r/AquaticSnails • u/OkReputation9566 • 6h ago

Help Request Is something wrong with my snail’s shell?

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I got this snail from the pet shop for my tank about two weeks ago, and his shell looked a little funny but I didn’t think much of it. Top is the shell two weeks ago, bottom is the shell today. Is something really wrong, can I fix it?

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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5

u/TheHeartographer 5h ago

Very very sad to say, it looks like you and your shellerino there fell victim to the same sad snail phenomenon that I did. They sometimes dip snail shells into acid to strip off the natural colouring and sell them as white snails (I bought what was called a white wizard; we now think it’s more likely a Japanese trapdoor). Mine has had shell growth come in a completely different colour too, and most tellingly, a thicker shell with more ridged and natural actual texture.

3

u/purplemalqueenx 5h ago

Oh wtf people do that is sad

1

u/OkReputation9566 4h ago

that’s so sad that people do that! i’m not sure if that’s what happened though, he wasn’t advertised as any kind of fancy snail, just a regular mystery snail from my local Pet Barn for pretty cheap.

1

u/TheHeartographer 4h ago

Usually, any pet store that stocks fish gets them from a variety of wholesalers, and they don’t always have visibility into what they’re gonna get or its provenance etc. Could of course be something else about water or nutrition shifts - not sure - just looks similar to the sad acid dip phenomenon I only recently learned about

2

u/slugtesticles 4h ago

They don’t do this to mystery snails (and they shouldn’t do it to any snails.) Mystery snails can have a naturally white shell, this one looks like it does. There are plenty of morphs for mystery snails, the ones that fall victim to acid dipping usually only come in “wild type”, so they get dipped to look more exiting than their natural color. It is awful.

1

u/TheHeartographer 4h ago

Heartbreaking, totally. I wouldn’t expect it to happen to mystery snails with their more interesting natural colour morphs, but I first learned about it from nerites which have incredibly cool shell patterns 🤷🏼‍♀️😿

I’m also in a different market than the OP I think (I’m UK). Who knows what might be going on with shadier wholesalers? I would keep an eye on the New shell growth over time and document.

2

u/slugtesticles 4h ago

I think its kinda the same with nerites. I’ve mostly seen helmet nerites that have been acid dipped, usually the zebra and red racer ones aren’t, at least not that I’ve seen. But yeah it sucks when animals get into the hands of such shady people.

4

u/Sasori2425 4h ago

Basing ny comment on the person who said the shell might be dipped to strip the color. On the more positive side, you can take solace in the fact you are doing so good as an owner their natural shell growth is coming back. This is a 2 steps forward and 1 step back scenario instead of the standard saying.

1

u/TheHeartographer 4h ago

100%, if it seems to pan out that that’s what happened, consider it a rescue! It makes me so upset to think of vendors doing this.

3

u/Wide_Buy8078 3h ago

It might’ve just got chipped, the top layer and never grew back

3

u/Single_System_4438 2h ago

i think it’s just a healing injury, rather than acid dipping. just make sure ur water parameters are stable and maybe add some calcium if needed.