Mystery snail hasn't moved in awhile

**vtx-coley** · 02-11-2008, 5:38 PM

My Mystery snail used to be very active, but lately he/she hasn't been moving much. In fact he hasn't moved in 3 -4 days. He does open and close. I'm not sure if this is normal or not. I've had him for about 8 months and this is the least active he's been. He's about 1" in diameter.

Water temp. 78*
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10
pH 7.6
55 gallon cycled for a month. He was in my 20 before this.

Maintenance: 50% water change weekly with half tank gravel vac, I use Prime, 3 small plants (anubis) and malaysian driftwood, 55 gallon, gravel substrate

**msjinkzd** · 02-11-2008, 5:44 PM

mine do that from time to time as well. Was he full sized when you got him? Is anybody picking on him?

**vtx-coley** · 02-11-2008, 6:03 PM

No he was a little guy, maybe 1/2 inch. Nobody really picks on him. Sometimes the platys feed gently off his shell.

**msjinkzd** · 02-11-2008, 6:26 PM

is he eating? what do you feed him? Honestly, he is getting to the "elderly" stage of snaily life. He might just be getting old.

**vtx-coley** · 02-11-2008, 6:42 PM

Don't really feed him anything. I thought he would just get the leftovers.

What do you recommend? Veggies?

Old age already? Huh.

**msjinkzd** · 02-11-2008, 6:49 PM

Sure, they love veggies especially cucumber, zucchini and green beans IME. You can weigh them down with a fork or a chip clip. It might take a couple tries for him to eat them but he most likely will catch on quickly. Most of the "larger" snails live a year and a half or thereabouts.

**wataugachicken** · 02-11-2008, 6:57 PM

from the apple snail website:

The apple snail's life expectancy mainly depends on the temperature of their environment and the general life conditions. At lower temperatures, the apple snail can get over 3 years old and records of apple snails of ten years old have been reported. Lanistes nyassanus has an estimated life span of 5 to 10 years in Lake Malawi, Africa.
At a temperature of 25°C, they will only live 12-16 months. At higher temperatures, the snails are more active because their metabolism increases with the temperature, but this also speeds up their life cycle and thus shortens their life expectancy.
So you can elongate your snail's life by lowering the temperature. A general rule: keep the temperature between 18 and 28°C (65-82°F).
It is suspected that at least some apple snail species need an aestivation period in the mud to avoid burning-out.

78F = 25.5 C

**msjinkzd** · 02-11-2008, 7:01 PM

also from the applesnail forum applying to pomacea bridgessi, the mystery snail: http://www.applesnail.net/phpBB2/vie...gessi+lifespan

says the lifespan is about 18 months. and brigs don't need the aestivation period.

**vtx-coley** · 02-11-2008, 7:05 PM

Thanks for all the help.

Ya know I research my fish for hours and I really haven't done any for my snail. He always seemed happy, so I just let him be.

I put some boiled zucchini by him on a clip. I'll see what happens.

He did just come out for a minute, got some fresh water, I suppose, and closed back up.