Dead mystery snail - killed by golden apple sn??

[Sunbird73]

Well poor old Gum-Gum (named by a 3yo) looks dead, no signs of life for the last 24hrs and no signs of life when I took him out of the water and touched him, his little shell door was not closed He was (I believe) a blue mystery snail.

A few days ago we put a golden apple snail in the tank, and within minutes it had attached itself to Gum-Gum's shell and appeared to be trying to mate... stayed like this for 2 days -would this have killed him?

There was definitely a dent/hole left behind where the Apple Snails reproductive bits were poking into him.

Now I have to go out and get a "new" Gum-Gum but don't want to put one back in with the other snail if it is a murdering sexual deviant. Tho I am pretty sure I saw both these types in the same tank at the LFS??

Water showed no signs of ammonia when I tested yesterday evening (ie. at first signs of him not looking well). I did do a fairly decent water change yesterday morning (40%) - he was moving about then and tried to go for a ride on the gravel vaccuum thing and I put him on top of our coconut cave (maybe it was the coconut??)

We are sad

[Aquila]

Sorry for your loss

I am not sure what killed him, but snails definately do not mate THROUGH the shell...so if the other snail created a hole it its shell then it was an attack instead.

[Sunbird73]

Nope, it wasn't a hole in the shell, more like a dent in his tissue going in and under the shell KWIM? It was in the same place where the fleshy tubular bit from the other snail had gone in. I dunno tho, honestly never had a chance to look at him before that in that area as he closed up when picked up, maybe that dent is normal ?

[Aquila]

There is definetly a dent (hole) that occurs naturally called the pneumatophore, through which the air is allowed to enter and come in contact with the 'gill' for respiration to occur.

But snails also have a fairly violent mating ritual. The penis acts as a hypodermic needle and actually pierces through the body wall of the other snail and so this could be what you are seeing as well.

Sorry that I haven't been able to help you figure out what killed your snail

I know with apple snails, they are actually seperate sexes (not hermaphroditic like most snails) and maybe the one male was just too aggressive toward the other?

Nope, it wasn't a hole in the shell, more like a dent in his tissue going in and under the shell KWIM? It was in the same place where the fleshy tubular bit from the other snail had gone in. I dunno tho, honestly never had a chance to look at him before that in that area as he closed up when picked up, maybe that dent is normal ?

[Caryl]

I don't know if the snail killed him either but what is the pH in the tank? Snails need alkaline water or their shells go soft and they die.

[Sunbird73]

pH 7.2 - not alkaline enough??

[Caryl]

As long as it is alkaline I should think. I don't know, I have not kept snails.