I was quite attached to the little fella. Now all that is left is an empty shell. What could have caused it to die?
2006-07-22 19:21:54 · 19 answers · asked by Optimistic 6 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
A snail is a magic little creature that is an indicator of the water quality in your tank. If they live and thrive, they'll keep the tank water clean, feed themselves from the algae on the tank walls and filter the water for your fish. If they die, it indicates the water is going to soon poison your fish too. Get testers for your water, filter it first if it isn't already, going thru charcoal and floss, etc. Big problem is all the chlorine and fluoride in tap water, then the overfeeding or overcrowding of your fish, or not enough filtering, oxygenating and recirculating equipment. Seek a balance. Once you have it, you'll almost never have to bother with it any more. (My snails have been happy for years) Do you have an underwater biological filter? They help too.
2006-07-22 19:32:44 · answer #1 · answered by Cowboy Cartoonist 2 · 5⤊ 4⤋
These are the facts. All loaches, some sharks and other predator fish eat snails. Algae killing medications, aquarium salt in heavy doses, medications for ick (if the medication warning says; caution with scaleless fish) and some diseases that affect fish also kill snails. If a large Apple snail dies in the tank, it may make the ammonia and nitrite spike so remove immediately. The only way to tell if a snail is dead is to smell it. Sometimes when new to the tank, they hang around the top for several days, especially Ramshorns.Snails may live and thrive for several years, especially Ramshorn and Apple snails. I've noticed that Ramshorns sometimes die shortly after mating.Snails are not only great for eating plants and algae but also eat a lot of fish waste from the bottom. People who own Oscars love Apple snails because they keep the tank immaculate.
2006-07-23 02:53:57 · answer #2 · answered by kriend 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of the above answers seem either plausable or entertaining so i'll go for the latter option as i'm not sure. Could it be ma'am that it was the French Chef, in the living room with the salt?
Come to think of it-a salt container looks and feels an awful lot like a fish food container and we know how much snails dont like salt.
Poor thing-bury the shell yet-in the bottom of the aquarium-a little undersea funeral with gravestone and all.
U ok?
I lost a pet once, well i've lost a few over the years but the strangest to lose-an ant farm. Yep-an entire ant colony. I forgot to bring em in out of the rain as a kid and they all drowned. Talk about mass murder.
2006-07-23 07:38:53 · answer #3 · answered by zephyrescent 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To know the real cause of death you should carry out a post-mortem of the shell. Put it in a clean air-tight bottle.You can't rule out theft. Report to the police immediately. Someone may have stolen it out of its shell. You pet cat 's also a suspect. Get it X-rayed and keep it under constant watch. May be your snail escaped leaving its shell behind for you to keep it as a memento.
To the Asker : Have a talk with the Yahoo!-team to allow you to give 10 bonus points to every replies. They deserve it. You can never be able to choose the best. Poor creature! May its soul rest in peace !
2006-07-23 09:09:43 · answer #4 · answered by asok c 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are super sensitive to medications that have copper sulfate in them and they are super sensitive to water quality.
There could have been an ammonia spike that killed him, or you dont do enough partial waterchanges and the nitrates got high and the water turned acidic and the ph dropped. That will kill them.
We need more specifics like tank size, does it have a filter, what kinds of fish are in with him, how many fish are in with them, how often do you do partial water changes, how long has the tank been up and running, and did you use any medications recently?
2006-07-23 02:27:45 · answer #5 · answered by lady_crotalus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a snail die after it did a great job cleaning the aquarium. It most likely didn't have enough to eat after that.
2006-07-23 02:26:59 · answer #6 · answered by Dennis Fargo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm assuming you have other fish as well...
Snail's don't have a long shelf life unfortunately... and when they die, it seems that the OTHER fish LOOOOVE Escargot.
Especially if you have any Plecos or other bottom feeders.
It's the ciiiiiiiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiiiiiiife...!
2006-07-23 02:25:32 · answer #7 · answered by Village Idiot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Detective Schenzy here. First question: Ma'm, You say your snail died. Have you noticed any French Chefs lurking around your house?
2006-07-23 02:25:35 · answer #8 · answered by schenzy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might have gotten attacked by a fish. That happened to my snail once.
2006-07-23 02:25:04 · answer #9 · answered by bush_kills_for_god 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He was utterly deeply despondent. WHY am I in this prison, what have I done? How do I escape? Eventually there was only one way out. It is a shame because he never fought for the taliban anyway.
2006-07-23 02:29:37 · answer #10 · answered by XT rider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋