Why was my snail floating?

Sawyer

Sawyer

AC Members
Apr 24, 2009
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Last Tuesday I thought my snail was dead because I saw it floating in the tank. I did a water change a little while after that and left him in the tank while i did the water change, letting him knock around and into the sides of the tank since i thought he was dead :( Then I took him out and put him in a cup (without any water in it) intending to bury him the next day, come back in at least an hour later and realize the cup is knocked over and the snail is alive! I was so shocked. Since then I've put him in my 10g and he's so active now. i don't know what was wrong with him before, but I've learned to never assume a snail a dead and take it out without being absolutely sure first.
 
I've had snails do that before. From what I've seen in my tanks, if they get knocked off from the side of the tank from water flow (coming from my HOB) they will float and take awhile before they grab a hold of anything. Most of the time they will be as far in their shell as they can be, looking like they are dead. But checking in on them awhile later, providing they have floated to the side of the tank to grab hold, they are alive and well.
 
What's funny is watching bladder snails in the water current... they're only little so occasionally you see them floating all around the tank... not on the surface, but in the middle of the water.
 
Wycco said:
What's funny is watching bladder snails in the water current... they're only little so occasionally you see them floating all around the tank... not on the surface, but in the middle of the water.
Click to expand...

LOL, with my hundreds of stinking snails, my tank looks like a set of escalators sometimes, some slowly floating up, some down.

That is the only thing I like about bladder snails, lol.

Kristina
 
I remember I had a snail that floated for fun. Right after he breathed... or she
 
snails float, it's part of what they do to amuse themselves. i swear mine do it for a couple days at a time just to watch me worry, lol.

if your filter flow is making it difficult for the snail to catch hold of a tank wall, plant, etc then use a small net (i use the lil blue one) and just sorta 'corral' them in a tank corner with the net at the TOP of the water. i stress top because you wouldn't want to hold a brigg underwater (i think of them like bettas, a lung and a gill, both needed for 'breathing'). the snail should open up and go onto a surface in the tank. remove net. i just bend the net handle and macgyver it into place on the edge of the tank to keep things from floating away. if the snail needs corraled for more than a day or so, post and let us know.
 
Haha! My bladder snails and MTS do that when they are placed in the assassin snail tank. They seem to sense danger. My apple snails also do that.:)
 
My snails do it too. Sometimes they get in the way when I'm cleaning so I just tap on their body (or trapdoor). They sink, regain their bearings, and slither away. lol
 
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