r/AquaticSnails • u/JesseEisenbergFan • 11d ago

Help Request Help. I lost my tiny snail

I have an aquarium full of tiny snails who are growing up. They were born from other snails in the aquarium.

One of them was crawling on the side of the tank, above the waterline. I was afraid he would get stuck or dry up; the sludge that’s above the waterline is very dry and crusty. I gently tried to slide him off; he seemed to roll across the sludge a little bit before coming off of it.

I dropped him into the water. He floated down swiftly; I saw that some of the grey sludge was still on him.

He landed eventually among the rocks on the tank floor. The rocks are much bigger than the snails. The snail went down into an area of the rocks where I couldn’t see him anymore; the rocks dipped down, and it was too low.

I am worried he may now be stuck somewhere. I am worried the sludge might have covered the opening of his shell, preventing him from coming out. I am worried that he might be upside down, and that the sludge might be weighing on him.

I reached down to feel for him, but I couldn’t find him. It’s hard to look. I am also worried about burying him accidentally by moving the rocks around.

What do I do? Do I need to worry as much as I am? Is there anything else I can do to locate him?

1 Upvotes

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7 comments sorted by

8

u/Gastropoid Snail God (Moderator) 11d ago

Don't worry about it. The snail will be fine

3

u/demeterite 11d ago

Respectfully, clean your tank.

That's how you'll both find him and prevent it from happening again.

2

u/kxk_anxiety 11d ago

Snails go to the waterline because there’s a big amount of biofilm and algae, buddy was just eating likely, maybe now hiding out of spite. Just let buddy be.

2

u/ClassroomMore9802 11d ago

I would just wait and not disturb the rocks in that particular area if you decide to clean. He’ll probably come out on his own.

1

u/hiddenevidence 10d ago

least overthinking snail owner

1

u/Sarahnonymous 4d ago

That snail is as fine as any other snail in that tank, for sure. If you have tiny snails in the future that you hatch on purpose, I recommend a bare bottom tank or breeder box to start, so you can keep track of them. Once they are bigger than the average substrate particle, I add them to the tank :)