Mystery Snail Eggs?

[RyanChance]

I just put some new mystery snails in my tank (several of the others got old and died) and I was looking at one slide across the side. Behind it there was a trail of white granuals in little clusters and while it seemed they might be eggs that doesn't make much sense because that's not supposed to be the formation that breed lays in.
Anyone know what that stuff is?

-C-

 

[Fluff]

No chance of a pic?

 

[RyanChance]

Come to think of it -- I think it's waste. Let me see if I can find that minicamera I had...

 

[Fluff]

lol Could be waste. They do poo alot.

 

[RyanChance]

No luck on the camera but I'm pretty sure it is snail poo. So next question: what causes snail death and how can you tell if it's really dead? (Sometimes they seem so dead but aren't -- I've just started pulling out suspected deaths and leaving them in a cup for a day or too to see if they move).

 

[Fluff]

The best way that I know of to tell if they are dead (and the way a breeder explained it to me) is if they are laying with their door part way open. If they are dead, they won't be able to hold the trapdoor closed. Otherwise, when in doubt, smell it. A dead snail stinks like no body's business. You'll be able to tell for sure. HTH

 

[1tankneverenuff]

To check for liveliness, press gently with your thumb on their operculum (the hard plate used to protect them when they sink back into their shell) and then release. Usually air will be released in the form of bubbles. This is one method I have seen done and also performed myself.

 

[RyanChance]

Oddly my last set of snails all died within the same month. I imagine that they were all probably about the same age though so I don't know that I can't rule out old age. I might have been something in the water but considering I had them spread across a few different tanks I doubt it. Then again, because I live in Texas the water tends to run about 78F and that tends to make the die sooner.

 

[Fluff]

Yeah, warmer water definately shortens thier life. Good luck with your new snails.

 

[RyanChance]

Well normal snails smell funny so I found a good method to figure this out (because I'd thought about the stink thing before). There's water inside the shell. If you press on the cover and the snail doesn't recoil -- probably dead, but to be sure, the water that comes out of the shell is pretty rank. I assume that the combination means a dead snail (cause plenty of them smell but they move so they must not be dead lol).
Either way, I have reached this conclusion -- a recently deceased snail stinks as much as a live one. It takes a while for the decay stench to set in.
With internal assessments done I really have too much time on my hands. heh
So next question: how concentrated should snails be? (i.e. this many to the gallon)