Alexis Roberts
New Member
Hey guys! So I have a five gallon tank with a beautiful blue and black betta named Zeus, and a "fuzzy" nerite snail named Hades, a couple of live plants, and of course, a betta log, substrate (pebbles), soil, a heater, thermometer, and filter. Around 4 days ago, I noticed my golden mystery snail, Artemis, hanging out at the left bottom corner of the tank, hanging halfway out of her shell. I was a little concerned because I had never seen her do that before. I called up my friend who had gotten me interested in aquarium keeping and informed her about Artemis. She told me that sometimes they hang out for a few days, not doing anything. I told her that this felt different. Of course, she had hung out before, but she usually had her foot closed, or you could see her tentacles moving. She was, after all, not very active in the first place, even right after I bought her. So, finally, I decided to give it around a week, and if she hadn't moved, I would call TOD. Well, today I finally looked, and her body was DECAYING in the tank. I got her out ASAP and put her in a bag, and then did a water change immediately. The only thing that came out of the tank (aside from the shell and rancid odor), was a small bit of her body, not her eyes, mouth, etc. So I am worried that bits of her deceased body, as well as the foot, are still in the tank living with my boys, even after the water change. I am aware that this may have caused an ammonia spike, and I currently do not have an ammonia testing kit or the money for one. I will do a water change in a couple days and keep a close eye on how Zeus is behaving, but I want to know if any of you guys have some advice maybe, or know if I have anything to worry about. I am extremely sad about Artemis, but now I need to make sure my other pets are happy and healthy, and not exposed to deadly chemicals or disease. Thanks 