# Mystery snail injury



## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

Last night, I heard one of my tank's filters make a very loud grinding noise. The filter has made that noise before, and is on its last legs. It dies randomly every week, and I usually fix it and get it working again. I checked it and it was still working, so I didn't think anything of it. I did see my Mystery Snail next to the filter, in his shell. I figured he was just disturbed by the vibrations or noise.

Today, he was still in the same spot so I moved him to see if he was alive, and he closed his trap a little, so I left him alone. I added some lettuce (his favorite) and a bit of cucumber to see if that would entice him out. 30 minutes later, he was out of his shell and struggling. I think my Mystery Snail got caught in the filter intake somehow. He has little control over his body. It seems as if he was almost ripped from his shell, and it looks like he's struggling to move. 

I've helped him onto the glass so he can get some air. After taking air in through his siphon, it just bubbles out the back of his shell. I do believe he's been separated from his shell. He can grip onto the glass but he cannot maneuver himself well enough to grip to the sand. His shell is sort of falling away from his body, and his trap is not where it's supposed to be. 

Is there anything I can do to help him? I've had him for quite a while now and I consider him a pet. I'm debating moving him to a cup and floating him in the tank since he can grip to bare surfaces, but not the substrate.


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## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

Here is a picture of him before I helped him. He was hopelessly trying to right himself for 2 hours. I tried to get a picture of the inside of his shell. 
View attachment 776369


Here's a picture of him after I helped him to the tank wall, along with the air bubbling out of his shell. Excuse the water marks. 
View attachment 776361


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## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

I've moved him to a 1g tank with no substrate by himself. I'm not sure how much else I can do for him, or if there's any recovering from this.


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## VillagerSparky (Dec 1, 2015)

Any update on this? I confess it has confused me no end.


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## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

He (who was actually a she, I just discovered) had an injury called a mantle collapse, I think. He passed away a few days ago. Some research told me that kind of injury is almost always fatal to aquatic snails, unfortunately. 

Before he passed I had to help him every time he wanted to move.. It was probably for the best that he went. They can't heal that kind of injury either, or at least that's what I read. He wouldn't have had a good quality of life.


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## VillagerSparky (Dec 1, 2015)

That's a shame, but she and now munch the algae in the sky!


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