I think an entire tank of 30+ snails has died. Ple

[snailsruledaworld]

I think an entire tank of about 30+ of my snails have died

They've all been borrowing in this tank and I left them to it, assuming they were in hybination. I've found several dead so far and whilst I can account for at least two being alive without needing close observation, I can tell without having to pick up any others that there are several more are dead, as when they're merely sleeping some of their body protrudes from the shell but many snails on the top of the soil (who's shells are visible but are partially burried) don't have any body protruding where it should be visible: they must have dried out.

A lot of them burrowed deep under the soil so I can't see their shells on the surface and I have no idea what has happened to them: I can't bear to check them all, whether burrowed on top of, or deep underneath, the soil.


As I haven't got heatmats I've put the temperature up to quite high and thought it wouldn't be too hot as the heating only comes on for a few hours a day. I forgot to spray them all this and last week because of all my AS Level exams: my mum took over feeding them all for me but hasn't been spraying. . . . I think a lot of them might have cooked in there as they were active a couple of weeks ago.

This is really scary and I don't know what to do. . . .I've been spraying loads and loads since I finished all my exams and realised that it looked dry in there. I don't know for sure that they're all dead but I have three tanks of snails and two, each with about 30 inside, are fine in general apart from I found three in total dead from these two tanks when I cleaned them out today (I was to scared to clean out the tank containing those I suspect to be all dead) which is abnormal but might be explained by the rise in temperature in the room and the lack of spraying.

Still: I don't understand why one tank is inactive and full of dead snails whilst the other two tanks are full of active, healthy snails (with acception to the mysteriously deceased GALS amongst the healthy tanks)

Three weeks ago my mum cleaned out the snails for me with my older sister (as I was stressing over exam revision at the time so delegated the responsibility to them) and between all 3 of the tanks found 5 dead snails.

I'm so devistated to think what they must have all been through, it's so heartbreaking. The thing is all of the ones that have died are no bigger than my little finger and all 1.5 years old. The tank in question is full of snails of that size and age doesn't contain any bigger snails. In the other two tanks, containing snails of a range of sizes and ages, where there have been about 8 deaths between them in the space of a month , only ones the size of my little finger have died.

I hope the fact that this whole description of events is so long and detailed hasn't put anyone off from reading it through to the end. I really need advice about what to do. I can't bring myself to look closely at each little GALS inside the tank I suspect to contain over 30 dead snails as I'm so devistated and feel so guilty. I want to stop more snails from dying but I don't know how to do this: the heating isn't on for long during the day so it's cold most of the time in their room and I have to provide them with warmth during winter. What if they carry on dying even with contant spraying during the day and a lower temperature?

The tank in question is plastic. I haven't pressed any of the tanks right against the radiator but it's on the floor near to it (and heat rises so it should be coolest where they are positioned).

Please give me some advice about what I should do: how do I bring myself to check over each snail in the suspect tank? I could never live with the guilt if I had to confirm each one was dead.

Thanks.
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[crossless]

I haven't experienst snail death get. But I know if shell is empty snail has started rot after it's dead. Do you know what snails had as dinner, cos some salads and herb may contain some insecticides and it's some times really common to snails die to it. This is all I can help really, hope you get soon more answers.

[coyote]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I suspect the cold played a role in the problem.

Even though it will be difficult, the best thing you can do is to go through the tank and examine each snail. There may be some still alive that can be saved, if you act now. They will need proper heat and humidity, and appropriate food. Best of luck to you.

[kanin]

The easiest way to do this and probably the least unpleasent way aswell would be to not look too much and just do the smell test on every snail you pick out of the tank. A dead snail usually start to smell like rotten fish after it has died. That way it's easier to tell a dead snail from a retracted one when you cant see any of the foot.

I would suggest getting a paper box and a plate of fresh food to be placed next to your tank and then just going through the tank by smelling on every snail. the ones that smell you put in the paper box and then bury them in it together and the ones that dont smell you put on the food to try activating them by spraying lots on them. The ones that comes around can easily be put in a fresh tank while with the ones that dont you can go further and do the lightthrough test where you shine with a strong lamp behind them and try to see if there is any snail left in the tip of the shell or if it has deteriated.

The best thing would be to give the tank a good cleanout, substrate and everything, and air it thoroughly before reusing as the gases produced from rotting bionics will consume the oxygen in it.

Also dont mix the snails from this tank into any of the other ones as it's possible they could be sick.

[coyote]

Good advice, especially the part about airing out the tank, and also not mixing the snails.

[danikat]

Most important thing, I know it's horrible, but you really need to seperate any living snails from the dead ones and clean the tank out. Keeping them all mixed together is just going to make it more likely that any living ones won't survive.

[Bumblebee]

Have to agree with the others, how hard it might be you really Must, (note the big M), check the tank/s for dead snails, if you dont they will begin to rot and it will just be even more horrible, not to nemtion unhealthy for the living snails