How long do aquarium snails live

Do snails sleep? For how long do water snails live? And for how long can snails sleep? Snails are fascinating and peculiar aquatic creatures whose behavior can be perplexing until you get to know more about their habits and behavior.

Aquatic snails can be pretty inactive for a lot of the time, and they do sleep. Some species readily climb out of their tanks in search of a dark place to snooze, whereas others prefer to retract into their shells for a nap.

Many species of snails can remain inactive for up to a week, not moving at all. Who knew? Snails can store air inside their shells, which gives them sufficient buoyancy to float. In nature, some snail species float on the water surface deliberately to be borne along by the current and, therefore, travel faster, perhaps in search of better feeding grounds.

In captivity, hunger is a common cause of snails floating at the water surface, often upside down, as they try to get at floating scraps of food. If the foot smells pungent and rotting, then the snail is most likely dead, although poor water quality can cause the snail to smell bad, too. So, if your snail has a stinky foot but is still alive, test the water quality in your tank, and carry out a partial water change if necessary.

The trapdoor will be closed if the snail is alive to protect the creature inside its shell. If the snail had died, the trapdoor would be open. Very young snails and those species with thin shells can be examined for a heartbeat. If the snail is alive, it will immediately retract its foot back inside its shell. Finally, put the snail onto a piece of flat plastic outside the tank and watch it closely for a few minutes.

If the snail is alive, it will come out of its shell and begin to move around in search of water, whereupon you should replace the snail into your tank immediately. Aquatic snails are often completely inactive for a while after eating a large meal. During this time, the creatures sleep while the food is digested.

If you have assassin snails, you should know that they can remain asleep for several days after a meal before they begin moving again. Generally, after enjoying a few hours of rest, the snail will start moving around the tank again. A dead snail would merely fall off the glass and lay upside down on the substrate. So make sure the snail looks healthy, complete and intact before selecting. Some snails may be smaller, or some a bit larger, but two inches around is probably most common.

Larger shells are not necessarily healthier snails. A Mystery Snail is non-aggressive and docile by nature, liking a calm aquatic environment and peaceful tank mates. Mystery Snails have no means to attack other tank inhabitants and has only its operculum and shell for protection from aggressors. A Mystery Snail can be very active during times when the tanks lights are on, steadily travelling throughout the aquarium on the hunt for food, interesting places to explore, or a quiet place to take a break.

A Mystery Snail can also be very active when the tank lights are off, feeding at night in complete darkness. Sometimes soon after the tank lights go off, a Mystery Snail will extend its siphon and move to the surface to get some air.

And for as active as a Mystery Snail can be, it is not uncommon for it to be still and appear dormant for long periods of time. It is often thought that Mystery Snails are slow moving creatures.

For the most part this is true. But there are times when Mystery Snails can be seen moving very quickly across aquarium glass. Mystery Snails are also known to climb to the tops of tanks near the water surface and then all of a sudden let go of the surface and rapidly free fall to the tank bottom. On some occasions when this free fall occurs they simultaneously release a couple of large air bubbles out from under their shells on the way down.

On other occasions, they do not totally release their foot from the glass. Instead it just loosens its foot a bit, sliding down the glass quickly while maintaining a bit of control on the way down. Mystery Snail care is pretty easy and straight forward, making this species a good choice for beginners.

That said, there are a few care issues to keep in mind:. They are very good at finding ways out of the tank. Its important for hobbyists to do a periodic snail count to make sure all snails are accounted for. Escaped Mystery Snails can die from drying out, or get injured when falling from the tank.

So its very important to keep a tank covered to the extent possible. If there is even the smallest gap in coverage, the chances are a Mystery Snail will find it. Tank Size: Another Mystery Snail care issue concerns tank limitations. While Mystery Snails can do a good job helping keep the tank clean, they also add to the bio-load of the tank like other living organisms.

In that way, a Mystery Snail is just like any other tank inhabitant. They feed from the tank and they produce waste into it. A Mystery Snail needs to be in an established tank with sufficient size and water volume to support its needs.

So avoid overstocking and keep the general rules of fish count in mind. Like most other snails, a Mystery Snail can thrive in a small established tank like a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium. They can also do well in larger established tanks as well. Water Conditions: Mystery Snails can do well in a wide range of aquarium water conditions. Avoid sudden shifts in temperature and water parameters because instability can be stressful to snails.

The tank should be stable, cycled and established before putting snails in. The tropical community fish tank range is a safe choice. Mystery Snails seem to also like moderately moving, clear, oxygen rich water. A Mystery Snail also seems to adapt to environments with slower moving, murky water.

But for aesthetic purposes, many hobbyists like keeping Mystery Snails in tanks with clear water. Aquarium pH: 7. Lighting: Normal community tank tank lighting. Ammonia and Nitrite levels should be at 0 ppm. Nitrate levels need to be kept from building up with regular partial water changes. Plant fertilizers, tank medications and treatments can be problematic as Mystery Snails can be sensitive to their ingredients.

This is especially true for additives containing copper. Copper can be fatal. More than a half-dozen species of freshwater snails are available through aquarium stores, ranging from the brilliantly colored blue and pink ramshorn snails to the common apple snail, which can reach 6 inches in diameter.

While most species of snail live a year or two in an aquarium environment, their life span depends a great deal upon tank conditions. The higher the temperature in your tank, the more your snail's metabolism is revved up.