How To Tell If Your Aquarium Snail Is Dead or Just Sleeping?

Snails have weird sleeping habits which can make them look dead. It's critical to learn to check whether a snail has passed away. There are tips to provide the optimal care for your water snails.
I have also written an article about this on my site, which you can check out here: aquariumgenius...

[@benjamintzeng]

Me: oh WHY did you have to take HIM???? TAKE MEEEEEE My Snail: zzzzzzzzzz

[@brandigambrell1257]

I died laughing at this🤣🤣🤣💀

[@leesapollo]

I very rarely watch KZbin videos without skipping through but I watched every minute of this one, very informative!

[@AquariumGenius]

Ahh thank you that's the biggest compliment you can give! Cheers -Bart

[@reneebakos8230]

Hi!! At the pet store where I got my 2 snails they told me I didn't have to feed them nothing because they are basically algae eaters. I'm so glad people like you make great videos and content on how to do things right!!!! Thank you ❤

[@morganbouckley650]

VERY INFORMATIVE!!!!!! I didn’t know that they can cause ammonia spikes when they pass, I’ve learned so much!!! Thank you very much! 😇

[@AquariumGenius]

Glad it was helpful!

[@corygang7001]

Thank you! Some of my snails were doing this, I started feeding them spinach and cucumber and they are fine now.

[@AquariumGenius]

Great to hear! To be honest I also only recently started feeding cucumber to my snails. They really do love it. I really appreciate all the comments you left on my videos, thanks!

[@KhanhLe-jm6qu]

@@AquariumGenius do i need to boil the cucumber or just feed them the raw cucumber ?

[@alimery07]

@@KhanhLe-jm6qu boiling it is better bc it makes it softer for snail

[@erics8757]

Nice tank!! You've been on for 5 months and your channel was only in my recommended videos today!? Glad I found it!

[@AquariumGenius]

Thank you Eric! What a kind comment, you made my day :D cheers -Bart

[@r.a.8503]

Thank u ..it was helpful to know that they sleep ..

[@private4720]

I just got my first aquarium. My snail was on his back for 2 nights and I got nervous. I took him out and smelled him; I couldn't tell if he smelled bad or not LOL. I gently put him back, then turned him on his tummy and, a while later, he started moving around. 😱 I will continue to monitor him. thanks for the info

[@devonleavitt1771]

Just got my mystery snail and he’s been on his back for a day without any movement, should I move him? What happened with yours?

[@edwinbonilla8242]

That happened because they probably spent so much energy trying to get up then they get so tired

[@SassyandLeah]

Our snail in our aquarium was not active for about a week and so I pulled on her trapdoor and it was lose so I smelt her, it was a fowl smell. Some part of me decided to give a shake and her body fell out of her shell. RIP Diane 😢

[@aeliasventura]

I’m new to aquarium ownership and care and it’s been a learning curve (more so than I expected). Your video was very helpful and you convinced me to try and give one of my snails one more chance before getting rid of it, assuming it was dead. The snail is okay and I still have it, thanks to you. Much appreciated!

[@Anvilosrs]

First time owning a tank and a snail so I didn’t see it move for a whole day I automatically thought it died so i took it out and didn’t smelled bad so i put it back in and it immediately it started to move so I guess i just pissed him off 😀

[@mer_cozy]

mood 😭

[@mightymicroworlds4566]

Thanks man! I found a mystery snail today and I’m taking care of it until I can pass it along to my friend who has a proper bottom feeder tank

[@AT-jg8wy]

My pagoda snail died today. Luckily I knew to smell it after I noticed it didn't move for few days thanks to your video. It was quite bad smelling and polluting the water. I immediately did a water change 😔🙏 Thanks for the tip

[@AquariumGenius]

Sad to hear, those snails are beautiful.

[@moonpleco5083]

Very informative for any aquarist

[@dizzycartoon7552]

OMG thankyou so much this is the video I have been trying to find!! Thankyou for the info ❤️❤️❤️💯💯💯

[@AquariumGenius]

Glad you liked it and it helped you! Cheers, Bart

[@brianp6637]

This was the best video about aquarium snails. Thank you!!!!

[@mikemalo6336]

Try candling the snaill shell to see the silhouette of its body inside the shell. Just hold it up to a bright light.

[@noobslayer6099]

i was watching this because i just got my mystery snail yesterday and he was out all yesterday and this morning but then this afternoon, he just decides to close up for a couple hours. i was so scared but while i was scrolling through the comments, he came right out and started moving around😂maybe just a quick nap? thanks for this info though!

[@satguy]

Caution, Only the Olive Nerite Snail is a freshwater snail. The other nerite varieties are saltwater snails that will live for a short time in your freshwater tank.

[@cleanpotato8600]

Its weird how they sell them has freshwater snails

[@AquariumGenius]

Oh wow I did not know. Makes sense I guess as their eggs need brackish water to hatch? Thanks for sharing Satguy and Clean Potato

[@chickenwings711]

That is actually incorrect

[@OFFICIALKRAB724]

I'm normally not one to get squeamish but I have 2 albino blue mystery snails. One of them was floating the other was just minding it's business and I checked it's lid on the snail that was floating and let me tell you it vibrated and closed and squirted out water. I probably looked like a little girl that had a spider on them. Never in my life have I ever felt chills down my body. But I had to check before my ammonia levels spike, again.

[@Dogey5_aka_polarbearvr]

I own 2 zebra nerite snails. I can tell them apart because one has stripes and one doesn’t, and now on to the story, so one day I was looking at my tank, it is a small tank because we can fit them in) the striped snail who I named bungee was stuck on his top and he was on one of the rocks so I used a spoon to flip him back on to his bottom and then he never started to move but after 5 minutes he started moving again and he is still alive (for now)

[@jeffybezos9517]

Watching that snail float was hilarious

[@TcCT238]

nice tank bro

[@DaughterCesar]

You also add crushed up eggshells

[@lauriefrey8817]

Our wonderful active snail climbs out of the space and into the SUMP part of the aquarium. 2 days ago I heard a whack, and he had fallen on the tile floor. I picked him up and placed him back in the aquarium. I am not wondering if he is dead. Does not smell, but you mention cracked shells. The tip of the shell, the spiral side, is open. I can see his body a bit. The open end of his shell has now turned black. He used to be climbing all over, and then diving like a jellyfish, coming down from the top of the water. Just gorgeous. Can I save him?

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Thank you for the much needed snail information 👍

[@emmaisabellamarie5073]

I keep finding my snail upside down, i don’t know if it is getting sick but he wanders around and seems fine and then I find him upside down again

[@AquariumGenius]

Mhmm that is confusing indeed. You can always change some of the water in the tank to remove some of the waste that might be present in the water. There's not much else you can do except for keep the water as clean as you can and feed the snail well.

[@jordynnsmith7188]

The snail floating:weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@Jacob_Boivin42]

So uh my snail has been floating for like 2 days and I keep pushing him down and he floats back up so like is he dead?

[@blairo1226]

The floating snail is like WEEEEEEEEE

[@marienixon148]

Thank you. I came on here because some of my Assassins were sleeping in the sand with their tubes poking out, and I wondered if they were OK. But one has just started moving off!

[@gdn86]

Not sure if anyone can assist with this, but I have a mystery snail that hasn't looked too good over the last month. Originally it was very active, but it will very seldom move and now its still putting up resistance when pulled and will retract, but it will stick out not attached to anything a lot of the time. It has not produced an odor but it's either dying or going into long term hibernation, which I've read was possible although unlikely in a stable tank, which mine has been for quite some time. Ammonia and nitrites are reading 0, with the nitrates staying steady at 10-20ppm with no water changes for months, as it is a very heavily planted and CO2 infused tank. I have crushed coral in the filter and regularly add carbon and magnesium, and those levels are steady with a 300 total hardness. I have read these only live about 2 years, and I'm wondering if mine is just at the end of it's natural life as it was fairly large when I purchased it a few months ago. I added a new blue mystery snail (about half the size) today to see what happens. The main fish in the tank are a school of Buenos Aires Tetras, which I am pretty sure killed the group of amano shrimp I put in over the course of a month or so since the water hardness was unlikely a factor.

[@sharafsuhayl4439]

My baby assassin snail tries to come out of the shell and then again heads back into it, and it’s been 3 days since it’s doing that. The water is clean, shifted to a new tank, there’s enough food as well. I'm baffled

[@MrsShocoTaco]

You can tickle their foot also

[@mezrafae]

Thank you!

[@AquariumGenius]

I am glad you found it useful!

[@KAYSWORLD365]

Thank you 😇

[@jessicaspencer7511]

Okay I have a question your video was helpful but I have a apple snail and he's been floating a lot lately but when he's down on the bottom of the tank he like kind of holds onto the gravel but the rest of his body is floating he is about a year-and-a-half old not sure how old he was when I got him from the pet shop though

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey Jessica, apple snails are known to float around often. However I'm unsure why it's body is floating when the snail's on the gravel. The best you can do for now is check your water parameters for ammonia and nitrite and make sure they are both as close to nothing as possible. Also remember that the snail might be up to or even over 2 years old which is already quite something for an apple snail.

[@victoriagilarranz6804]

Yeah, he may just be getting old. They slow down with age. Unfortunately, they don't have long lifespans. Love them, wish they lived longer. :/

[@Erratas_.]

Got snails from my classmate. She just found them in her tank, and she's never owned snails. They just... appeared there. Sadly, I went on vacation this labor day, and one of the 2 snails passed. I could just tell that it was dead from the smell. R.I.P, snail. (Never had time to name it sadly 😥)

[@zephdo2971]

Interesting animals aren't they! Great video btw! New sub

[@MorphedWombat]

My snail was moving around great for the first few days then he crawled into a cave and hasn’t moved for a few days so idk

[@ryanmelchor9028]

Do other snails or potentially Algae eater fish eat snails?

[@jamesmagri9369]

Hi, I have 4 new mystery snails spread out In 3 separate tanks,all tanks are clean and at the proper levels! Not one of these snails have moved since I bought them 3 days ago! They don't smell,and their shells are closed tight! I don't understand why all 4 have not moved at all?? Can you please offer some advice??

[@kealacarroll8969]

That happened to me but a month ago and my snail is indeed still alive but has not come out

[@Radient_Adrien]

Hey, Aquarium genius I have a question does the ammonia spread to neon tetras or guppies because I have those two types of fishes in my tank and my snail hasn’t been growing it’s been staying the same size for over a month but it’s been pretty active do you have any advice to give me?

[@donaldcat]

My snail smells very bad. But it is still sticking firmly on the wall of the tank (outside water), tapping it will not fall down. Is it alive or dead?

[@crystaldawn2708]

Thank you! Very informative, I actually had no idea they were so irregular with their sleep and activity when compared to most creatures. May I ask, what type of fish was that at around 3:17?

[@vgil1278]

I thought it was a female fancy guppy(I see your question wasn't answered)

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey there! It actually is a male black bar endler guppy :D

[@crystaldawn2708]

@@AquariumGenius @Aquarium Genius Thank you! I've been really unsure about what kind of fish I'd like to stock in my 20 gal with my 5 cherry shrimp and 2 mysteries but I really fell in love with that male guppy! Time to do some research :p

[@AquariumGenius]

They're great fish, only downside to me is that the females don't look very colorful and pretty haha

[@crystaldawn2708]

@@AquariumGenius Haha yeah I figured the females would be less eye catching, but I don't mind too much. Would a 1 female 2 male ratio be okay in a 20 gal? I'm terrified of overstocking lol. Thank you so much for all of your help btw!

[@markstuber4731]

Can Japanese Trapdoor Snails flip off their backs to right side up?

[@DLMyth2]

You would definitely know if it’s dead when you smell it. Ordered some snails and a lot of them were dead sadly. The smell lasted a week to dissipate.

[@isb5772]

how do you feed snails in an aquarium? do snails survive only by eating algae? Do they eat fish food that has fallen to the bottom of the tank? i recently bought 2 to add to my betta fish aquarium but I don't have algae yet. can you please do a video showing how to feed them..

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey there Isabel! Snails are great at finding and eating leftover fish food that has dwelled to the bottom of a tank. You can also drop in some sinking algae wafers of even lettuce or cucumber. I wouldn't be too worried about your snails, they can find a lot to eat even if there's no algae.

[@christine_fox5629]

How long is normal for them to sleep

[@lizi.2503]

My snails are so weird, I have 5 of them and 2 sleep a lot and others are always cleaning the tank and others have started laying eggs

[@billybull6149]

Raely they slleeping?? I didn t know that!! My snails change color its not so red!!!

[@bethlewis3649]

Hopefully you’ll see this. One of my snails is completely closed it’s trapdoor and the other is half in half out. It was responding to being touched but not very quickly and after an hour or so it’s stopped reacting completely. No smell yet, does it take a couple days for the smell as I’m worried that at least the one that was responsive and now isn’t had died in the past hour EDIT: He came out his shell a bit so I touched him and he did retract very slowly but he won’t retract all the way even if I tickle his foot through the small gap he’s leaving. Also I can pull on his trapdoor and there is the teeniest resistance. I’m getting some algae flakes tomorrow and be done about a 50-70% water change cause the parameters were high. Still zero smell. Is it likely they are hibernating cause of the conditions and do you think it’s likely (with the water change and some food, they do have a cuttlebone and cucumber) that they’ll pull through in a couple days

[@toni5543]

Hi there how is your snails now?

[@bethlewis3649]

@@toni5543 they passed

[@shannonhalenda4866]

@@bethlewis3649 I’m so sorry :( that’s the worst

[@Okayplaguerat]

I have elephan snails that have tucked themselves into their shells quite deep but since i smelled them they seem to be are still alive, what could be the problem here :(

[@thathikingfamily6310]

I would be very dizzy if I were that snail! Lol

[@adriangalvan0765]

anyone know how i take the snail out without hurting it

[@elizabethcollins6634]

Once they go, they stink. I wasn’t sure so erred on the side of caution, but my betta beat me to it - he was swimming around the tank with a trophy on his head…..

[@jooikw]

My snail have disappeared I cannot see any traces of it how to find it.

[@user-gu9gn5ff5q]

I’m so happy my nerite snail was just sleeping!

[@hotlinemiammary]

Mine was hella dead

[@user-gu9gn5ff5q]

@@hotlinemiammary that’s sad

[@user-gu9gn5ff5q]

@@hotlinemiammary well it was sleeping but my brother crushed it it was in a trap door he crushed the trap door, let’s just say my parents couldn’t help him.

[@TyrannoKoenigsegg]

My snail was showing all the dead signs. Even having loose cover But after leaving it out of the water it started moving and then it went along its way after 2 days of "sleeping"

[@wyrd_edits]

Omg thank you my snail might not be dead!

[@TyrannoKoenigsegg]

@@wyrd_edits currently have another snail staying it its shell. I changed their tank but hasn't come out in about a month. Although showing signs that it is coming in and out of its shell I think the new parameters are bugging it

[@wyrd_edits]

Sadly my snail is dead....

[@TyrannoKoenigsegg]

@@wyrd_edits sadly one of mine died too Horrendous smell too Not sure If I'm mad at the smell or death

[@AquariumGenius]

I'm sad to hear some of your snails passed. And they can leave a terrible smell indeed...

[@angedavies8380]

I am crying right now cos this nail has passed away because when I was putting water all of my bugs would come up I pulled way too much I didn't think it'll be any harm but it killed one of my snails

[@billybull6149]

Thank you🙋😃

[@AquariumGenius]

You're welcome 😊

[@kyolym]

Now theres an exciting pet for every kid! Geee don't know if its dead or just sleeping

[@kevinsolano5739]

Hey so if anyone can help it would be really appreciated. So my snail wasn’t moving for about 4-5 days and my girlfriend wanted me to put him in a new spot to make sure he was okay. So when doing so he literally fell apart… it looked like a big blob came out of its shell… was it dead or what happened?

[@AJeazy]

Yeah it was dead. If it falls out of its shell like that it's already gone

[@OtakUdangTV]

I have some ramshorn snail (only) in my tank, but i don't have an air pump, is it safe for my snails if i never change the water?

[@avinash.samuel1992]

I've subscribed!

[@tropical_blueberry897]

Ok but will it work on garden snails?

[@AquariumGenius]

I guess? But it might be difficult to encounter a garden snail just after it died. If it has been dead for a while the shell will just be empty, which makes it pretty easy to tell.

[@tropical_blueberry897]

@@AquariumGenius tysm :3

[@bellastram]

It’s been almost a week, they havent moved but they don’t smell. Shrimp are all fine, water is fine, plenty of algae, I’m really baffled I’m not sure what to do.

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey there Bella Stram, I know it's been a long time since you left your comment, but I'm curious: did your snails survive? I really hope so!

[@MrMakemyday3]

wouldnt you just notice where it is sitting and check over several hours and see if its moved

[@AJeazy]

Sometimes they don't move at all for 3 or 4 days which is probably why a lot of people get worried and wonder if it's dead.

[@Konstantinos_fok]

Hi i gkt a snail recently and i forgot to close the aquarium and todayi lost it i tried following its rail but q As i get to find more trail and see it. its not inside the aquarium what do i do

[@Snakue]

I smell my snails just to make sure theyre alive

[@toni5543]

So your a snail sniffer 😂

[@curtiss6128]

Helpful. Thank you!

[@gmotionz9681]

What size tank ?

[@partharora8038]

Hey bro my snail was floting on water till morning he was dead or alive

[@townpity]

some lady told me that if a snail is upside down they could drown in their shell, mine crawl around and flip themselves upside down quite often. nobody told me i was supposed to watch these things around the clock man 😂

[@nevaeh7851]

*boring fact: I see this video in 25th of may, but in 2021*

[@AquariumGenius]

Oh yea those values sound like old tank syndrome. I hope you've managed to fix it by now. BTW: you don't have to aim for 0ppm nitrates especially if you have plants. Anywhere below 50ppm is fine.

[@shorkie8799]

Will shrimp eat small dead snails? Do assassin snails eat dead ones too?

[@AquariumGenius]

Yes to both questions! It's just that the small snails don't die often. Cheers -Bart

[@shorkie8799]

@@AquariumGenius thank you. Your very helpful

[@vincefromph9264]

I have a question do garden snails need water in a aquarium

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey there! Regular garden snails will not survive in your aquarium. If you want to keep garden snails, you should try to mimmick their natural environment.

[@vincefromph9264]

@@AquariumGenius oh good because i made them a habitat like my garden and when i watched this video i thought its ginna die because i didnt put it in a aquarium xddd Thanks for the tutorial!

[@vincefromph9264]

@@AquariumGenius btw how big does should i make his environment??

[@AquariumGenius]

@@vincefromph9264 I'm not sure, I don't think they need a lot of space but try to make it as big as possible.

[@monkeyjunky6753]

My snail is lying on its back is it dead

[@AquariumGenius]

Not necessarily, check again tomorrow and see if it's moved. Also apply the rest of the tips from the video. Good luck :) -Bart

[@monkeyjunky6753]

@@AquariumGenius OK thanks

[@monkeyjunky6753]

@@AquariumGenius I think it is

[@AquariumGenius]

That's unfortunate. I think it's best to remove it from the tank to prevent accidentally polluting the water.

[@monkeyjunky6753]

@@AquariumGenius ok

[@Amandarobertson-d7o]

My snails body inside is hard

[@SwiftKing1]

my dude inhaled that snail

[@ehenjehhehdhdbje3201]

Is that one orange snail the same one that KG tropical used in there video.

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey Ehenjeh, it's a rabbitsnail or elephant snail! I tried finding what snail KG tropical used in their video but could not find it. Cheers!

[@michaelgr956]

do you mean mystery snails?

[@wyrd_edits]

1 question my snail isn’t moving and he almost out of his shell does that mean he’s dead please tell me he has a mate and I don’t want him to die if he is dead his mate will be alone and won’t make babies so please tell me.

[@AquariumGenius]

I'm sorry to hear this! Did your snail survive? I truly hope so!

[@wyrd_edits]

He didnt he sadly passed away

[@AquariumGenius]

@@wyrd_edits :(

[@mrs.hussain9275]

Hi I have a

[@dreamurr6264]

I have a question2 my snail doesnt come out its been 3 weeks it stays inside the shell and closes itself in then its stick to the aquarium wall how do i feed it

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey! If it's hungry it will come out looking for food. Keep an eye on him and see when he moved. You can also add a piece of cucumber to the tank and remove it after 24 hours.

[@dreamurr6264]

Okie thank you ill try it out but the thing is i have fish in the tank to and they go after everything i put there

[@johnullman5620]

Oh! Hell no!!!

[@litxumbreon9384]

Mine smells like dirt the snail is a garden snail

[@AquariumGenius]

Yes! It's not as bad as you think ay?

[@varungowda6521]

Bro my snails not moving from since a month. I picked and checked there is some tentacles I can see.

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey Varun! Tentacles on a snail? What type of snail did you buy? And are you sure they're not parts of the snail that should not be there? Not moving for a whole month is a long time. Cheers and good luck, Bart

[@varungowda6521]

@@AquariumGenius Assassin snail

[@AquariumGenius]

Mhm assassins can not move for a long time after they ate/caught another prey. But there should not be anything hanging from it :/ I'm afraid he might be dead

[@varungowda6521]

@@AquariumGenius ok buddy

[@menna4752]

Thank you soooo much ♡♕

[@AquariumGenius]

You are very welcome :)

[@mujathepaganprepper7610]

My mystery snail has been laying eggs for 2 months. Eggs never hatched. Now she is floating. Is this normal?

[@louijinkrisbaun3745]

I found out that my apple snail is dead. Do i need to change the water ?

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey there Louijin, I would do a water change of 30% just in case. If you've got an ammonia measurement kit consider measuring the ammonia values. If there's any ammonia in the water definitely do a water change. Good luck!

[@internetgangsta7242]

I think my betta fish kill the snail

[@alifikmalsalihin6334]

I just bought 2 zebra snail from fish shop but one of the snail are inactive till now and another fell down from aquarium glass and bern inactive also. Those those snail die

[@AquariumGenius]

If you've just bought them I would give them a little bit of time to get used to their new tank. Check again tomorrow morning and see if they've moved. Snails are pretty hardy so they don't die very easily. If the snails are dead, maybe ask the store if you can swap them with two other snails. Good luck! -Bart

[@Onibas0824]

Well hopefully the last one passed

[@average_kc135_enjoyer]

Why does it look like it is trying to leave the shell im scared

[@camwinning4916]

I’m scared too :( really hoping my snail wakes up

[@justinmaurel3089]

Dude just smell it. That's it! Why complicate it?

[@AquariumGenius]

Hey there's a little bit more to it than that right? But you're right, it really is that simple

[@WorrizEcko]

I bought a new assassin snail for Betta fish tank, I wasn’t able to Get the food that benefits them cause Amazon delayed my order. However it was moving The other day but for 2 days it started to stay in one spot. I was worried if it died I have in a separate tank to check its activity. Hopefully it’s okay just sleeping 😢