the toads??
<Mmm, yes>
Half of the tank is built up with rock for the toads and the other half is of course water. I bought these at our local pet store. I have been feeding the snails and the platy sinking algae wafers since the tank is new and there's not much built up gunk yet for them to eat. Do you have any suggestions as to why this may be happening? Thanks SO MUCH for a very informative site!!
Connie Howard
<Many possibilities here... from nutrition as you mention, to possible water quality issues... Is this system cycled? Do you have test kits for the latter? Bob Fenner>

Floating Snail
I have a snail that has been floating on and off for the last couple of days. When it is floating it is closed up inside of it's shell. Is something wrong with it?
<Hopefully not>
What would make it float?
<It may be looking for food>
I'm not sure what kind of snail it is, but it is not cone shaped. It is round. I have four larger gold fish in the ten gallon aquarium with the snail. I do not feed the snail anything extra because I thought there would be enough algae, and left over fish food. Do I need to supplement feed the snail?
<Likely not>
Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. I've never had a snail before.
Thanks,
Lonnette
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
and the FAQs file (in blue, at top) re these snails. Bob Fenner>

Re: snails floating
Halloo
I have a 2 gallon fishbowl with one betta and 3 snails (brand: unknown.) These snails have a peculiar behavior lately of floating on the top. If I pick
them up they retract, and they otherwise seem to be happily doing their job (slithering around, cleaning the bowl.) Is this a precursor to something bad?
Thanks -- KN
<Likely nothing wrong here. Some snails are more amphibious than truly totally aquatic... they may be looking for more food, perhaps going to the surface for more oxygen. But the Betta is a "facultative aerial respirator" (breaths atmosphere), so not to worry re the latter for its sake. Bob Fenner>

Snails Don't Move at all!
My children decided that they wanted two snails. So off to the pet store we go and we purchase two black mystery snails. I thought for sure they were dead before we ever got them home so we put them in our 10 gallon aquarium anyways just to be sure. This was on Sunday. On Monday they were just lying with their little openings in the air still and had not moved at all. Well the kids were upset and we were sure they were dead. So out we go to return them to the pet store. The pet store assured me they are fine since they
don't stink and they still have their feet. So back home we go and plop them back in the tank. The larger one now is just floating around and the little one is just lying at the bottom with his opening in the air. Neither one has come out or moved at all. We have 2 Mollies, 3 Gouramis, and 13 Molly babies about a week old. The fish swim by them but never pick at them and I am just at a loss on what to do. Are they okay? Thanks, Christy
<Did you acclimate them to your tank when you got them? Inverts need to be acclimated just as fish do to prevent shock. Make sure they are in a position so that if they do decide to move, they can grab onto something and leave them for a day or two longer to see if they begin to move around. Ronni>

Ramshorn snails
I got a Ramshorn snail a few weeks ago. Since I got him (Ryan is his name) he has gotten a white patch that is growing. It kinda looks like someone took sandpaper to his shell. Is this something to worry about? I got 22 baby swordtails less then 3 months old, 1 pleco, 1 spiny loch, and one clown loach. My setup is in a 20 gallon high. I got a heater and keep my tank around 72-74. Is my snail healthy?
<He’s probably getting picked on by the loaches (especially the Clown) and they will end up killing him as snails are a favorite food of theirs. Ronni>

Snail shell erosion
Hello all! How are you tonight?
<Absolutely wonderful, thank you! Sabrina here tonight....>
I have a quick question for you. I've had two Apple Snails in my 120 with a bunch of large Central American Cichlids for the past year or so. They're doing well, growing and eating and pretty active as far as snails go. But I've noticed lately, their shell are pitting and seem to be wearing away. I have crushed coral gravel in the tank and I thought that should give them enough minerals to keep their shell in shape, but I guess not. The Ph is around neutral, no ammonia, no nitrites, low nitrates, etc. And they have all the algae then want to graze on along with veggie and carnivore cichlid pellets, frozen tiger shrimp and bloodworms.
<Hmm. Everything sounds excellent, really.>
Is there some kind of mineral supplement for freshwater snails or what else can I do for these guys? They're doing so well, I hate to lose them because their shells are rotting away.
<Well, I can tell you my experience with snails (and their shells), even though in my plant tank, they were an absolute pest, not a welcome denizen.... I am very much obsessed with freshwater shrimp, and have learned that freshwater shrimp tanks should be dosed with iodine (Kent's reef iodine supplement is fine, and is what I use) at a rate of one drop per ten gallons every week. After I started dosing my tanks with iodine, I noticed the shrimps were growing more, they were more active, seemed all-around healthier. Another (possibly undesirable to me) side effect was that all the snails that remained (only the ones too large for some Botias to eat) no longer had holes in their shells, and were no longer ragged and thin looking at the openings. Instead, all the remaining snails in my tank now have thick, dark, lustrous shells. I wonder if iodine would do the trick for you?>
Thanks in Advance, Kristen:)

Snails
hi! I have (or had, I'm not sure yet) 2 snails for my 10 gallon aquarium. just recently, the bigger snail went up into his shell and hasn't came out for about a week now. then, just a couple of days ago, my other snail seemed to stay in its shell for a long time. but the smaller snail's plate is kind-of just hanging there, and on the bigger snail the plate is quite a ways back. I'm not sure if there dead, or alive. I still have them, but removed them from the tank and put them in a small one. what should I do???? <The snail might be dead. I would check the water quality of the main aquarium-also do watch the main aquarium closely for other fish/invert deaths. Good Luck, IanB>

Here comes another one, just like the other one
Hi I wrote to you last week but did not see an answer posted.
<Wow, my deepest apologies! We do try to get everything answered right away, I'm sorry this one fell through the cracks.>
My question is... can lobsters and snails live in the same tank? The reason I ask is because two days after I put a snail in the tank with my lobster my lobster died. He died on his feet, but the night before he died he had flipped over onto his back twice. Could it have been the ph? <Woah.... Dude.... De ja vu and a half! I'm sure this is related to a correspondence I just had with another person about the exact same topic, but just in case, all the info again: Assuming that the snails and 'lobster' are freshwater, as I was told in the other correspondence, I feel that the 'lobster' death is likely unrelated to the snails. Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH; if any of these are out of whack, it could be what did in the little crustacean. Your little lobster (actually, either a Macrobrachium shrimp or a crayfish) may possibly have just suffered a bad molt. Sometimes, when they shed their old skins, the new shell doesn't harden properly or tears, or has some other sort of complication. This is one of those things that can 'just happen'. The best way to avoid it ever happening in the future is to dose the tank with iodine (I use Kent marine) at a rate of one drop per ten gallons every week. Beyond this, the only risk in keeping these two animals together is to the snails - I wouldn't put it past the shrimp/crayfish to decide to dine on escargot some day.>
I would greatly appreciate any input. Thank you in advance!
Deysha Rivera
<Hope this gets to you properly, this time! Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Shy Snail? - 03/27/2004
I recently bought a snail for my 20 gallon freshwater tank. I have a few other fish in tank that are about a year old. I noticed today the snail was tucked in his shell and wasn't eating, is this normal for a snail to stay in it's shell all day long?
<Mm, possibly, but certainly isn't a good sign. Check ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, to be on the safe side.>
I don't know much about snails, if there is a certain temp. for water...etc.
<To be honest, I don't know, especially without knowing what species you have. Try looking here: http://www.applesnail.net/ .>
Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I just hope he hasn't passed on.
<Me, too!>
Hoover, was so much fun to watch.
<"Hoover"? What a fitting name! My most recent acquisition, an L-260 pleco, has been named "Suckhead" :) >
Yes, we named all the fish including the snail.
<Understandable, of course :) >
Please reply. Sandra
<Done. Hope you can find the answers you're looking for! Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Damage on Snail's Shell - 02/22/2004
I'm new to this...keeping up a small aquarium and finding info on the internet. Anyway, my problem is similar to one I read from a fellow named Ryan writing to WWM.

I have a Ramshorn snail that appears to have something (a parasite or organism?) eating away at its shell.
<Mm, likely not an organism, but a deficiency in a certain nutrient(s). What is your pH? What about total and carbonate hardness?>
The shell has a covering of algae on it but at the very center on each side, the area where the spiral is the tightest (if that is a word), the shell looks as if it is being eaten away.

Ryan, in his message described it as appearing as if someone has taken sandpaper to the shell. That is what I am seeing too. The strange thing is that it appears to be following the spiral, as if an organism is eating from the center outwards.
<The reason this is happening is because the inner part of the spiral, near the center, is the oldest part of the shell; as the snail grows, the shell in the center just gets older and older, it's not living tissue. If the water lacks certain stuff (calcium and iodine, primarily) the shell dissolves over time.>
In this case the only other organisms in the 5 gal. tank are a small goldfish now about 2 in. long tip to tip and a small catfish about 1 in. long. When I mentioned this to the pet store they seemed to think that the fish would not be doing this.
<Agreed.>
Is the goldfish doing this?
<No. I doubt that goldfish are ambitious enough to eat live snails - and certainly aren't capable of pitting their shells in this manner.>
or is there a parasite or other organism responsible?

If the fish is doing it wouldn't it have random pitting all over the shell instead of a pattern identical on both sides?
<Of the few fish that would damage snail shells (puffers come to mind), I agree, yes. The best suggestion I have for you is to check your pH, GH, and KH, and depending upon what you're at now, you may consider adding a satchel of crushed coral substrate to try to bring up the calcium (and thereby, hardness, which will bump your pH up, too - so beware). Before you do that, I recommend trying adding iodine (use Kent marine iodine, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons weekly - NOT the saltwater dose printed on the label). I do this for my freshwater shrimp, and as a side effect, the few large Ramshorn survivors in my tank have rich, lustrous shells now. The damage that has already happened on the shell is basically not reversible, but fixing the problem should help your snails to produce lovely shells from here on out.>
Candace
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Salvageable Snails, or Escargot?
I have an 80g freshwater tank. Two of my fish are ill with fin rot, and I am treating this with an antibacterial medicine, but unfortunately now my snails look very sick. The snails are gold ones and black mystery snails, their shells appear to be deteriorating. Do you think it is the medicine doing this? Or do they have some other condition that I could treat?
<What antibiotic are you using, specifically? Some medications will effect snails quite negatively, and some will seem to have no effect whatsoever. However, the deterioration of the shells is more likely due to a lack of certain minerals in the water that they need to build their shells nice and thick. I have noticed that the snails in my shrimp tanks began producing much finer shells after I started using iodine for the benefit of the shrimps; you can even see the exact point where it began to change. I use one drop of Kent Marine iodine per ten gallons of water every week in my freshwater shrimp tanks. The difference has been unbelievable, not only in the shrimps, but the snails as well. I would also recommend that you test your general and carbonate hardness, and raise if necessary, provided you can do so safely with the fish that you have. I also encourage you to take a look at http://www.applesnail.net/ , there is a whole load of snaily information there.>
Thank you very much for your time. Marilyn God bless! :o)
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Snails, freshwater, unwanted
Hi Bob,
My first time here.....but I have a 10 gal starter aquarium and I had 2 platys (1 male & 1 female) . The male died today after about a week of
some stress we just could not guess; he kept to the surface of the water & was very lethargic. About 8 weeks before, the female died of ich & we
treated the water with "Rid Ich+" so could the male have had the same?
< Unless you saw the white spots then it wasn't ich.>
Our tank seems infested with common water snails. could they be the cause for this?
< Snails are scavengers. They eat excess food and decaying matter. They are rarely cause for disease.> Would like some advice on how to save 2 baby platys
still alive?
< It sure sounds like you are overfeeding your tank or don't have enough filtration. I would recommend a 30% water change and service the filter. Next week vacuum the gravel to remove uneaten food lodged in the gravel. Feed only enough food so the platies eat it all in a couple of minutes each day. No more.-Chuck>
Thanx
Sad beginner

Mmmm, Escargot - 08/19/2004
Can a snail survive without its shell?

For example, if someone was to pull the shell off

or somehow the shell falls off,
<I don't believe the shell would fall off of a healthy animal.... For a snail to lose its shell, it would be at death's door, I would think. The only time I've seen a shell-less snail, it was a land snail, already dead, found in my pond. Really creeped me out, to be honest.>
can the snail survive?

For how long?
<Okay, let's say a perfectly healthy snail wandered into a time warp or something and magically its shell disappeared. Though the animal was perfectly healthy, it has now lost all means of protection - from predation and its environment. If it's a land snail, it has lost the ability to keep moist (a dry snail is a dead snail). I do not believe it is feasible for the animal to survive very long at all in this condition - if a land snail, I'd think perhaps a few hours? A water snail, with no predators, perhaps longer....>
Thanks
<You bet. May I ask what prompted this question? I've really gotten curious, now ;) Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Mmmm, Escargot - II - 08/22/2004
Thanks so much for answering my question.
<Any time.>
My boyfriend and I were outside one night and we came across a slug. We began talking about it and snails.
<These are some of the neatest creatures, aren't they?!>
We made a small bet because he said that a snail could not survive without a shell and I said that it could. I guess he wins!
<Hope it wasn't a significant dollar amount!>
I am glad that I came across your address because we had been researching for days and could not get a solid answer.

Thanks Again!!!
<Sure thing. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Lethargic Snails? - 11/01/2004
Do freshwater snails hibernate or something similar?
<Well, kinda, yeah. Their metabolism will slow dramatically in extreme cold....>
We have 2 apple, 2 rams horn and 2 cone shaped snails in our tank. Everyone was very active and moving about the tank. Two days ago we noticed that everyone was just hanging out in their shells and not moving. It has been two days and the only movement has been the fish around them or the bubbles.
<The likeliest culprit here is poor water quality - what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH? Has pH changed recently? If ammonia or nitrite are above zero, even by a tiny bit, that would cause the snails to close up shop and hide; high nitrate may do the same (nitrate should be less than 20ppm).>
My husband says they are dead and wants to get rid of